Book Blurb:
Partying with friends and scoring a
flawless tan is about all Roxie has on her list of things to make her Hampton's
summer perfect.
Her parents, however, have other plans and
Grandma Betty's farm is just one of them.
Just as her life is in shambles and the
quaint town is suffocating her, she meets Chase.
Somewhere in the mix of bummer summer and
small town doldrums, he becomes the boy she can't seem to avoid falling for.
Just adding him to the picture, her stay starts to get better, even if she
knows it has to end with the summer holidays.
That is until Betty drops a life-shattering
bomb.
Roxie must make a choice that will change
her life forever. What happens when a spoiled brat from New York learns the
true meaning of love, loss, and forgiveness?
Can Chase and Roxie find a way to be
together or is this just another summer romance?
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Review:
I had the honor and pleasure of reading this author's debut novel before release. I was pleasantly surprised by how well she nailed the teenage angst that seems to be inherent in today's youth. Roxie truly is the epitome of a spoiled, rotten brat, and it shows in everything that she says and does. What initiates her departure from New York and off to the backwoods of South Carolina, she can only think about in terms of how it is screwing up her perfect summer.
I love how the character grows and changes, though she must go through a lot in order to do so. The supporting characters in the novel help illustrate the transition that Roxie goes through. Grandma Betty conjured to mind a strong southern woman, what I would term to be a Steel Magnolia. Despite everything that has occurred in her life, she continues to move forward, never letting pain show until she is alone. Bravo on nailing a southern lady, born and bred.
Katy is a lovely girl that seems to have more depth to her than I originally anticipated in the beginning. At first she seemed to be nothing more than the southern equivalent of one of Roxie's New York friends, but as the story continues I found the hidden depths of love and friendship that make the character of Katy heartwarming.
And, saving the best for last, I loved Chase. He is not a perfect pretty boy, which I found to be more intriguing. He has his imperfections and carries his fair share of scars and flaws. The perfect man has been done to death, and to find a male lead character with insecurities and a palpable pain, well, I found it quite refreshing. So even as he helps Roxie to change, she helps him to heal and change as well. The two are a fantastic couple, with enough similarities to give them something in common, but with enough differences to keep the relationship fresh and interesting.
On the whole, for a debut novel, this was a pretty good one. I am honestly anxious to see what this author will do next, as her talent is visible within her work. And authors, like wine, get better with time. If she does improve over this novel, then the second book promises to be a home run. I will be looking forward to seeing if she does, indeed, write another book to follow up this one.
Excerpt:
“I like your jammies. It’s been a long time
since I’ve seen so many colors throw up on someone’s clothes.” I looked up at
him, prepared to voice my outrage, but his smile disarmed me once again. He was
taunting me, trying to get a rise out of me and damn if he hadn’t come close to
succeeding. I wouldn’t let him win.
“Thank you. I like your outfit as well. I
have to say, Redneck Chic suits you quite well,” I replied, my sugary-sweet
smile still firmly in place.
“Ya haven’t heard? It’s the latest trend. I
can help ya catch up, if ya want?”
Caught off guard, I laughed out loud,
covering my mouth quickly, trying hard to suppress the snort that I was sure
was about to escape. His own masculine laughter joined with mine, mingling and
building, until both of us were clutching our sides. I hadn’t had a good laugh
in...well, forever. I heard the doors to the kitchen swing open again and
glanced up as Grandma entered the room. She looked between us, her eyes
searching for what had caused our raucous laughter.
“I always miss the funny. Wanna fill me
in?” she asked as she pulled a package of fresh sausage out of the fridge and
slapped it on the counter.
“It seems that our dear Chase here is a
fashion guru. He has offered to help me learn the ins and outs of his style,” I
replied as I looked over at Grandma. She scowled at me, but I continued anyway.
“It seems that my style isn’t to his liking.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. I really do like
those pants. But I’m afraid you’re gonna have a hard time blending in around
here if you continue to wear them,” he teased, laughing as he took in Grandma’s
bewildered face.
“Now who said I wanted to blend in?” I
teased back, earning another scolding look from Grandma.
About the Author:
If you had asked 6 year old Ruthi what she
wanted to be when she grew up, she would have told you a Rock Star. Those
dreams faded to the background when she found out who the true Rock Stars are:
Authors.
She has always had a fascination with
books, losing herself completely in numerous books, enjoying the worlds she
found that were so unlike her own. They were her escape, and eventually became
her passion.
Her family has been putting up with her and
her incoherent ramblings while she worked on her debut novel, Knotted Roots.
Her five year old and Fiance have suffered through many “fend for yourself”
nights, but somehow still manage to love her anyway.
She is now attending the Southern New
Hampshire University, working on her Bachelor’s in Creative Writing/Fiction so
that she can create her own worlds for others to fall in love with.
Okay, now that I’m done
talking in the third person, let me just say that I love connecting with people
via Facebook, Goodreads, my blog, etc. If you would like to chat, you can
usually find me online at any given time. I also want to say thank you to each
and every person who reads my book. It was a labor of love and I truly hope
that you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
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