Book review
I LOVE Shannon Stacey’s Kowalski books–you know when you pick one up that fun and quirky characters and a very happy HEA are in your future…and that someone is going to be going ATVing. Her latest, Taken With You, is no exception.
To say Hailey Genest is not a nature girl would be an understatement. Her idea of a fun outdoor activity is taking her book into the backyard to read. She’s only out in the Maine wilderness on a singles adventure tour because her friend Tori–her last single friend, thanks to the recent rash of Kowalski pairings-up, darn them all–thought it sounded like fun. When her brand new hiking boots give her blisters blisters, her homemade mosquito repellent turns her into an insect buffet, and they’re separated from the rest of their group by goodness knows how many miles and a grizzly bear black bear really tough chipmunk, she is not at all attracted to the rough-around-the-edges, just-stepped-out-of-a-serial-killer-documentary guy who leads them back to safety again.
Honest.
Imagine her surprise when that same guy–nicely cleaned up and in a game warden uniform–shows up in her library to give an all-day ATV safety course…and her further surprise when he moves into the vacant house next door. But she’s still not at all interested.
Really.
And Hailey, of course, is not at all Matt’s type. He’s dated women like her before, and it never turns out well. He’s finally learned his lesson, and he can absolutely resist the charms of the sexy librarian next door.
Even if his traitorous dog is totally enamored of her.
You know where this is going, right? Of course you do. But the journey there? It’s soooooo much fun in a Shannon Stacey book! After I called Mini Moe #2 over for the first time because she ‘just had to hear this part’ she laughed so much that every other time didn’t even earn a preliminary eye roll. She just came, already smiling. If you spend much time around fourteen-year-olds, you know that’s high praise indeed!
Here’s just one such scene, as Matt tries to introduce Hailey to the wonderful world of four-wheeling:
Hailey really is a heroine after my own heart. I’m not nearly as bad as she is–I did voluntarily (actually, it was even my idea, believe it or not) go tent camping on my honeymoon in Maine’s Acadia National Park–but I am totally with her ‘I’d rather read a book than bait a hook’ mentality (Because, honestly. Ewwww), and reading outside is one of my favorite outdoor activities. It’s like she’s my long-lost literary twin, or something.
Though I know better than to trust a homemade bug repellent, thank you. Give me Deep Woods Off any day. Especially if there’s a hot game warden available to help me with the application…
But I digress.
Taken With You was a start it on Saturday morning, I’m good for nothing until I’m done with it Saturday afternoon kind of book. (I know better than to pick up a Shannon Stacey book on a weekday. I’ve learned that lesson.) If you’ve already read the rest of the series, this one is an excellent addition. If not, it can absolutely stand alone–the Kowalskis, though they wander in and out through the narration, are secondary characters here. A warning, though–you’re going to want to go back and read the others once you’ve finished.
They’re kind of like Lay’s potato chips that way. Only they’re not deep fried, which makes them much more healthy. Win-win!
Rating: 4 1/2 stars / A rating
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
- Goodreads rating – 4.10
- REVIEW – Becky