Prairie Town series #1-3 by T.E. Ridener
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Contemporary, LGBT, Romance
Lydia McIntosh left her old life behind when she said goodbye to Prairie Town, North Carolina and started over halfway across the country with her beloved Gran; away from her family, away from everyone who knew the person she once was, and from the identity she never quite wanted in the first place. When her grandmother passes away, she returns home and while she only intends to stay for the funeral, her grandmother has other plans, from the grave. Her will states that Lydia must remain in Prairie Town for six months in order to give her family and her old town a chance to get to know the new her, the real her. Lydia has had years to adjust to long hair, summer dresses, and nail polish, but she understands her family will need time to get reacquainted with a daughter they’ve never known and a sister they’ve missed terribly. Anticipating the worst, as she always has, Lydia’s feelings about her old town begin to change when she meets her brother’s best friend, Callum. Callum is kind and more accepting than she could have ever imagined and she’s falling for him. When her 180 days are over, will she be able to say goodbye to the family she’s missed so much? Will she survive her mother’s endless intolerance? Can she really leave the man who acknowledges her past and still wants her?
4 out of 5 (very good)
180 Days is the first novel in the Prairie Town series. It tells the story of Lydia, who only goes back home for her grandmother's funeral. There she reunited with her family - father, brother and sister with delight, but her mother is none too pleased to see her. Her mother's prejudice runs throughout the story.
The love story between Callum and Lydia is warm and loving, with some steam but not too much. Their relationship is more than 'just' sex. The relationships that Lydia has with others is great to read about too. She has a loving brother and sister, plus some fantastic friends in Tula, Paul, Ags and Benji, to name but some. I love the hint of things to come too, without it going into detail. There are some wonderful highlights, plus some heartbreaking moments.
Although I loved the characters, the one that I couldn't quite grasp is Ags. I get the 'gender-fluid' (sometimes male, sometimes female), but then there was whole name change part. I read four different names and I got confused as to when they were used. I am looking forward to reading further along in this series where I hope I understand it better.
This is a fantastic book, sensitively written, that I have no hesitation in recommending.
* Verified Purchase - June 2016 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Contemporary, LGBT, Romance
While her sister and future brother-in-law prepare for their wedding day, which is set to happen in three months, 24-year-old Laney McIntosh is barely holding her life together by a thread.
She’s been forced to fake a smile for months for the sake of her family, but she isn’t so sure she can do it anymore. There are secrets she has kept and they will threaten to shatter the picture-perfect status they’ve finally achieved since her sister’s return.
Through the ever-growing darkness in her mind there is one beacon of light that shines brighter than the rest: Benji, one of her sister’s best friends.
Benji Palmer is a transgender man and he has his share of demons, but what he feels for Laney has only been growing stronger since the moment he met her. Despite his own struggles he wants nothing more than to make Laney happy and he’s determined to heal her heart.
A lot of things can happen in 90 days. Good things. Bad things. Crazy things. Beautiful things.
Will Laney and Benji finally get the happily-ever-after they’ve always wanted?
4 out of 5 (very good)
90 Days is the story of Laney (Lydia's sister) and Benji (Lydia's friend). Lydia was unaware that Laney suffered with depression from childhood, and was actually admitted into hospital with it. Depression is an insidious illness that can strike without rhyme or reason, and I think that T.E. Ridener managed to convey this incredibly well. With Lydia freaking out over her perfect wedding, plus not knowing Benji's feelings, plus finding things out about both Lydia and Jeb and feeling completely left out, it came as no surprise to find that Laney was sliding back into depression. It is not predictable, and makes no sense to others, but there is no denying the feeling of when you know you are slipping.
I loved Tula's bookshop, and the names of the series and authors that were dropped! ;)
I still can't get my head around Ags, but I'm going with the flow more now and not trying to figure anything out each time.
Still very well written, with only a slight issue from the formatting gremlin who paid a visit with chapter headings, this book was completely enjoyable. Definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase - June 2016 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
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Contemporary, Menage, Romance
AFTER LOSING HER HUSBAND, SHE'S SCARED TO LOVE AGAIN. Kelly Spencer has learned the ropes of being a single mom, but sometimes it’s still a little overwhelming, and very lonely. There are moments when she thinks she’s ready to try the whole dating thing again, but she is hesitant because of her children. HE'S LOST AND HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO FIND HIS WAY BACK TO NORMALCY. Devin Rose doesn’t remember who he used to be, but he’s heard the stories. All he wants is to move forward and become the decent person he knows he can be, but it won’t be as easy as he initially thought. Through the darkness and confusion of his amnesia, Devin finds himself grasping at the first happiness he’s felt since the night of his accident. ALL HE WANTS IS TO FIND THE MISSING PIECES. Nick Laveau returns to Prairie Town to help his estranged father with the family business, but he’s also looking for a second chance at happiness. He is searching for the two perfect puzzle pieces that will finally make him feel complete. WHAT'S LOST WILL BE FOUND. They’re all searching for something and they’re about to discover more than any of them bargained for. Perhaps three hearts really can love each other fully, equally, and withstand the curveballs life hurdles their way.
4 out of 5 (very good)
The Lost Days starts with Devin and his memory loss. It has been eight months since that night with Laney and Benji, and he still can't remember any of it. Of course, others (including Jeb) think that he is pretending to get out of a jail sentence. Kelly doesn't think that he's pretending. He is certainly different to the Devin that she remembers. But then she is also distracted by Nick, the local 'handyman' who she likes to get handy with.
There were a few different things about this book that I really enjoyed, not least the flashbacks that Kelly had regarding Patrick. I think it was essential that the reader saw how much he meant to her, and that this wasn't just a flash-in-the-pan affair for her. Devin, too, showed a whole new side to himself - a nicer, friendlier, and yep, even sexier side.
However, there were a couple of things that I didn't enjoy - although I can see how they are relevant, and add to, the story. One is Jeb's temper. Call it a personal quirk, but I hate it when a man or woman is so taken over with their temper like that. I liked Jeb in the first book, had my doubts in the second, and really didn't like him in this one. I am hoping for a silver lining for him, but he has some serious issues to work out. Secondly was Nick, which I know people will disagree with. I didn't like how he played both Devin and Kelly. Admittedly, Devin knew more about it than Kelly did (WRONG), but still... there were just parts I didn't like, but I'll leave it there as I know that he is a popular character.
On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and with no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, it was most definitely a smooth read too. Definitely recommended by me.
* Verified Purchase - June 2016 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
T.E. Ridener resides in the small community of Gray, Kentucky with her equally eccentric yet amazingly interesting family. Miss Ridener has written a handful of novels as well as various short stories during her career as a writer. When she is not writing, she enjoys listening to nearly every genre of music, watching movies, and spending time with her niece and nephew. Her greatest accomplishment to date has been The Blood Betrayal Series, with characters she dreamed up while she was still a teenager. She believes that the Blood Betrayal Series will go far one day, despite the overrating of vampires in the past few years. According to her, vampires will never go out of style even if their fashion choices do!
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