When I read a romance, I want a couple of things:
believable people I can care about, an interesting setting and a twist.
Summerside Press has undertaken the ambitious project of a series of romance
novels set in each of the fifty states, but not in the readily identifiable
main cities. The books take place in small towns with unusual names. The “Love
Finds You in” series promises to introduce us to a variety of places and
authors over a period of several years.
I first encountered the series at my local Christian
bookstore with Loree Lough’s entry, set in North Pole, Alaska. With a name like
that, I know I’m going to love the town, if nothing else. But Lough worked her
usual magic and delivered a touching story along with the delightful locale.
Sam Sinclair is determined to make her own way in the
world, away from the security of her family in Baltimore, MD. To that end, she
accepts a job cooking at a North Pole, AK hotel and heads northwest in an old
RV. She loves all things Christmas with a passion and just knows that North
Pole is the place for her, even though she hates cold.
Bryce Stone is a Marine recovering from injuries received
in the service of his country. He has returned home to North Pole, in spite of
the all-year-long Christmas theme of the town. He isn’t Scrooge, but he isn’t
far from it. Stone’s Aunt Olive runs the family store for him, a wildly
eclectic Christmas boutique named Rudolph’s.
Both Sam and Bryce have unresolved issues plaguing them.
Sam arrives in North Pole to find her promised job gone. Bryce doesn’t want to
run a shop, especially not one so unabashedly Christmas-y.
When these two clash, they clash with the impact of two
runaway trains. Can the uptight Marine and the elfin-spirited chef overcome
their differences to find love? Half the fun of any romance is seeing what the
two leads must do to get to the point of admitting their love.
Lough creates a
romantic story with a light touch, letting her characters tell their stories
with a natural flow. Don’t expect a weak story, though. She has built a strong
frame to showcase the plot, with plenty of humor and drama along the way.
I will be looking forward to other books in the series,
as well as other books by Loree Lough.
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