Saturday, August 3, 2013

The Newcomer by Robyn Carr


Synopsis from Robyn Carr's website: Single dad and Thunder Point’s deputy sheriff “Mac” McCain has worked hard to keep everyone safe and happy. Now he’s found his own happiness with Gina James. The longtime friends have always shared the challenges and rewards of raising their adolescent daughters. With an unexpected romance growing between them, they’re feeling like teenagers themselves—suddenly they can’t get enough of one another.

And just when things are really taking off, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. When Mac’s long-lost—and not missed-ex—wife shows up in town, drama takes on a whole new meaning. They’re wondering if their new feelings for each other can withstand the pressure...but they are not going down without a fight.
Step into the world of Thunder Point, a little town on the Oregon coast where newcomers are welcomed, hearts are broken and mended, and the dramas of everyday life keep the locals laughing, crying and falling in love.

My Thoughts: I still struggle a bit with the fact that this new series of Robyn's is not a traditional romance one. There are multiple romances going on throughout each book and all of them tend to receive equal pages so none really are as featured as the back blurbs might indicate. Despite my struggles Carr's new series does tend to work. Readers just have to understand that if you're looking for a romance where one couple is featured to the Happily Ever After completion they will not find it here. What also works is Carr's ability to create compelling characters and a strong community setting making them extremely real to her readers.

The town of Thunder Point is quaint and a place the reader will long to visit to see and her descriptions of the ocean and beach backdrop are intriguing. The characters' lives are often tremulous and filled with drama but nicely balanced with strength and total likability.


Specific to this installment I did feel that some of the drama felt overwhelming, Ashley's life in particular. The girl just couldn't catch a break and went through hell in this book. Despite what she went through she came out just fine in the end. My biggest problem with all of the drama surrounding her life was once she was out of crisis mode it seemed much of her reasoning felt a bit too mature for her age. Perhaps this was Robyn's way of making Ashley just a one of a kind intelligent and mature young adult but it rang just a little unlikely to me.

In addition, the romance between Cooper and Sarah had two major snafus yet one of them was left dangling at the end making it necessary for the readers to read the next installment to see what happens. However, the romance between Mac and Gina blossomed into a lovely relationship and the reader can't help but cheer them on as they got closer and closer.

Despite these things I had issues with this was a really good book with an intensity that will play with the reader's emotions in a good way. A new reader could pick up this book without reading the first one but if read in order the reader will have more of an appreciation of the character developments.

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