Title: The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone
Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Book One
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 384 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…
Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.
For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?
The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.
The Review:
Juliana Stone’s The Summer He Came Home is an emotional, sweet and steamy romance that had me in tears in the first chapter. I fell completely and totally in love the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake and I cannot wait for the next book in this captivating series.
Cain Black’s personal and professional lives are in transition when a tragic loss brings him back to his hometown of Crystal Lake. Despite a ten year separation, he instantly reconnects with his close friends Mac Draper and Jake Edwards and the three men support one another in the wake of tragedy. But it is his immediate attraction to Maggie O’Rourke that prompts Cain to rethink his future.
Cain Black is a tattooed rocker with a hell raising past that continues to haunt him despite his best efforts to prove he is not the man who left Crystal Lake all those years ago. Cain is not sure what to expect when he returns, but he is pleasantly surprised when he is welcomed back with open arms. But what he finds most surprising is the peace and comfort he discovers in his small hometown. Taking advantage of the lull in his career, Cain decides to extend his stay in Crystal Lake to contemplate his future and explore his attraction to Maggie O’Rourke.
A relative newcomer to Crystal Lake, single mom Maggie has carved out a low key life for herself and her young son Michael. An enigma with a mysterious past, Maggie is quite prickly and her defenses are firmly in place. But Cain reawakens long dormant feelings and Maggie cautiously relaxes her guard and tentatively lets Cain into her life.
Maggie is not the type of woman Cain usually dates and he is refreshingly honest with her and admits he does not know where their relationship is going to lead. Despite the intense sexual attraction he feels for her, Cain resists rushing Maggie into bed. Instead, he romances her and the sexual tension between them builds to a fever pitch.
The Summer He Came Home is a beautifully written novel of love and friendship. The characters are vibrant and life-like and the storyline is realistic and engaging. Juliana Stone provides readers with tantalizing glimpses of the characters and possible storylines for the upcoming books in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series. Secondary characters Mac Draper and Jake Edwards are tortured heroes who are battling some pretty intense demons. It is pretty clear who Jake’s love interest is going to be and I am dying to see exactly how their romance is going to play out.
