Kendra Leigh Castle is a RITA award-nominated, multi-published author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Raised in the far and frozen reaches of Northern New York, where her love of curling up with a blanket and a good book came early, she penned her debut novel as a Navy wife living in the Nevada desert. Since then, she has managed to continue working in her pajamas while moving around the country. Kendra currently makes her home in Maryland, where she lives with her husband, three children, and a menagerie of pets. She drinks too much coffee, stays up too late, and loves to hear from her readers, who make this crazy job worthwhile.
For the Longest Time
HARVEST COVE Book #1
RELEASE DATE 7/1/14!
After a perfect storm of events leaves Sam high, dry, and jobless, she has to head home to Harvest Cove to regroup. Growing up, she was the town misfit, and a brief high school romance that resulted in heartbreak made her realize she was never going to fit in. But now with the support of her mother and an unexpected circle of allies, Sam starts to wonder if she’s misjudged the town all these years.
Life’s been good to Jake Smith. He transitioned from popular jock to town veterinarian without any trouble. But Sam’s homecoming makes him question his choices. The sharp-tongued beauty was never a good fit for the small community, but he’s never forgotten her—or how good they were together. While she makes it clear she’s not about to repeat the past, Jake’s determined to convince her to give him—and Harvest Cove—a second chance.
*Copy gifted in exchange for an honest review
I spotted this and thought "oh that's different", as I'm used to this author delivering paranormal romance, so was intrigued to see her tackling a more contemporary and dare I say normal setting? As I have read her Dark Dynasties series, the idea of something set in a non magical New England seemed to be a total dichotomy. I've always considered New England to be a magical area in its own right even without the paranormal world encroaching upon it so with a willing heart and a fully charged kindle I prepared to be taken away by Ms Castle's imagination.
Sam is an artist at heart, but recent events in her life have seen her doubting her own talent. She's spent the last few years trying to make a name for herself in New York, but now she's at a crossroads in her life, and decides to return home to Harvest Cove were she grew up. The only problem is that when Sam left Harvest Cove she didn't just leave the town and her family behind... she left heartbreak and humiliation and she's about to come face to face with the very cause of it!
Jake was the uber jock at school, liked by all and part of the 'in crowd'. He had noticed the arty Sam, but her wild ways and unique style always cast her as a bit of an outsider. Now she's back, and they've all grown up. But have they really? It's a small town, and unfortunately, a small town mentality is not always healthy. Sam wants nothing to do with Jake but everyone deserves a second chance and Jakes quietly determined to seize his!
I found this to be a feel good type of story filled with warm characters and snatches of humor. Jake is a vet and uses Sam's soft spot for animals against her unashamedly, which made for several humorous moments in this story. There's a very strong feeling running through that prejudice can (and does) cause long term harm. Sam might not have been a typical New England teenager, but having her peers treat her like a freak was unkind, and the damage and memories have stayed with her. As Jake reconnects with Sam, he starts to realize that his own insecurities and those of his friends are nothing to be proud of, and his eyes become well and truly opened. Sam is a survivor and it was lovely to see her open up and finally realize some of her dreams.
For the Longest Time wasn't a particularly fast paced plot but a gentle story of two people reconnecting in spite of everything that's happened. I particularly liked the supporting characters, and was very interested in the undercurrents so would love to read more about them.
This was well written with believable dialogue so very easy to sink into, and I truly enjoyed my visit to Harvest Cove.
For the Longest Time
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