Category Archives: Southern Comfort Series

Review: Home Sweet Home by Sarah Title

home sweet homeTitle: Home Sweet Home by Sarah Title
Southern Comfort Series Book Two
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 252 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a ramshackle house must be in want of a handyman.”

Just because English professor Grace Williams is a woman whose “new” house is crumbling around her doesn’t mean she needs an arrogant, condescending man’s help, even if he does look gorgeous in faded jeans and a tool belt. What she needs is a working bathroom, not a ridiculous crush.

Jake Burdette has no use for the university types who stumble around Willow Springs, with their noses in the air whenever they’re not in a book. He may not be a scholar, but he’s proud of the hard, honest work he does—even if he would appreciate a little more of it. He doesn’t need Grace’s pity, even if he does wish she wasn’t so adorably sexy.

They’re all wrong for each other. But Grace’s troublesome house seems to feel differently…

The Review:

Home Sweet Home by Sarah Title is an adorable, magical romance between two stubborn people who are fine with a no strings fling, but love? No way! With a little help from a very unlikely source, Grace Williams and Jake Burdette soon discover that love often sneaks in when it is least expected.

In need of a new beginning after a failed romance, English professor Grace Williams’ move from CA to Kentucky is full of surprises. Her new house is in desperate need of a little TLC but it is her unexpected attraction to Jake Burdette that really catches her off guard. Jake has a giant chip on his shoulder when it comes to the university where Grace will be teaching, but he is drawn to Grace and finds it virtually impossible to resist his desire for her. The two are thrown together when Grace’s house repairs exceed her limited abilities and they soon decide to give in to their passion. But when lust turns to love, their relationship is soon on very shaky ground.

Grace and Jake are wonderfully developed and appealing protagonists. They each have successful careers and, for the most part, they are happy with their lives. Both of them are carrying a few emotional scars from their respective childhoods and neither of them is looking for love. Of the two, Grace has the most baggage to deal with, and she is quick to avoid emotional entanglements. Jake is the first to resolve his issues but Grace’s hang-ups come into play when it comes to taking their relationship to the next level.

Grace and Jake’s interactions are laced with humor and their banter is delightfully witty. Their friendship flourishes once they give in to their passion and their emotional connection grows deeper over the passing months. Their love scenes are steamy but not too graphic. There is a bit of fanciful history attached to Grace’s new home and the house itself is integral to bringing Grace and Jake together.

A charming romance with a touch of whimsy, Home Sweet Home is a wonderful addition to Sarah Title’s Southern Comfort series. An overall fun, angst-free read that is sure to be a big hit with anyone who enjoys contemporary romances.

Although Home Sweet Home is the second novel in the series, it can be read as a standalone story. Click HERE for my reviews of the other books in the series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Home Sweet Home, Kensington, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Sarah Title, Southern Comfort Series

Review: Kentucky Home by Sarah Title

Title: Kentucky Home by Sarah Title
Southern Comfort Series Book One
Publisher: Kensington
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 197 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In this warm and witty new series, author Sarah Title introduces readers to the down home Kentucky hospitality of the Carson family and their Wild Rose Farm and Stables. It’s a place where love is always possible—and sweeter than ever the second time around…

Mallory Thompson and Keith Carson are far from impressed with each other when she arrives at his family’s horse farm, fleeing an abusive marriage. Mallory sees nothing but a gruff man who’s as patronizing as her soon-to-be ex-husband, and Keith has no time for a city girl who’s afraid of dogs. But the struggling Wild Rose is too small to allow anyone to keep their distance…

As one by one, Mallory wins the hearts of his family, from his cranky father to his headstrong younger sister and three-legged dog, Keith finds himself more than a little attracted to her stubborn charm. And the longer Mallory stays, the more she realizes Keith is nothing like the overbearing bully she married—and the more she fantasizes about being in his strong, loving arms. Maybe some folks get a second chance to make a first impression after all…

The Review:

An impressive debut novel by newcomer Sarah Title, Kentucky Home is an absolutely delightful romance that is full of charming characters. This well-written novel is a wonderful story about starting over and finding love when it is least expected.

Good friend Luke Carson provides sanctuary for Mallory “Mal” Thompson on his family’s farm when she needs a place to escape her abusive soon to be ex-husband, Michael. Mal is quickly welcomed into the family but this city girl is definitely out of her element on the horse farm. With little skill, but a whole lot of enthusiasm, Mal eagerly volunteers to help out with the daily chores. She is attracted to Luke’s brother Keith, but Keith reminds her a little too much of the man she has left behind. Keith is drawn to Mal, but his misconceptions about Mal force him to keep his distance from his sexy house guest.

The richly developed cast of characters literally jumps off the pages of Kentucky Home. Mal is wounded and she is carrying a ton of emotional baggage, but she is upbeat and positive. In the beginning, her past issues with Michael lead her to think the worst of Keith, but as she gets to know him, she is quick to revise her opinion. Mal’s recovery from her abusive marriage does not happen overnight and she soon finds herself repeating past behaviors when dealing with Michael. Her struggles to come to terms with her past are realistically depicted and her reactions to certain situations ring true. I loved watching her find the self-confidence she needs to overcome her troubled past.

Following a tragic loss, Keith retreated to the family farm and he is just going through the motions. His attraction to Mal is very unexpected, and it is just the catalyst he needs to make peace with his past. There is a pretty nice guy lurking under his gruff exterior and once he begins to fall for Mal, his sweet side really comes out. Some of their scenes are incredibly touching and show just how much their characters have grown.

The secondary cast of characters is outstanding. Luke remains an enigma and I am impatiently awaiting his story. Sister Katie is extremely feisty and she is going to need to a pretty strong man to keep up with her. Surrogate mom Miss Libby has an open, loving heart and she is the backbone of the Carson family. Tantalizing glimpses of close family friends Chase and Billie have me wildly speculating how they are going to figure into future novels in the Southern Comfort series.

If you are a fan of homespun novels with close knit friends and family, then you are sure to enjoy Kentucky Home. It is a fast-paced and compelling novel that has depth and substance. Sarah Title has an engaging writing style and her character development is superb. I am eagerly looking forward to Kentucky Christmas, the next installment in this refreshing new series.

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Filed under Contemporary, Kensington, Kentucky Home, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Sarah Title, Southern Comfort Series