Jennifer LaBrecque

Northern Exposure
4 Stars

Hired as a temporary replacement for the local doctor in Good Riddance, Alaska, Dr. Skye Shanahan is completely out of her element, especially when it comes to the bush pilot, Dalton Saunders, who pushes all of her buttons ...

Skye and Dalton's opposites attract romance is engaging. It is fun to see Skye lose all of her inhibitions and come into her own in this delightful small town in the middle of nowhere. Dalton is a typical brooding male resisting temptation until he realizes that Skye is everything he always wanted.

My only minor nitpick is that Skye's confrontation with her mother plays only a minor part of the story and is left somewhat unresolved. … (more)

Heroine Dr. Skye Shanahan (from Atlanta) takes a job for two weeks (filling in for another doctor) in Good Riddance, Alaska. Hero Alaskan bush pilot Dalton Saunders flies Skye to her destination. They seem to have nothing in common, she is a city girl, and he loves Good Riddance’s small town atmosphere. They don’t get on at first, but eventually sparks fly. What will happen when Skye has to return to Atlanta?

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the setting… the small town of Good Riddance. The characters were warm and friendly and some get their own stories in the following books in the “Alaskan Heat Series”. I liked how the people of the small town all knew, and looked out, for each other. Skye and Dalton made a good couple.

An entertaining read by Jennifer LaBrecque.… (more)

Very short story, only 49 pages, so not a lot of development. Eli and Tara have known each other for several years. Tara moved to Jackson Flats as a teenager and instantly developed a crush on senior ROTC Eli. Of course, he never noticed her, being so much younger. They encountered each other at a friend's wedding and the chemistry between them was off the charts. But Eli was focused on his career, not starting a relationship, and they didn't see each other again until another wedding two years later. Second verse, same as the first. This time, Eli skedaddled quickly, and again there was no contact for about two years. Now there is a third wedding in the offing and both are determined not to let history repeat itself.

So much for good intentions. They weren't in each other's company more than an hour before the steam started rising. Back into bed they fell. But Tara wants more from Eli than hot sex every couple of years and she begins making her wishes known. Eli has avoided relationships, feeling that they don't mix well with a career that can have him gone more than at home.

I felt that Tara was a bit more mature than Eli. She knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to say so. I felt bad for her when she declared her feelings for Eli and got nothing in return. Eli came off as rather selfish, only interested in hooking up with her when he was in town, then ignoring her the rest of the time. It wasn't until the end that we discover that he is simply scared by the strength of what he feels for her and doesn't know how to deal with it. He was rather a horse's ass on the trip to the airport, and I loved seeing Tara rip into him. He saw the light almost too late, but managed to redeem himself. I liked that the epilogue showed that they waited six months to get married, and presumably had much better lines of communication during those six months.… (more)