Happy Friday!  I am sooo happy the weekend is here.  I’m looking forward to sleeping until I’m ready to wake up, enjoying some down time with my boys, and getting a few projects done around the house.  I’m also hoping that some of the books I have on request at the library come in because I’m dying to read them.  This week’s review and next week’s are both books I read back in February when I was sick.  As my list sits right now, I’ve read about 26 new to me books already this year.  I won’t be reviewing them all however.  A good chunk of those 26 are Kay Hooper books, because I’m weird and when I find an author I like I tend to OD on their books.  I’ve already reviewed two of her books, I won’t bore you with a few months of nothing but talking about her books. So, I’m trying to mix it up for you, if it means I have to read a few extra books then I am more than willing to make that sacrifice.  Ok you caught me, I’m just looking for a good excuse reason to have to read more.

This week’s book was chosen simply because Liam was sick and while I wanted something to read I didn’t want something that I couldn’t easily put aside.  I left Liam in Travis’s care and made a quick run to the library to grab a couple of what I call easy reads.  Turns out that was a good thing because I got sick too.  So here are my thoughts on Instant Temptation by Jill Shalvis.

Characters:

If there is one thing I love most about romance novels, it’s the characters.  They tend to be quirky, real and fairly well developed for what are typically shorter story lines.  Jill Shalvis certainly didn’t disappoint on that end.  I haven’t read many of her books, so I’m going to judge this one purely on its own merit.  The main character is Harper, and she’s such a quirky person.  She’s a little down on her luck, but is working things out for herself.  She has a goal and vision and she’s determined to get there.  Though there are road blocks in her way, her determination and gumption are to be admired.

The other main character, T.J., is a little lost himself.  He seems to have a reputation as a good time guy.  He travels to various wilderness destinations around the world acting a guide for the outdoor enthusiasts that employ his family’s company for just such trips.  His personal journey is a little less main stage than Harper’s but none the less, he has to learn to let go in order to move on.

Plot:  

There isn’t much to really say about the plot, this is a typical romance novel.  A little more emphasis on the individual personal journeys of the main characters than on the romance itself, but still it is a romance novel.  Don’t get me wrong, a good romance novel is a great relaxation read, in my opinion.  I think this genre takes a lot of flack for being fluff, but no more so than many reality tv shows take flack for being unrealistic.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this story!  There is something so refreshing about reading a simpler story.  Being sick, as I was, I needed something that was easy to read, that wasn’t going to take a lot of brain power on my end.  I loved that this book entertained and delighted me.  It was reading purely for the sake of reading.  Books like these, to me, are like a favorite tv show.  You watch your show every week and you enjoy it, but you don’t have to really think too much about, know what I mean?  So, if you’re looking to be entertained, and you don’t mind reading a romance novel now and again, or all the time if that’s the genre you like best, then I strongly checking out this book, and maybe the first two in the series as well.

I can’t wait to share my thoughts on the the second book I read while I was sick, The Time of my Life by Cecelia Ahern.

But that will have to wait until next week!

What have you been reading lately?  Any thoughts on the romance genre?  I would love to hear from you!

Happy Reading!