Lea Coll

What do you do when you dislike the heroine? Do you keep reading or stop and label the book as DNF? I ended up finishing it and giving it 3 VERY generous stars. I found myself having trouble getting into the story and a review made me realize one of the reasons for that. The story has too many plots going on. We have the vandalism of the marina, the trouble Jack's father has with keeping the marina, Samantha's creepy boss, her job as a baker and her feature plans, the couple from the show more previous book and the tease for the couple of the next book. And all that is happening in the first 10%. Less is more as they say.

Things got easier for me as I kept reading (like after 35%), but there was one thing that made things sour for me and is what really bothered me. Samatha herself. Her character is mostly weak with no backbone. I don't get why she allowed Justin to blackmail her when Jack already knew what she wanted to keep as a secret. Also, I don't get why she was so fixed on Jack going back to his cheating ex, when he never showed signs of wanting anyone other than her. Even without his point of view, I was able to understand why he was letting her call the shots. He said that Samantha was always in a relationship once a man put some pressure on her and he was trying to make her come to him so the cycle would break. Jack was at a better place and mindset as a character. Samantha has some character growth in the end, which got some points for the book, but I couldn't relate to her or understand where she was coming from. show less

Easy Moves is a stand-alone novel set in the Boudreaux Universe (created by Kristen Proby) and it's written by Lea Coll. The author is new to me, but I plan on sampling some of her other works to better understand her writing style.

You see, there was one big problem for me when it came to this book. I hated Gabe. I found his behavior very negative and even toxic when it came to how he treated Taylor. Thought the book he was punishing her the actions of other people and his own past, which show more was inexcusable in my book. She did nothing, but try to help in every way she could and not only because she was obligated from her work to do so. I was not happy with him. While reading the book, I realized that if in the end, Gabe and Taylor were not a couple and went their separate ways, I wouldn't have been mad. I would have been happy. Gabe's character growth happened overnight and it was not believable.

So yeah, I hated one of the two main characters. I couldn't bring myself to like him and I never will. Taylor had her hang-ups too, but she was more relatable and I liked that even for a while she stood up for herself. I am not going for a lower rating, because I don't feel like the book overall deserves it. show less

Review of eBook

Elle Carmichael is looking for a new start far away from Los Angeles and the reality television show that dictated everything in her growing-up life. She’s hoping that no one in Telluride will care about reality television or her past; instead, she’ll be free to open Smoke and Mirrors, her dreamed-of barbershop.

On an impulsive night out with a new friend, who may also be open to working in her barbershop, Elle meets a stranger and finds herself unexpectedly drawn to the show more man. But she fears that, if he knew her real identity, he would never be interested in her.

Will Elle be able to put her reality television show behind her and be herself, running a successful business in this little town?

This short, but intriguing, introduction to the author’s Mountain Haven series captures the reader’s interest from the outset. What happened in Los Angeles to make Elle, once known as Gisele, the villain of the show? And why would people hold it against her? Will she be able to make a success of Smoke and Mirrors, her snazzy barbershop?

As if readers needed any further incentive to read Elle’s story, the captivating first chapter of “Infamous Love” is included here. Readers are sure to find themselves rooting for Elle’s success.

Highly recommended. show less

Review of eBook

Savannah St. James works in her mom’s Main Street shop, Lillianne’s Clothes and lives in the upstairs apartment with her young son, Miles. It isn’t exactly what she’d planned for her life, but Miles is her world and her only sadness is that he won’t know his father who has passed away.

Today she is returning to her mother’s shop after spending an afternoon at The Bubbles and Tulle Festival with her friends. Julianna had told her that the building sold, causing show more Savannah to wonder about the future of her mom’s store. She sees someone moving boxes into the long-vacant shop next door to her mom’s shop and she briefly wonders if he might be the new owner. Savannah is surprised to discover that she knows the man; Julianne told her he’d grown up here but had lived out of town for the past several years.

But things don’t go smoothly; Ethan is planning to open a hardware store in the vacant space next to Lillianne’s Clothes, but he seems annoyed by Savannah and by her mom’s cluttered shop.

Will Ethan’s ownership of the building mean Savannah will have to move out of the upstairs apartment? And why is he so annoyed with Savannah?

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This Second Chance Harbor prequel introduces the two main characters in “Fight Chance,” the first book in a new series. The characters are interesting and an intriguing premise sets the stage for the forthcoming book; readers are sure to want to know more about Ethan.

With the stage set for the new series, readers can look forward to meeting Miles and finding out why Ethan is so angry.

Recommended. show less