A Small Town Romance (Bounty Bay Series Book 1) - Hide Your Heart

Tracey Alvarez does not disappoint in the first book of her new Far North series. Put this book on your summer reading list - it's the perfect love story to carry you from the beach to the patio on a soft summer night.

Lauren Taylor is a former model with an adorable son, Drew, who has fled back to NZ after an abusive marriage to a wealthy New Yorker has ended. She meets handsome photojournalist Nate who turns out to have bought the house next door that he’s going to fix up and resell. Of course, they’re attracted to each other and gradually they find love while working through their personal problems that both thought would keep them from ever finding a true loving partnership. I really enjoyed seeing Nate develop a lovely relationship with his “little mate,” Lauren’s son, Drew. It’s clear from reading about their interactions that there are different ways that a man and woman relate to a child and that Drew needs both in his life.

I thought that the book was going to go in a couple of different ways that just didn’t happen. Lauren is worried about paparazzi finding her in her new home and that didn’t happen. She learns that she doesn’t have to fear new friendships in her community and doesn’t have to live like a hermit. I also thought that the former husband was going to show up and the H would have to save her or her son from his abuse, but that didn’t happen. Instead the focus remained steadily on the growing love between these two very likeable characters and their love for the little boy.

Tracey Alvarez has become one of my favorite authors. This is the third book by her that I've read and every single one of them has been stellar.The romances are believable as are the conflicts and the writing are top notch, too. Seriously, what is there not to love?

In this story we get to meet Nate and Lauren. They both come from very different backgrounds but each has what the other needs...someone to love...someone to trust.

Nate is pretty lovable. He's great with Lauren's son, Drew. There's this one scene where Nate is making 'monkey-roni' for Drew in her kitchen that is just adorable. He was exactly the right amount of tough and tender.

Lauren's character took a little longer to unravel. She's very secretive at first, but we don't find out all the details until about halfway through the book.

I enjoyed the pacing of this story. The author didn't rush the romance and it was easy and natural to watch these two fall in love.

I would recommend this book (and any of Tracey Alvarez's books) to anyone who is looking for a realistic contemporary romance with a lot of heart.

I love the main characters in this book! They are likeable, they have instant chemistry but not an insta-love or ‘zap’ when they touch in sight! Ms Alvarez has given me such wonderful imagery for both imagining the backdrop but also the characters. I can clearly ‘see’ and ‘hear’ them and immerse myself into the story.
Both h and H are strong people in their own right and have their own battles to face. I like that these personal battles give us great tension, drama and climaxes throughout the whole book. They are also understandable and realistic problems which made them all the more real to me. Although there are no extraordinary twists in the plot, I am taken on a fabulous journey and I felt all the ups and downs of the characters without feeling bored of day to day monotony.
I really love h’s son’s character, Drew. He gave the story a beautiful depth that I think would appeal to everyone. It deepened the relationship between the characters and was also a fun bit of comic relief too.
Ms Alvarez has a talent for keeping the language believable but still page-turning for the reader. No over the top flowery boasts of love and yet you still feel the warmth of the relationship. There is steam within the pages, but it is tactfully and well written. No cheese here.
The only criticism I can really give it is that although I understand the reasoning behind using Americanisms in the written form for the novel so that it appeals to a wider audience, I can’t help but feel that the American readers are pretty smart. I’m sure they can understand that Kilometres are different to Miles and Kilograms are different to Pounds and in such a beautiful NZ story it seems out of place to have them. But that is only one person’s opinion and didn’t detract from my love of the story.
Beautiful story, well written, fantastic imagery and lovely steamy romance. Thank you!

I was gifted with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

Lauren Taylor is a former model with an adorable son, Drew, who has fled back to NZ after an abusive marriage to a wealthy New Yorker has ended. She meets handsome photojournalist Nate who turns out to have bought the house next door that he’s going to fix up and resell. Of course, they’re attracted to each other and gradually they find love while working through their personal problems that both thought would keep them from ever finding a true loving partnership. I really enjoyed seeing Nate develop a lovely relationship with his “little mate,” Lauren’s son, Drew. It’s clear from reading about their interactions that there are different ways that a man and woman relate to a child and that Drew needs both in his life.

I thought that the book was going to go in a couple of different ways that just didn’t happen. Lauren is worried about paparazzi finding her in her new home and that didn’t happen. She learns that she doesn’t have to fear new friendships in her community and doesn’t have to live like a hermit. I also thought that the former husband was going to show up and the H would have to save her or her son from his abuse, but that didn’t happen. Instead the focus remained steadily on the growing love between these two very likeable characters and their love for the little boy.

Tracey Alvarez has become one of my favorite authors. This is the third book by her that I've read and every single one of them has been stellar.The romances are believable as are the conflicts and the writing are top notch, too. Seriously, what is there not to love?

In this story we get to meet Nate and Lauren. They both come from very different backgrounds but each has what the other needs...someone to love...someone to trust.

Nate is pretty lovable. He's great with Lauren's son, Drew. There's this one scene where Nate is making 'monkey-roni' for Drew in her kitchen that is just adorable. He was exactly the right amount of tough and tender.

Lauren's character took a little longer to unravel. She's very secretive at first, but we don't find out all the details until about halfway through the book.

I enjoyed the pacing of this story. The author didn't rush the romance and it was easy and natural to watch these two fall in love.

I would recommend this book (and any of Tracey Alvarez's books) to anyone who is looking for a realistic contemporary romance with a lot of heart.

I love the main characters in this book! They are likeable, they have instant chemistry but not an insta-love or ‘zap’ when they touch in sight! Ms Alvarez has given me such wonderful imagery for both imagining the backdrop but also the characters. I can clearly ‘see’ and ‘hear’ them and immerse myself into the story.
Both h and H are strong people in their own right and have their own battles to face. I like that these personal battles give us great tension, drama and climaxes throughout the whole book. They are also understandable and realistic problems which made them all the more real to me. Although there are no extraordinary twists in the plot, I am taken on a fabulous journey and I felt all the ups and downs of the characters without feeling bored of day to day monotony.
I really love h’s son’s character, Drew. He gave the story a beautiful depth that I think would appeal to everyone. It deepened the relationship between the characters and was also a fun bit of comic relief too.
Ms Alvarez has a talent for keeping the language believable but still page-turning for the reader. No over the top flowery boasts of love and yet you still feel the warmth of the relationship. There is steam within the pages, but it is tactfully and well written. No cheese here.
The only criticism I can really give it is that although I understand the reasoning behind using Americanisms in the written form for the novel so that it appeals to a wider audience, I can’t help but feel that the American readers are pretty smart. I’m sure they can understand that Kilometres are different to Miles and Kilograms are different to Pounds and in such a beautiful NZ story it seems out of place to have them. But that is only one person’s opinion and didn’t detract from my love of the story.
Beautiful story, well written, fantastic imagery and lovely steamy romance. Thank you!

I was gifted with an ARC of this book in return for an honest review

Liked this book. Lauren is back homer after the ending of a bad marriage. She meets Nate a photojournalist on a break from work and although afraid to trust she falls in love. The story is entertaining and full of emotions and feelings. An enjoyable read overall.

I loved the characters--Lauren and Nate, naturally, but also Lauren's brother Todd and sister-in-law Kathy and Drew, of course--he is absolutely adorable, with his monkey-roni and the Superman picture--too cute! :)

Lauren's fighting some pretty big demons--she and her son escaped an abusive relationship and a life she'd never asked for in New York City, seeking refuge in rural New Zealand. Once a world-famous model, she's dyed her hair, changed her look, and keeps herself apart from everyone but her immediate family. She's afraid of being recognized, afraid of the paparazzi, and afraid to let anyone outside her family in. She originally befriends Nate somewhat reluctantly in order to get him to change his plans for the property next door, but the more she gets to know him, the more she wants him, even though she knows their relationship can't last...

Having recently lost his mentor, Nate's taking a break from his photojournalism to rehab a house he's bought sight unseen. (Okay--he saw pictures, but they were misleadingly old and hugely inaccurate.) He's in way over his head, so he enlists the help of a neighbor--a neighbor who's less than thrilled to notice his new boss's interest in his sister. Nate's drawn to Lauren and charmed by his son, but has always believed that his would be a solitary existence--leaving a family to chase work around the globe just wouldn't be right, after all. That's what his mentor always told him...didn't he?

I loved watching Lauren and Nate grow closer, and seeing Drew work his magic on the confirmed bachelor. Tracey's new series is starting out beautifully--this book doesn't quite have the same lighthearted feel to it that her Due South series does, but it's written with her same trademark humor. I loved every minute I spent reading this one, and look forward to book two--which will star Nate's equally famous (and in at least one aspect, equally infamous) cousin.

Rating: 4 stars / A-

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.