November 15, 2014
After a one-night stand leaves Shay Walker feeling bruised and lonely, things turn even more problematic when she realizes her erstwhile lover is Jace Jennings, the physically and emotionally remote father of her teenage tutoring pupil.When a nearby forest fire cuts off the resort where Shay is supposed to meet a friend to celebrate her birthday, she meets a wildly attractive man and, throwing her typical caution to the wind, seduces him. Despite understanding it's not supposed to last, she's unnerved by the connection she feels to the enigmatic man and feels dejected when he leaves. Heading back to her life as the live-in tutor of London-a lonely girl whose flighty mother has recently died-she's stunned when her one-night stand shows up on their doorstep and introduces himself as London's father. Also stunned, Jace decides immediately that Shay is too much of a distraction and needs to go, but he decides to let her stay when he sees the quirky but close relationship she's developed with his daughter. Still, in his mind, both Shay and London are only at Blue Arrow Lake for a limited time, because London will be packed off to boarding school as soon as possible. Shay, meanwhile, wants Jace to step up and embrace a larger role in his daughter's life and hopes that he might learn to open up his own emotions. Shay's complex relationships with her own siblings make her a fierce advocate for Jace establishing stronger ties to his daughter. Falling in love with him makes it even harder to see his determination to keep his distance. Ridgway returns to Blue Arrow Lake and the Walker family with an emotionally touching story about uncertain Shay, standoffish Jace and searching London. Part passionate romance, part fulfilling family drama, overall a sexy, touching read.
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December 1, 2014
When Shay Walker's birthday blues result in a mind-blowing romantic interlude with a total stranger, she's not about to regret what might have been her best birthday present ever. What a surprise then when the man shows up at her door, the long-absent father of London Jennings, the teenager Shay has been a live-in tutor to over the summer, and is planning to move in, too. Tensions (sexual and otherwise) send sparks flying as Jace and Shay struggle to keep their attraction in check and London and Jace warily test their fragile relationship. A heroine who must come to terms with her past, a hero who believes he's not dad material, and a 15-year-old who needs to know she's loved spar their way toward becoming a family in a satisfying romance that is all the richer for the vividly drawn supporting cast. VERDICT An adorable five-year-old and a smart teenager-in-progress steal the show in this delightful tale that is both sizzling and heartwarming and takes fans back to Southern California's high country Blue Arrow Lake for another memorable visit with the Walker clan. Ridgway (Take My Breath Away) lives in Southern California.
Copyright 2014 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2015
As Ridgway continues her Cabin Fever series, set in the California resort town of Blue Arrow Lake, Shay Walker is stranded by a wildfire at a mountaintop inn and ends up in bed with a handsome stranger. When she returns to her job as a live-in tutor for a 15-year-old goth girl named London, she discovers that the stranger is Jace Jennings, her employer and the father London hasn't seen since she was 5. A wealthy builder, Jace lives overseas and has never had a parental relationship with his daughter. Shay takes London to a good hairdresser, who restores her natural hair color, and helps her acquire appropriate clothing. As Shay tries to bring Jace and London together, they begin to renovate the Walker cabins Shay's sister Poppy was working on in Take My Breath Away (2014). The inviting resort town in the mountains near L.A., caring families in a close-knit community, and the feel-good resolution will please Ridgway fans and appeal to readers of Robyn Carr and RaeAnne Thayne.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)