Meredith Russell

Reviewed on Hearts On Fire... http://heartsonfirereviews.com/

It's good to see another collaboration RJ Scott and Meredith Russell and the beginning of a new series. Lucas Madison has raised his younger sister, Tasha, for ten years since their parents died. He has fought his way to the top of the corporate ladder but at the cost of his health. Lucas is in the Bahamas with Tasha on a serene little island called Sapphire Cay to end his familial duty by seeing his sister married. He is doing a good job of hiding his ulcers and high blood pressure and the work that he was forced to bring along on this two week holiday from Tasha but he can't hide the sadness in his eyes from the resort's jack of all trades, Dylan Gray. Dylan has his own past health issues and is living life on the fly following the sun and seasons from job to job yet always returning to Sapphire Cay to work. Lucas is amazed by the many jobs Dylan does and Dylan is just plain amazed by Lucas. The two men begin an easy camaraderie but hide all of their baggage well but both men are at a crossroads in their lives which can make or break their slowly growing love. I had a hard time getting into this story because of all the world building that had to be put in place but once the story line was established, the calm and easy life on Sapphire Cay carried me away. The story is definitely character driven and soon had me wrapped up in the slow, laid back life on the tropical island. The story read beautifully but lacked the action usually found in Ms Scott's books which was kind of refreshing after the Sanctuary series. The health issues and the angst were the bad guys in this well written and easy read. Lucas and Dylan were likable and rather intense characters that had me often frustrated by their angst and indecision but they eventually found their HEA in an unusual way. There was not much action around the secondary characters who could have been pumped up a little more to make the story more interesting in my opinion. I recommend this story to anyone looking for a slow burn romance. Ms Scott and Ms Russell have proven that they can write a good romance as a team. I'm looking forward to book two in this easy going series.… (mais)