Lacey Alexander
Author of One Reckless Summer
About the Author
Image credit: via freshfiction.com
Series
Works by Lacey Alexander
Eternally Yours 2 copies
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Hertzog, Toni
- Other names
- Blake, Toni
Blair, Toni
Alexander, Lacey - Birthdate
- 1965-10-16
- Gender
- female
- Short biography
- Transferred from the split Toni Blake page, 7/2/13 - originally entered by E-romance
Toni Blair grew up in rural Kentucky. She has wanted to be a writer since she was 10 years old. She fondly recalls the morning she announced this to her mother over breakfast, then proceeded to pen her first novel — 19 notebook pages long. When not doing farm work, spent her time writing short stories and dreaming of being a novelist. Upon entering high school, she joined the yearbook and newspaper staffs, and by her sophomore year, shared co-editorship of the yearbook and had been promoted to editor-in-chief of the newspaper.
After a year of college revealed that Composition 101 was the only class that interested her, Toni moved to Cincinnati and embarked upon the business world. There, Toni worked as a secretary and a mutual funds accountant before returning to her first love — writing. In the years that followed, Toni tried her hand at literary fiction and penned numerous short stories, one of which garnered her a nomination for the prestigious Pushcart Prize in 1996. In that same year, she was the recipient of the Kentucky Women Writers’ Fellowship.
Around this time, a good friend and fellow writer suggested that Toni consider writing romance novels. She had not read a romance in many years, but after reading one was instantly hooked. Joining her local chapter of the Romance Writers of America, Toni committed herself to learning as much about the romance industry as possible and began to pen her first romance novels, targeting them toward Harlequin Temptation. In 1998, after completing 12 romances, Toni sold three of them to Kensington’s Precious Gems. Not long after, in January of 2000, Toni made her first sale to Harlequin Temptation.
Toni lives with her husband in northern Kentucky and loves being a full-time writer. When not writing, she enjoys traveling, swimming, and skiing. - Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- Ohio, USA
- Places of residence
- Kentucky, USA
- Associated Place (for map)
- USA
Members
Reviews
Good book, though it read more like women's fiction than the romance I thought it was. It was enjoyable, but I frequently found my attention wandering to scrolling through facebook rather than reading the book. The only thing that kept me on task was that I was reading on a transatlantic flight, so distractions were limited.
Meg is an innkeeper on Summer Island, running the inn that she inherited from her grandmother. She retreated to the inn several years earlier, recovering from both a show more serious illness and the desertion of her fiancé when he found out about that illness. She likes the quieter lifestyle and the closeness of the resident community but also enjoys the bustle of the summer tourist season. For the past five years, she has been in a relationship of sorts with Zack, but she finds herself wanting more than he is willing to give.
Zack is a fisherman who spends long periods on his boat. He is content to leave his relationship with Meg as it is. He likes that she is there for him when he returns to port on Summer Island and doesn't complain when he leaves again.
Seth came to the island in search of work but also looking for something from his past. He visited once as a child, along with his grandparents, and a memory from that time has brought him back. Seth's past haunts him, and he is looking to make some significant changes.
The book opens as Zack leaves Meg once again. It is their fifth anniversary and Meg had made plans, but Zack behaves as if it is just another day. Meg finally faces the fact that Zack is unlikely ever to give her the commitment that she needs. With the idea that Zack may no longer be in her life, Meg contemplates the idea of selling the inn and moving away, starting a new life somewhere that she can find what she needs. Fate intervenes with the arrival of Seth, a handsome, younger man who is looking for work as a handyman. He is light-hearted and charming, and Meg hires him to do some needed repairs on the inn. She doesn't expect the attraction that flares between them.
I had fun watching the friendship that developed between Seth and Meg. He is an outrageous flirt and makes no secret of his attraction to Meg, but leaves it up to her whether to pursue it. In the meantime, they work together on projects around the inn, and Seth's attention to Meg gives her a taste of what could be. I loved all the little things that he did to show her how special she is. Meg is torn between her loyalty to Zack and the feelings she develops for Seth. Things become more complicated when Seth's presence makes Zack realize that he could lose the woman who is such a big part of his life. Can he let go of his past enough to give Meg what she needs? At the same time, Seth gets closer to solving the issue that brought him to Summer Island. His feelings for Meg grow deeper, but so do his fears of her reaction if he should confess his reasons for coming to the island. An unexpected part of Seth's past arrives on the island, forcing him to face those fears, and providing some much-needed healing. But will it be enough for him to believe that he deserves a chance at happiness?
As Meg and Seth work on the inn's renovations, they discover an old diary of her grandmother's, hidden long before. As Meg reads the diary, she finds some unexpected parallels with her own life. I loved Meg's surprise at the things she learned and how she used them to deal with her own problems. There was a surprising twist at the end of the diary that I didn't see coming and made me smile when all was revealed. I liked how it helped Meg face her fears and insecurities and embrace life on her own terms. The ending was terrific.
I liked the secondary characters, such as Meg's friend Suzanne and the other residents of the island. Suzanne was a good friend to Meg. I enjoyed how she was both a sounding board for Meg when she needed to talk, and also a kick-in-the-pants when Meg needed a little extra push to step outside her comfort zone. I liked how the residents looked out for each other, even though there was sometimes a little too much attention for Meg's comfort. show less
Meg is an innkeeper on Summer Island, running the inn that she inherited from her grandmother. She retreated to the inn several years earlier, recovering from both a show more serious illness and the desertion of her fiancé when he found out about that illness. She likes the quieter lifestyle and the closeness of the resident community but also enjoys the bustle of the summer tourist season. For the past five years, she has been in a relationship of sorts with Zack, but she finds herself wanting more than he is willing to give.
Zack is a fisherman who spends long periods on his boat. He is content to leave his relationship with Meg as it is. He likes that she is there for him when he returns to port on Summer Island and doesn't complain when he leaves again.
Seth came to the island in search of work but also looking for something from his past. He visited once as a child, along with his grandparents, and a memory from that time has brought him back. Seth's past haunts him, and he is looking to make some significant changes.
The book opens as Zack leaves Meg once again. It is their fifth anniversary and Meg had made plans, but Zack behaves as if it is just another day. Meg finally faces the fact that Zack is unlikely ever to give her the commitment that she needs. With the idea that Zack may no longer be in her life, Meg contemplates the idea of selling the inn and moving away, starting a new life somewhere that she can find what she needs. Fate intervenes with the arrival of Seth, a handsome, younger man who is looking for work as a handyman. He is light-hearted and charming, and Meg hires him to do some needed repairs on the inn. She doesn't expect the attraction that flares between them.
I had fun watching the friendship that developed between Seth and Meg. He is an outrageous flirt and makes no secret of his attraction to Meg, but leaves it up to her whether to pursue it. In the meantime, they work together on projects around the inn, and Seth's attention to Meg gives her a taste of what could be. I loved all the little things that he did to show her how special she is. Meg is torn between her loyalty to Zack and the feelings she develops for Seth. Things become more complicated when Seth's presence makes Zack realize that he could lose the woman who is such a big part of his life. Can he let go of his past enough to give Meg what she needs? At the same time, Seth gets closer to solving the issue that brought him to Summer Island. His feelings for Meg grow deeper, but so do his fears of her reaction if he should confess his reasons for coming to the island. An unexpected part of Seth's past arrives on the island, forcing him to face those fears, and providing some much-needed healing. But will it be enough for him to believe that he deserves a chance at happiness?
As Meg and Seth work on the inn's renovations, they discover an old diary of her grandmother's, hidden long before. As Meg reads the diary, she finds some unexpected parallels with her own life. I loved Meg's surprise at the things she learned and how she used them to deal with her own problems. There was a surprising twist at the end of the diary that I didn't see coming and made me smile when all was revealed. I liked how it helped Meg face her fears and insecurities and embrace life on her own terms. The ending was terrific.
I liked the secondary characters, such as Meg's friend Suzanne and the other residents of the island. Suzanne was a good friend to Meg. I enjoyed how she was both a sounding board for Meg when she needed to talk, and also a kick-in-the-pants when Meg needed a little extra push to step outside her comfort zone. I liked how the residents looked out for each other, even though there was sometimes a little too much attention for Meg's comfort. show less
Good book. Both Jeremy and Tamra have had things happen to them that have caused them to put up walls to keep people out. But when their lives collide in little Coral Cove, they find those walls getting pretty shaky. Tamra is a familiar character from the previous books, All I Want is You and Love Me If You Dare. She is part of the artist community who sells her work on the boardwalk each day. She has her friends to hang out with, but she doesn't date. Jeremy was mentioned in a few of the show more Destiny, Ohio books, where he was known as being the local sports hero and heartthrob in high school. He joined the Marines and went to war, and came back a changed man. After spending time with his family in Destiny, he realized he needed a change and moved to Coral Cove.
Tamra has designed the town's new mini-golf course and has been put in charge of getting it built. After hiding out for a couple weeks, Jeremy realizes he needs to force himself out and about and finds himself hired to help build the course. In their first few encounters, Tamra and Jeremy butt heads frequently. She thinks he's rude and he thinks she's uptight. And though neither wants to admit it, they are really attracted to each other. It was great fun to see Jeremy purposely irritating Tamra, just to see how she'd react.
All that head butting also stirred up a lot of sparks between them. Their personal issues first had them trying to avoid each other, but they quickly realized that wasn't working. I loved the banter between them as they moved from cautious truce to friendship to something more. Thanks to her past, Tamra has trouble trusting men. Jeremy is suffering from PTSD, aggravated by his feelings of guilt over something that happened during the war. As their relationship develops, they slowly start to open up to each other. I loved the challenge that they gave each other because of it, and how the results of that challenge increased the sparks between them. When the heat finally took over, there were some incredible moments. It was plain to see that the feelings for each other were growing. But a moment of passion inspired honesty from Tamra sends Jeremy running. I ached for Tamra, who had finally opened herself up to trusting someone with her feelings. I loved how she handled it, and seeing her with her friends warmed my heart. At the same time I wanted to smack Jeremy upside the head for being so blind. It just took him a little longer to get past his issues, with the help of one of his Marine friends, and the unexpected input from Abner. I loved his honesty with Tamra at the end, showing that it wasn't an easy resolution but a work in progress.
There was also a secondary story with Tamra's friend Fletcher. He, too, has been present throughout the series. He is a tightrope walker who performs on the beach every evening. He took up residence in Coral Cove four years earlier, when his wife, Kim, took off, leaving only a note that everything would be ok. He has been insistent that she would come back, so he would wait for her in the last place they were together. His friends aren't so confident, and by the middle of the book he is starting to have doubts himself. A visitor to Coral Cove has him seriously thinking of moving on with his life, until Kim shows back up. It was interesting to see the differences that four years apart made. I ached for Fletcher and his confusion. I seriously wanted to give Kim several kicks in the tail for hurting him. I really wondered how their story was going to end up and if it would be the way I wanted it to.
Though I would love to see the series continue, my feeling from the epilogue is that this was it. I loved catching up with what everyone was doing, and seeing some of the changes that have come to Coral Cove. show less
Tamra has designed the town's new mini-golf course and has been put in charge of getting it built. After hiding out for a couple weeks, Jeremy realizes he needs to force himself out and about and finds himself hired to help build the course. In their first few encounters, Tamra and Jeremy butt heads frequently. She thinks he's rude and he thinks she's uptight. And though neither wants to admit it, they are really attracted to each other. It was great fun to see Jeremy purposely irritating Tamra, just to see how she'd react.
All that head butting also stirred up a lot of sparks between them. Their personal issues first had them trying to avoid each other, but they quickly realized that wasn't working. I loved the banter between them as they moved from cautious truce to friendship to something more. Thanks to her past, Tamra has trouble trusting men. Jeremy is suffering from PTSD, aggravated by his feelings of guilt over something that happened during the war. As their relationship develops, they slowly start to open up to each other. I loved the challenge that they gave each other because of it, and how the results of that challenge increased the sparks between them. When the heat finally took over, there were some incredible moments. It was plain to see that the feelings for each other were growing. But a moment of passion inspired honesty from Tamra sends Jeremy running. I ached for Tamra, who had finally opened herself up to trusting someone with her feelings. I loved how she handled it, and seeing her with her friends warmed my heart. At the same time I wanted to smack Jeremy upside the head for being so blind. It just took him a little longer to get past his issues, with the help of one of his Marine friends, and the unexpected input from Abner. I loved his honesty with Tamra at the end, showing that it wasn't an easy resolution but a work in progress.
There was also a secondary story with Tamra's friend Fletcher. He, too, has been present throughout the series. He is a tightrope walker who performs on the beach every evening. He took up residence in Coral Cove four years earlier, when his wife, Kim, took off, leaving only a note that everything would be ok. He has been insistent that she would come back, so he would wait for her in the last place they were together. His friends aren't so confident, and by the middle of the book he is starting to have doubts himself. A visitor to Coral Cove has him seriously thinking of moving on with his life, until Kim shows back up. It was interesting to see the differences that four years apart made. I ached for Fletcher and his confusion. I seriously wanted to give Kim several kicks in the tail for hurting him. I really wondered how their story was going to end up and if it would be the way I wanted it to.
Though I would love to see the series continue, my feeling from the epilogue is that this was it. I loved catching up with what everyone was doing, and seeing some of the changes that have come to Coral Cove. show less
**Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques**
Desperate to escape from the pre-wedding madness and relax before exchanging vows with her fiancée in five days, Kat secretly vacations on her family’s private island. She’s only there one day when the completely unexpected happens – the one man guaranteed to make her loins quake, her heart ache and to make her seriously rethink her engagement walks out of the surf and back into her life. Not only is Brock the one who got away, but his rejection show more devastated Kat to the point that she shut her heart away for good, never again willing to love.
Seeing Brock again stirs long-buried feelings inside Kat that endanger her emotional well-being, her future with her intended husband, and all of the plans she has made for her life. But she can’t ignore her feelings for Brock for long, especially when the goons chasing him threaten both of their lives, forcing them into close proximity as the sexy FBI agent pulls out all the stops to protect her.
The more I read of author Toni Blake’s work, the higher the regard I have for her talent. Swept Away is the fourth story I have read by her, and proves to this reviewer the consistent high quality in Blake’s work.
From page one, Blake creates empathy for the characters she pens, engendering a feeling within the reader that they are a part of the story, instead of being on the outside looking in. You don’t read a story by this writer as much as you feel it. In my opinion, that is the mark of a truly great author.
Kat and Brock are a fantastic romantic duet! Each of them brings to the story a considerable amount of trepidation regarding love – especially with each other. Kat is frightened to give her heart to anyone again after the way Brock rejected her when she was just 17 years old, and Brock is convinced that love and commitment can never be in the cards for a man with his dangerous lifestyle. Watching the fireworks commence as these characters fight what is oh so obviously a losing battle is riveting!
In the end, Blake once again delivers a beautiful HEA (happy ever after). While happy endings are the stuff fairy tales are made of, this author ensures that her couple has a realistic happy ending, working out both their individual issues and their issues together before finally culminating in a very satisfying finish. I highly recommend Swept Away! show less
Desperate to escape from the pre-wedding madness and relax before exchanging vows with her fiancée in five days, Kat secretly vacations on her family’s private island. She’s only there one day when the completely unexpected happens – the one man guaranteed to make her loins quake, her heart ache and to make her seriously rethink her engagement walks out of the surf and back into her life. Not only is Brock the one who got away, but his rejection show more devastated Kat to the point that she shut her heart away for good, never again willing to love.
Seeing Brock again stirs long-buried feelings inside Kat that endanger her emotional well-being, her future with her intended husband, and all of the plans she has made for her life. But she can’t ignore her feelings for Brock for long, especially when the goons chasing him threaten both of their lives, forcing them into close proximity as the sexy FBI agent pulls out all the stops to protect her.
The more I read of author Toni Blake’s work, the higher the regard I have for her talent. Swept Away is the fourth story I have read by her, and proves to this reviewer the consistent high quality in Blake’s work.
From page one, Blake creates empathy for the characters she pens, engendering a feeling within the reader that they are a part of the story, instead of being on the outside looking in. You don’t read a story by this writer as much as you feel it. In my opinion, that is the mark of a truly great author.
Kat and Brock are a fantastic romantic duet! Each of them brings to the story a considerable amount of trepidation regarding love – especially with each other. Kat is frightened to give her heart to anyone again after the way Brock rejected her when she was just 17 years old, and Brock is convinced that love and commitment can never be in the cards for a man with his dangerous lifestyle. Watching the fireworks commence as these characters fight what is oh so obviously a losing battle is riveting!
In the end, Blake once again delivers a beautiful HEA (happy ever after). While happy endings are the stuff fairy tales are made of, this author ensures that her couple has a realistic happy ending, working out both their individual issues and their issues together before finally culminating in a very satisfying finish. I highly recommend Swept Away! show less
I thought this was a charming holiday read. The romance between Beck and Lila was fine. Yes, there were sparks but I was not feeling them as strongly as I would have liked to. For one; It took me a while to warm up to Lila. Yet, when it came to Beck, I had no issues. This has to do a lot with the fact that he warmed me heart with how kind and good he is with Cade. Little children are a guaranteed winner.
In fact, Cade may have stole some of the spotlighting this story. I would not get enough show more of him. Every time that he appeared in the story, I was smiling. Back to Lila and Beck. They kind of had an hot/cold relationship for a good portion of the story. Which did not help with me feeling the love between them.
The other characters in this story helped. They were engaging and people that I would want to hang out with. This book may be part of the Summer Island series but it has all the vibes of a nice holiday read. show less
In fact, Cade may have stole some of the spotlighting this story. I would not get enough show more of him. Every time that he appeared in the story, I was smiling. Back to Lila and Beck. They kind of had an hot/cold relationship for a good portion of the story. Which did not help with me feeling the love between them.
The other characters in this story helped. They were engaging and people that I would want to hang out with. This book may be part of the Summer Island series but it has all the vibes of a nice holiday read. show less
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