Kristie J’s review of Falling for Max (The Kowalskis, Book 9) by Shannon Stacey
Contemporary Romance published by Carina Press 1 Aug 14
I’ve loved the Kowalski series by Ms. Stacey. They are a group of friends I’d love to hang with. I think I’ve read all of the books, though I may have missed one or two. But throughout the later books, their friend Max has been an intriguing character. We’ve only learned tidbits about him throughout the series, mainly that he’s NOT a serial killer who hides dead bodies in his basement. What he is, though, is totally adorable. He’s awkward around people, has a truly off-beat sense of humour and is pretty geeky. Think a hunky, slightly less literal Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory and that gives you a sense of Max.
Max has a plan and the plan is to get married. But wait, before he gets married, he has to have a girlfriend and Max doesn’t do well picking up chicks. Tori Burns, a waitress at the local eatery, hears him being shot down when trying to connect with a woman and decides to help him find someone. She has no interest in settling down herself, no way, no how. But she does want to help Max. The more she tries to help, the more she realizes what a prize he is for some lucky woman. Their friendship is cute and funny and adorable and it’s wonderful seeing them falling in love with each other. Another wonderful little scene in this book is when Max calls his brothers for advice. He’s clearly out of his depth with this whole relationship deal. But he’s trying.
I don’t quite get Tori’s insistence that she doesn’t want a relationship. I get that she comes from a dysfunctional family and that both her parents involved her in their squabbles, thus leading to her no-relationship stand. But she sees how happy all her friends are. But then, that’s what makes conflict. Other than that small, very small deal, Tori makes for a good heroine.
And while I appreciate the author including all the other characters, I got a bit lost. I’ve read all the previous books, but I don’t remember all of them. I would have appreciated a little less of them, but, then again, that’s a small point.
I do believe that this, the ninth book in the series, is the last book. So I find it amusing that this one is my favourite of all of them. But I continue to thoroughly enjoy this author and will keep reading her newer series.
Grade: A
Summary:
Max Crawford has reached the point in life where he’s starting to think about settling down. Unfortunately, he’s always been a little awkward when it comes to socialinteractions, and working from home doesn’t help. He spends so much time alone,painting beautiful, historically accurate model trains that half of Whitford has begun to joke that he may be a serial killer. Not exactly prime husband material.
Tori Burns has found happiness in Maine, thanks in large part to her shifts at the Trailside Diner. She likes the work, and she loves the local gossip. When shy, geeky Max Crawford becomes a regular, she’s intrigued. When she finds out he’s in the market for a wife, she’s fascinated…and determined to help.
Molding Max into every woman’s dream turns out to be much easier than expected. But has Tori’s plan worked a little too well? As she turns his comfortable life all sorts of upside down, she’ll have to find a way to show just how she’s fallen for him…the real him.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
