Genre and Audience: Contemporary Romance for Adults
You’ll like this if you like: Tension, Unique, yet Realistic Characters, Reformed Rebels, Motorcycles, and an Inspiring Character Arc.
Cleanliness: There’s a few really sweet kisses. Nothing out of the norm.
Hero Type: Bad Boy/Beta Male
Harriet is a preacher’s kid, a reformed rebel, and now head of women’s ministry. She eats an inordinate amount of jelly beans to make sure she doesn’t return to smoking, doesn’t listen to contemporary music (she’s worried it’s too much temptation), or hang out with her own age group. Then along comes Maddox, with a motorcycle and a skull tattoo on his arm (he’s had a phase too). He’s been assigned to revive their church and make it more modern to accommodate the younger crowds. Harriet is not happy, to say the least. As sparks fly between them, Maddox continues to push her out of her comfort zone, to have faith in God, and to go on a motorcycle ride.
I typically read this author’s medieval books, but her contemporary ones are so much fun! Maddox is such a cool hero (he has curls!), and Harriet is a redhead (auburn, as she likes to put it), so you know what that means Maddox not only has to win her over; he also has to deal with her fiery temper 😉 I enjoyed this immensely, and I’m really glad I was able to finish it over the weekend, so I didn’t have to put it down. The characters are fun and unique. You can really see how Harriet’s POV flavors the narrative. Tamara Leigh’s writing style is definitely something I’d want to emulate. The narratives are always as unique and fun as the characters, and the romance is brimming with tension. The characters are all realistic, each flawed, yet perfect in their own way. The book absolutely captivated my attention.
Do you guys mind an occasional contemporary romance for adults? Or do you generally prefer YA? And how important do you think it is to have unique characters in a story?