REVIEW: IT STARTED WITH A KISS by MARINA ADAIR

 

It Started with a Kiss

Sequoia Lake #1

By: Marina Adair

Releasing January 31st, 2017

Montlake Romance

 

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In It Started with a Kiss (Sequoia Lake #1) by Marina Adair, Avery Adams can't help but appreciate life, not after undergoing a kidney transplant. Her new plan for life is to live it loud, knowing that each day could be her last. Quitting her  job and starting over is her first step, but she never realized how hard being an adventure guide could be when she accepted the job. Still, she's not about to let her desire to channel her inner adventurer get the best of her. Can she prove to Tyson Donovan that she has what it takes to be one of the best assets the adventure lodge his family owns has ever had?

Tyson Donovan doesn't like coming home to Sequoia Lakes, as the place holds his worst memory of all. Unfortunately, now with his father's health problems and the family adventure lodge in danger of going out of business, Ty has returned to help out and get things back on track before leaving again. However, meeting Avery Adams throws his plans to leave in disarray. Can they find the happiness they both deserve, or will Ty's fear of losing someone he's coming to love tear them apart?

I have never read a book by Ms. Adair that I didn't immensely enjoy, and this one was no different. From start to finish, I was entertained by the plot, the main and secondary characters, and the dialogue. So much so, that I finished this book in record time. The way this story began with Avery finding herself tricked by another guide and having to field questions in the nicest way possible from a bunch of male seniors was amusing. Will she be able to handle the elderly gentlemen? Will her negotiations with them work? However, it was the moment that she and and Ty come face-to-face for the first time that made this story a real page turner for me. Because Avery is caught red-handed by Ty and he makes things interesting by teasing her.  

As for the dialogue, it was well-written and was a wonderful mix of intense, emotional and playful. The intense and emotional dialogue was due to the main characters back stories, what's going on with Ty's dad and the quest Avery is on to do all the things she's written in her journal. Will Ty be able to handle the truth about his dad's health issues? Will Avery accomplish all the things she's written in her journal? Will Ty and Avery be able to get his family's lodge back on track? Will Avery be able to convince Ty of her philosophy to live life loud? Discovering the answers to those questions had me reading quickly, determined to learn how things turn out for Ty and Avery as well as between Ty and his dad. Since forgiveness for things that happened in Ty's past is important for him to be able to move forward with his life.

Avery's philosophy made her a very compelling heroine, and it was understandable that she wanted to live life to the fullest and do things no matter how scary they may be. Every task she manages to accomplish and her determination makes her a strong and brave heroine. Yet, what I liked most about Avery was the way she challenges Ty and made him question what the future holds for him. While Ty, he's confident, hard-working and I liked how determined he was to make certain his family's adventure lodge doesn't go out of business. He faces some tough challenges, most of all his dad's stubbornness in allowing Ty to help him out, which made me wonder whether the hero would be able to deal with being back in Seqouia. However, I was pleased Ty proved me wrong. Besides, he had Avery to take some of the pressure off of him with their playful banter and strong chemistry that spilled over onto the pages in hot, nicely detailed intimate moments that illustrated just how right these two are for each other. 

Overall, Ms. Adair has penned a wonderful, emotional read in this first book of her Sequoia Lake series where the secondary characters entertained me just as much as the main characters. The way this story ended was perfect, as both Ty and Avery are able to leave the past in the past and start their future together; a future that was meant to be. I would highly recommend It Started with a Kiss by Marina Adair, especially if you enjoy books by authors Catherine Bybee, Erin Nicholas or Samantha Chase.

OVERALL RATING:

 

BLURB:

With a kidney transplant behind her, Avery Adams is determined to channel her inner adventurer and explore everything life has to offer. Only problem is, the closest she’s ever come to a real-life adventure was sixth-grade science camp. So to seize the summer in her rustic Sierra Nevada town, she takes a job as a guide at the local adventure lodge. But Avery doesn’t realize her biggest challenge will register at six-plus feet of rugged good looks and alpha-male charm.

 

As a member of the Sequoia Elite Mountain Rescue team, Tyson Donovan has made a life out of cheating death and rescuing weekend warriors from the treacherous terrain. “The world is my home” is more than just a motto; it’s what scares off women who would otherwise try to tie him down. When his dad’s health lands the family’s adventure lodge in serious danger of going up in flames, he moves home—and quickly remembers why he left. Until he meets Avery, the irresistible new guide who makes him want to stay.

 

Tyson gives the inexperienced Avery a lesson in romance that her books could never teach her. And with her undeniable spirit for life, Avery shows Tyson the healing power of love. But with one misstep, everything comes crashing down, and they’ll both have to take the biggest leap of all—into the kind of adventure that lasts a lifetime.

 

BUY LINKS: Amazon