18 January, 2012

Book Review: Hidden Summit by Robyn Carr

Book: HIDDEN SUMMIT
Author: ROBYN CARR
Genre: CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Published: December 2011, MIRA (HARLEQUIN)


Series: VIRGIN RIVER #17
Source: Little Bird Publicity, no other compensation given for an honest review

From Good Reads:
Sick of running into her cheery ex-husband and his new wife, Leslie Petruso accepts a job at the Virgin River branch of Haggerty Construction and takes the high road right out of town. Now she's got Paul Haggerty's business running like a well-oiled machine. In fact, things are so busy Paul jumps at the chance to hire an extra set of hands.

Just like Leslie, Conner Danson has been burned by love. But if Leslie was disappointed by her relationship going bad, Conner was decimated. He's got no time for women…although he spends an awful lot of time pretending not to notice Leslie. And she's pretty busy "ignoring" the chemistry between them.

According to Conner and Leslie, they have only one thing in common—they're done with love. But everyone in Virgin River can see that things are heating up at Haggerty Construction. And as far as Paul Haggerty can tell, the best thing he can do is hang on to his hard hat and watch the sparks fly!


My Review:
Despite the plethora of books Robyn Carr has published, HIDDEN SUMMIT was my first read by her. This of course, means that I have never been introduced to her Virgin River world, which has flourished since the first book. There are many relationships and characters that have probably grown throughout the series, and I haven't had a chance to immerse myself in their world before now. If I had any reservations about this, they were swiftly put to rest as I read through the first few chapters.

Conner Danson is a great character. He's not flawless by any means. When I first started reading, I definitely understood the chip on his shoulder about the circumstances that led him to Virgin River. By being the type of man that does the right thing, he is forced to leave his old life behind. I really liked that the first sight of each other (Leslie Petruso and himself) is done through his eyes.

It was refreshing to experience a male point-of-view that was quite normal and ordinary. Conner Danson seems like a real guy. His personality and persona jumped off the page, not because he was overbearingly alpha or so breathtakingly sexy, but because Carr wrote his character as a man that I could meet in the real world. As too was Leslie. The dual perspective was enriching and gave me a chance to enjoy both characters equally.

In fact, one of the best parts of HIDDEN SUMMIT is the pace in which the characters meet, are attracted to each other, become friends, and then more. It's just as real as the characters. Sometimes I watch old BBC miniseries', and when I compare them to their slicker, newer Hollywood 2-hour movie, I realize that I miss the older version. For all of its length, I don't feel as if I am being denied any important details. Not everything has to be instant and double time. That more relaxed feeling permeated throughout my reading of the book.

Even with a dash of suspense and danger, HIDDEN SUMMIT was a comfort read for me. This is a book that I will re-read when I need a break. It's my zen, my yoga, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Virgin River.

4.5/5 for plot
4.5/5 for characters
4/5 for language

My Rating: 13/15 (4 stars) Highly Recommend



Find the author at:
Website | Twitter | GoodReads | Facebook

Purchase book at:
Barnes and Noble | Harlequin | IndieBound | Books-A-Million | Amazon | Audible

Available formats: Print (Mass Market Paperback), NookBook, ePub, Kindle, Audiobook

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