Thursday 7 July 2016

Book Review of Summer's End (Once Times Thrice Book 2) by Dianna Hardy @TheWitchingPen



Book Title: Summer's End (Once Twice Thrice Series #2)
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 253
Author: Dianna Hardy
Date Published: 18 June 2016

Synopsis:

Pippa knew her life had all but ended seven months ago, when she answered the phone call no one ever wants to receive: her husband had been in a fatal car accident.

Left physically and mentally disabled, David now sits in a care home while she struggles to keep herself together as she brings up their three kids. And on top of the grief, there's the guilt... she should be there for him, too.

One Christmas alone, one Valentine's, one spring, and now summer's nearly over... Can she face it all again?

Jimmy's known Pippa since before they were teens. Best friends with her younger brother and two years her junior, she's never had eyes for him, and when she fell in love with David, Jimmy finally accepted she would never be his. In fact, he swore off committed relationships altogether, for his path took him down a different route. No one needs to be burdened with the cross he chose to bear.

But his torch for Pippa never went out.

And maybe someone, somewhere, knows it, for words scribbled down and said out loud in a moment of desperation, might just be working their magic, about to shine a light on everything they could have ... if they're prepared to take a leap of faith...

Review:


Summer's End (Once Times Thrice, #2)Summer's End by Dianna Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Once Twice Thrice series. I absolutely loved it!

Pippa is a wonderful character. She is Jamie's sister and was only briefly introduced in The Spell of Summer. Therefore, I was eager to get to know her better. She is married to David who, after a terrible accident eight months previously, is now living in a care home due to his injuries. They have three children, Liam (10), Sammy (7) and Becca (4). Trying to cope with the demands of her young family, and her guilt about her husband's accident, Pippa finds herself being drawn to her younger brother's best friend, Jimmy.

Jimmy is a fantastic character. I really liked him. He's not had an easy life and getting to know his past made me admire him for doing what he had to in order to survive. He has always had a crush on Pippa, but knew that her heart belonged to David. When Pippa unexpectedly lands back into his life, Jimmy is determined to be there for her as a friend if need be. However, his attraction to her is as strong as ever and there's no going back, even if it leads to heartbreak.

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this book. I knew that I would be on a HUGE emotional roller coaster with this story, so before I started reading it, I stocked up on tissues. I am glad I did!

This is a hard review to write, as it is extremely difficult to not put in spoilers!! Therefore, in an effort not to gush, I have decided to keep this one short.

Although Pippa and Jimmy are the main focus of the story and the reader gets to see their points of view, Candy North's (Merri's best friend) story is told along side. I loved this, as it allowed me to see not only their thoughts and feelings but hers too. Pippa and Jimmy's attraction fairly sizzles on the page. They make a wonderful couple. But it was the beach scene with Jimmy and Liam that really tugged at my heart. I knew that Jimmy was a good man, but that scene made me fall for him myself.

The story kept me enthralled from beginning to end. The author has such a way with words that they pull you into the story and make you feel like you are living in it. The characters are extremely lifelike, full of flaws and insecurities. I love how relatable they are, even if you haven't had the same experience, you can empathize with them. My heart broke at every set back and flew at every hope and joy.

I reached the end of the book with bitter-sweet emotions; I don't know if there will be another book in the series. Although it doesn't finish on a cliffhanger, the author has left it ambiguous. I hope there will be another book, but only time will tell.

Dianna Hardy has written a wonderful contemporary romance with a magical twist. I love her fast paced writing style and the flow of the story was wonderful. I am a huge fan of this author's work. Her characters are lifelike, likable, and sexy.

As this story has a few scenes of a sensual nature that are a bit on the explicit side, I do not recommend this book to readers under 17. However, I highly recommend this book if you love contemporary or paranormal romance. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews


           

About The Author:



Dianna Hardy is the international bestselling author of The Witching Pen series and the Eye Of The Storm series. She combines a titillating mix of contemporary and paranormal romance in to her writing, as well as urban and dark fantasy, to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast- paced and not short of heat, with the focus on both character development and the plot. She writes full-length novels and short fiction.

She lives in the UK, with her partner and their daughter, where she writes full time.

Official Website: http://www.diannahardy.com

No comments:

Post a Comment