phyllish
Written on Aug 12, 2018
A good clean romance
Holland’s first foray into Paradise was as a teenager when she worked at the Clairborne Resort. When she fell in love with Porter Clairborne. When she had her heart broken right there on the beautiful white sands of the Gulf of Mexico.
What an interesting character Holland was! Most likely because of her tragic childhood, she threw herself wholeheartedly into her studies and was a brilliant student. She had a quirky habit of reciting the Periodic Table of Elements when she got nervous, spouted random facts at the most awkward times (like right before a kiss!), and referred to almost everything by its scientific name. She was the epitome of the stereotypical, geeky, scientific nerd with the exception being that she was beautiful.
Porter was the spoiled rich kid, yet he felt that he could never gain his father’s approval and so he escaped from the family as soon as he was old enough. He was handsome, confident (mostly), and determined to win Holland back. I loved the way he wouldn’t take no for an answer when he tried to get her to spend time with him.
My favorite character, however, was his step-mom, who had a heart of gold. The way she embraced Holland and befriended her was so touching. And the way she pretended she didn’t know the secret her husband and step-son thought they were keeping from her was so cute.
I especially loved the way that not only was Holland and Porter’s story told here, but also the romance between his father and stepmother. The way they were incorporated into the story was perfect.
As with all of Jennifer Peel’s books, there was great conflict, humor, and swoon-worthy romance. Just be aware that the kisses are described in detail and the characters talk about the physical desire they have for one another. Yet as with all her books, there is a determination by the characters to remain pure until marriage and the story is a clean read.
This review was originally posted on Among the Reads
I purchased this book.