If you haven’t had enough book romance this summer, you’ve come to the right place.  Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne is an adult contemporary romance. I received the book to review.  Now, I wasn’t sure what “adult contemporary” was supposed to be, but I realized that these are the books I’ve been reading all along.  Think Jodi Picoult, Gillian Flynn, and Emily Giffin.  Wild Iris Ridge has the sweet down-home feel of a book like the Mitford series I loved 15 years ago.   When Lucy comes home to Hope’s Crossing, she has a bee in her bonnet about starting a bed & breakfast.  Right up my alley!  Her old flame Brendan is also going through a crossroads of sorts, having lost his wife and learning to raise his two kids on his own.  Both characters needed a little TLC to get them running smoothly again.  Oh, and I should mention that Brendan is the fire chief.  Always a good thing for a book boyfriend.

The book was realistic and easy to like.  In fact, I wanted to visit Hope’s Crossing and eat some french toast at the cafe!  Instantly, I adored Dermot (Brendan’s dad) because that was my great-grandfather’s name.   This is a book that I’d definitely pass on to a friend. My sister loves to dream about remodeling houses; she would absolutely enjoy this novel.  I didn’t realize until nearly finished that this is a series.  Wish list, please!   Wild Iris Ridge certainly works as a stand-alone.  I gave it 4 stars on Amazon.

The biggest takeaway I had from Wild Iris Ridge was the sense that it’s never too late.  It’s never too late to right past wrongs. It’s never too late to take hold of your dreams (or make new ones).  It’s never too late to start over.  And it’s never too late to fall in love.

Find out what other bloggers are saying about Wild Iris Ridge — check out the Tour Page & Schedule.  The tour runs July 21-31 with reviews, author interviews and guest posts.

Book description:

A big-city, high-powered advertising executive and a small-town firefighter learn that no matter where you started or what you’ve lost, if you open your heart, you can find joy and love again. WILD IRIS RIDGE is the latest book in USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s charming Hope’s Crossing series.

Lucy Drake and Brendan Caine have only one thing in common.And it’s likely to tear them apart. Because it was Brendan’s late wife, Jessie—and Lucy’s best friend—who’d brought them together in the first place. And since Jesse’s passing, Brendan’s been distracted by his two little ones…and the memory of an explosive kiss with Lucy years before his marriage. Still, he’ll steer clear of her. She’s always been trouble with a capital T.

Lucy couldn’t wait to shed her small-town roots for the big city. But now that she’s back in Hope’s Crossing to take care of the Queen Anne home her late aunt has left her, she figures seeing Brendan Caine again is no big deal. After all, she’d managed to resist the handsome fire chief once before, but clearly the embers of their attraction are still smoldering…

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | The Book Depository

____________________________________________________________________________________

Author bio:

USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. This led her to a fifteen-year career in journalismas a newspaper reporter and editor. But through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best, romance, and has since published more than 40 titles. RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers!  You can reach RaeAnne through her website, RaeAnneThayne.com.

Facebook