Her Road Home by Laura Drake
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Blurb
It's not in Samantha Crozier's DNA to ignore the call of the open road. The wind in her hair and the pavement beneath her bike are all Sam needs. Until she crashes into Widow's Grove and the arms of Nick Pinelli, that is. Nick is gorgeous, and pure temptation - temptation Sam is determined to avoid. But with her motorcycle totaled, she's here for a while. So she comes up with a plan to renovate an abandoned house. Once that's done, she's gone.
However, the plan quickly backfires. She can't find any resistance to Nick's charm. Worse, for the first time, the house she's working on is beginning to feel like a home. Her home. And she knows that's all because of Nick.
However, the plan quickly backfires. She can't find any resistance to Nick's charm. Worse, for the first time, the house she's working on is beginning to feel like a home. Her home. And she knows that's all because of Nick.
Q & A with K & T
**In this book Sam is
a biker chick... what kind of chick are
you?
I am a biker chick,
too! After riding 100,000 miles behind Alpha Dog on his, I learned to ride my
own. I have since ridden 100,000 miles on my two: Elvis, a red 1987 BMW R100M,
and Sting, a bumblebee yellow BMW R1100.
**In a previous book
that you wrote called "The Sweet Spot" you began each chapter with a
quote... Do you have a favorite
inspirational quote?
This is my mantra:
“Brick walls are
there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick
walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.
Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly
enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”
― Randy Pausch, The
Last Lecture
**What is your most
memorable moment as a writer?
Waiting in line at
the Librarian’s Day Luncheon at this year’s Romance Writers of America
convention in Atlanta, I glanced at the nametag of a lady next to me. *Gulp* It
was Cathy Genna, the Bookseller of the Year!
She read my nametag
squealed and hugged me – she loved The Sweet Spot! Someone had a fangirl moment, over ME!
Sigh.
**You have so many
great supporting characters in both "The Sweet Spot" and "Her
Road Home"... do you have a
favorite? And, why?
Oh, come on, that’s
like asking which of your kids is your favorite! In The Sweet Spot, it’s Bella
Donovan, the tough New York fashionista with a heart of gold and thigh high
stiletto boots.
In Her Road Home, it
has to be Bugs – the homeless bulldog that Samantha rescues, even though he
drools like a waterfall and farts like cannon-fire.
Yeah, I’m quirky.
**We talk a lot about
wine and chocolate here on K & T Book Reviews... so, wine or chocolate??
Oh no! They’re
mutually exclusive? No one sent me the memo!
K's Review
5 biker chick stars *****
This is my second time reading a book written by Laura Drake. Her first book "The Sweet Spot" quickly went on my favorites list and now this book will be very easily added right next to that one.
This book is so much more than just a romance between biker chick... Sam... and the Widow's Grove mechanic... Nick. It is also an emotional journey about challenging the fears and walls that bind us and control us from within.
Sam is a female character that I admired, respected and connected to on an emotional level. She is a tough, free spirited biker chick on the outside but on the inside she is battling against the voices of her childhood and very much controlled by them. Sam travels from place to place having made her home the road and her bike. She is a talented carpenter and makes money by only stopping long enough to buy a house, fix it up and sell it... and, then she moves on. But, that all changes when Sam gets to Widow's Grove and she crashes her bike. Her intention was to stay only long enough to fix her bike, flip a house and then head back onto the road again. But, she finds herself drawn to the people of this little town, a stray dog that wins her heart named Bugs and to the man that is slowly awakening her need to be loved... Nick. She begins to long for all of the things she thought she could never have. Sam has to learn to trust and break down her walls so that she can finally be open to love and friendship.
This book is not just about Sams' journey but also Nicks'... Nick is also a character that is still battling those childhood demons and a past full of bad decisions. He is a recovering alcoholic and has earned the respect of his community through his years of successfully staying sober. He sees Sam for who she is underneath the strong, independent, biker beauty she appears to be on the outside. His willingness to handle her emotional fears and needs with patience is a quality that I found very, very appealing. So many romances focus on the outer beauty of characters but at the end of the day the true foundation of love can only be built through trust, friendship and respect. These type of romances are by far my favorites because they outline a more realistic type of love building. I am not a fan of insta-love... I don't believe in it at all... love blooms slowly over time. Insta-lust... yes! But, not insta-love... there is a big difference between the two.
This book also has some wonderful side stories and supporting characters. We have the best friend Jesse and her husband. Jesse looks like your typical ditzy blonde... but, she's actually very smart and full of surprises. We have Ana, the elderly neighbor who is also battling with her emotions and coping with the loss of her husband. There is Tim, the elderly man who steps in to help Sam renovate her house. And, a wonderful cast of teenagers who end up becoming Sam's renovation team. All of these characters each have their own stories that add an extra layer of enticement to keep you turning the pages. And, I never thought that I would say this... but, my favorite supporting character was the stray dog that Sam inherited named Bugs. How many of us have had our hearts captured by the sad look of a stray animal who just wants to be loved. He is one of the many reasons why Sam was struggling to leave Widow's Grove... and, you can't blame her for that! I love that dog...
This is a romance and journey for those of us who love books that allow us to connect to characters on an emotional level. A slow moving romance with likable characters and just a darn great story! Highly recommend!!!
Thanks to the author for the complimentary copy! Very happy that I didn't miss out on this wonderful story.
This book is so much more than just a romance between biker chick... Sam... and the Widow's Grove mechanic... Nick. It is also an emotional journey about challenging the fears and walls that bind us and control us from within.
Sam is a female character that I admired, respected and connected to on an emotional level. She is a tough, free spirited biker chick on the outside but on the inside she is battling against the voices of her childhood and very much controlled by them. Sam travels from place to place having made her home the road and her bike. She is a talented carpenter and makes money by only stopping long enough to buy a house, fix it up and sell it... and, then she moves on. But, that all changes when Sam gets to Widow's Grove and she crashes her bike. Her intention was to stay only long enough to fix her bike, flip a house and then head back onto the road again. But, she finds herself drawn to the people of this little town, a stray dog that wins her heart named Bugs and to the man that is slowly awakening her need to be loved... Nick. She begins to long for all of the things she thought she could never have. Sam has to learn to trust and break down her walls so that she can finally be open to love and friendship.
This book is not just about Sams' journey but also Nicks'... Nick is also a character that is still battling those childhood demons and a past full of bad decisions. He is a recovering alcoholic and has earned the respect of his community through his years of successfully staying sober. He sees Sam for who she is underneath the strong, independent, biker beauty she appears to be on the outside. His willingness to handle her emotional fears and needs with patience is a quality that I found very, very appealing. So many romances focus on the outer beauty of characters but at the end of the day the true foundation of love can only be built through trust, friendship and respect. These type of romances are by far my favorites because they outline a more realistic type of love building. I am not a fan of insta-love... I don't believe in it at all... love blooms slowly over time. Insta-lust... yes! But, not insta-love... there is a big difference between the two.
This book also has some wonderful side stories and supporting characters. We have the best friend Jesse and her husband. Jesse looks like your typical ditzy blonde... but, she's actually very smart and full of surprises. We have Ana, the elderly neighbor who is also battling with her emotions and coping with the loss of her husband. There is Tim, the elderly man who steps in to help Sam renovate her house. And, a wonderful cast of teenagers who end up becoming Sam's renovation team. All of these characters each have their own stories that add an extra layer of enticement to keep you turning the pages. And, I never thought that I would say this... but, my favorite supporting character was the stray dog that Sam inherited named Bugs. How many of us have had our hearts captured by the sad look of a stray animal who just wants to be loved. He is one of the many reasons why Sam was struggling to leave Widow's Grove... and, you can't blame her for that! I love that dog...
This is a romance and journey for those of us who love books that allow us to connect to characters on an emotional level. A slow moving romance with likable characters and just a darn great story! Highly recommend!!!
Thanks to the author for the complimentary copy! Very happy that I didn't miss out on this wonderful story.
K~
I love this book too!
ReplyDeleteDebbie Herbert