Review: Blaze of Winter (Star Harbor #2) – Elisabeth Barrett

Blaze of Winter by Elisabeth Barrett
Series: Star Harbor #2
Published by Random House Publishing on 12 September 2012
Genres: Adult, Contemporary
Pages: 310
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley

Winter heats up in this hot new Star Harbor romance, as another sexy Grayson brother, a wickedly handsome writer, plots his happily ever after with a sweet stranger.

Frustrated with her job in Boston, social worker Avery Newbridge welcomes the opportunity to reassess her life when family asks her to help manage the Star Harbor Inn. Trying to figure out her future is overwhelming enough, but she doesn't count on distraction in the form of one Theo Grayson, the gorgeous, green-eyed author who she knows is trouble from the moment he saunters into the inn.

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Not only does he have a talent for writing swashbuckling adventures, but Theo also has a soft spot for big-hearted damsels in distress, especially a woman who's great at helping everyone-except herself. Avery's demons challenge him, but for desire this hot, he isn't backing down. With every kiss and heated whisper Theo promises her his heart . . . if only Avery is willing to open up and accept it

*I received a free ARC of Blaze of Winter from Random House Publishing via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review*

Blaze of Winter was a treat! I was so happy to be back in Star Harbor, with characters I already knew, and with some new ones as well. I got my fill of the town, the characters, more mystery and quite a lot of romance. And those Grayson brothers are so hot and utterly male! I have to admit that I prefer Theo from Seb, though, even if I enjoyed Seb more in Blaze of Winter than in Deep Autumn Heat.

Avery is a really great female character, she is so complex, both strong and weak, confident and not. She loves her work, but is pretty afraid of going back to being a social worker after one of her clients overdosed. Back in Star Harbor to help her aunt Kate at the inn while she is recuperating after her last bout of chemo. Theo is back home to get into his writing groove again, he really needs to get started on his next pirate book, and he thinks his childhood town is the best place to do so. He just hadn’t counted on having to sleep on one of his brothers’ boat, sharing  a tiny space with him.

In the beginning of Blaze of Winter, Avery is very wary of Theo, even if she has no idea who he is. She does know that he is yummy, though, but dangerous for all the emotions she is always working so hard to keep in check. The story moves forward at a leisurely pace, and the readers really get to know both Theo and Avery throughout the book. The character development is awesome, for both Theo and Avery, and I adored both of them!

There is a part of the mystery that started in Deep Autumn Heat that continues in Blaze of Winter, and at first, it was so subtle I didn’t even realize it was there. Then, it was slowly building until things happened that showed me that there was some serious business going on next to the romance and getting to know Theo and Avery. The secondary characters are all very enjoyable as well, and I love the sense of community in the Star Harbor series. It really reminds me a little of the Whiskey Creek series, there are friends who have known each other for a long time, some new friends, and the people who have always lived there – and who love knowing everything that is going on.

If you are looking for a contemporary romance that isn’t all about the romance, but that has more to offer as well, you should check out Blaze of Winter when you have a chance.

Directly at the most handsome man she’d ever seen in her life. He was huge, easily six-four, and he filled the small foyer so completely that ll the air seemed to be sucked out from her lungs. Despite the thick coat he wore, she could tell he was in impeccable shape from the way the cloth stretched over his broad shoulders and how his jeans hugged his long legs. And his boots? Enormous.

And that hair – oh, Lord, that hair. Shimmering copper tresses, the color of the sunset, swung past her shoulder blades. Long and straight, it framed her inquisitive, elfin face so perfectly. He could hardly believe it was real He’d wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch the strands. Then he had.

This out-of-control, teetering-at-the-edge, roller-coaster ride of lust and desire frightened her more than she could say. There was a reason she hadn’t had a normal relationship before:it was impossible for her to go all-in with someone without thinking about how it was gong to end and all the emotional turmoil that would go along with it.

 

 

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