California Man by EC Sheedy
Salt Spring Island Friends Book 1
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Relationships don’t come easy when you’re too shy to love.

Bookstore owner Emily Welland is timid and deeply insecure—and she has her reasons. She’s read about Quinn Ramsay, the brilliantly successful celebrity entrepreneur, and she’s seen pictures of him in the tabloids— always with a stunning model or actress on his arm.

Quinn’s glittering California life is the polar opposite to her quiet and reclusive days on Salt Spring Island in the Pacific Northwest. So when Quinn comes to her island and shows an interest in her, her initial reactions are disbelief, fear—and panic attacks. None of which she can control.

All of which makes Quinn more interested than ever.

This is a cute trope that is used to good effect in California Man. Emily is the super shy book seller that freezes up when she meets people, more specifically, men outside the safety and security of her store. Quinn is the quintessential self-made, successful and rich bachelor who is tired of the rat race but not sure what else to do since it’s all he knows. The characters seem like they are diametrically opposed, yet that is what fun and entertaining romance stories are all about. Love happens when you least expect it and certainly Emily wasn’t ready for the intensity that is Quinn. Quinn didn’t expect the meteoric impact from a glance of gorgeous gray eyes. What comes next is the pursuit and chase, ultimately leading to what readers will expect to read, only to find out that the author threw in a plot conflict. A conflict I at first didn’t feel worked, but it’s what the author decided to have her secondary characters do that made it work, made me happy and I acknowledge the cleverness of it.

Most of the conflict is internal and it’s from Emily’s point of view. It is effective, although a little drawn out at times, but the emotions and feelings of sympathy for the heroine more than make up for it. Quinn’s life choice isn’t as impactful as the heroine’s, but it does play off her insecurities rather well. What I liked about Quinn was his realization that Emily is worth fighting for, and that means restraining his libido and putting her first, even when she makes it hard.

Because of Quinn’s initial restraint, I was hoping that this book was going to fall into the sensual category. Nope – it definitely earned a spicy rating. Of course, Emily rationalized it; total trope reasoning, but it’s the end result that more than makes up for it.

Another strong point in this story’s favor is how Quinn and Emily end up bringing out the best in each other, while helping each other with some of their tough life decisions. They made a great team. In fact, California Man is a pretty good read. I enjoyed it, the pace was consistent and always moved forward and I really appreciated Quinn’s depth of character, which was showcased in his interactions with James, a secondary character. The happy ever after was wrapped up with a delightful bow of love and happiness.

All in all, California Man is a romantic little gem and well worth reading.

Man for the Morning by EC Sheedy
Salt Spring Island Friends Book 2
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

If you can’t fall in love in Paris . . .

Single mother, Lynn McDonald, is on the trip of a lifetime. She’s in Paris! And she’s keen to see and feel everything wondrous in the incomparable City of Light. The only thing not on her exciting itinerary is romance.

Nor is it on the list of acclaimed film director Paul Severns . . .

With too many women and one too many marriages in his past, Paul is alone and plans to stay that way. No more love games. No more risky relationships. When a friend asks him to greet a woman at the airport, he obliges. No big deal. He’ll pick her up, settle her in her hotel, and be gone. Instead, he’s instantly captivated by Lynn’s vivid personality, direct green-eyed gaze, and her generous and unselfish spirit.

What Paul lacks in emotional courage, Lynn, as a widow and mother to a challenged son, has in abundance. She believes deeply in the power of love and with reason. Only love sustained her through loss and years of solitude.

Paul offers to show her Paris, but after a few days in her company, he asks her to spend a weekend with him in the French countryside. No games. No risk. He tells himself—and Lynn—his offer is for nothing more than some pleasant days and uncomplicated sex. No strings attached.

He doesn’t expect Lynn to go along with it. But she does. And she packs some strings…

This story has a very different flavor than the previous book, California Man. In Man for the Morning, I found a romance that was very up front, challenging and open. I liked that the internal conflict plagued the hero, and the heroine was the one that wasn’t afraid to try, to dream, to hope for the best, even if there was the possibility of pain from it ending. The journey was one she wanted to take. Lynn’s confidence, optimism, pragmatic acceptance, hope, joy and life smarts impressed me. The most important facet of Lynn’s character was motherhood, her love and fierceness in defense of her son, James. She never gave up, she gave it her all and because of her love and dedication, James, even with the brain damage from a car accident when he was a kid made life problematic, she fought for him tooth and nail and the fruits of that is a young man capable of doing everything the doctors said he’d never do. That kind of person, who gives and truly cares is what the hero, Paul, needs and at the same time is afraid of. Yet, he can’t stay away. Lynn stayed true to herself, and I think that’s what got under the hero’s defenses. It was a great story.

Also, this is a spicy story. But the author chose to let a reader know her characters first. For example, why Paul is damaged, what made them so good together, how they clicked and what they each made the other feel; those are the kinds of things that allows a reader to connect to the main characters. By the time the bedroom door opens up, a reader knows that Lynn and Paul are perfect for the other. I cared that Paul should find happiness. I liked that small window of interaction between Lynn’s son James, and Paul. It was a nice touch and pivotal. I liked that Lynn didn’t act like a typical drama queen. She didn’t need theatrics to get her point across, nor does she play games. Paul has no doubts about Lynn’s attraction for him. I liked that the author has Lynn melt for him, even when he messes up, she doesn’t deny herself his touch, when other stories I’ve read would have the heroine explode in emotion and drama, making the hero pay for his inability to commit. Lynn was a unique heroine, and I really appreciated her personality.

This romance is very people-centered. I think Man for the Morning is a wonderful read. Even the potential plot conflict/villain isn’t so terrible. I actually liked the person and in time, I believe Lynn could eventually call that person friend, not frenemy but an actual friend. But that’s my opinion. Getting to know Lynn in the book makes me believe it could happen just because of the type of person she is. I wish there was an epilogue for this story; I believe it would have made this good book even better.

If you are looking for a nice, well-rounded, enjoyable romance story with a optimistic and satisfying happy ending, I think Man for the Morning might just do the trick. I know I liked it. I hope other readers will too.