Kristie J’s review of Seeking Santuary (Shelter Me, Book 1) by Annie Anderson
Contemporary Romance published by Amazon Digital Services 17 Jul 18
First off, if you read the outline for this book, don’t believe it. I don’t know who came up with it, but whoever did makes it sound like there might be a triangle – but there isn’t even a hint of one, so I don’t know what that’s all about.
OK, now that I’ve got that taken care of, this is an excellent example of the hidden treasure kind of book. I’d never read anything by this author before. In fact, I’d never even heard of her. The outline sounded interesting – well, except for the triangle part of it. I really don’t like those, but since there isn’t one, all was very good with this book.
Ilsa has had a very tough go of life so far. She was raised in foster care and then got involved with a nasty, abusive man. She knows she needs to get out, especially when she realizes she’s pregnant. But the day before she’s set to leave, he discovers she’s pregnant and beats the hell out of her. She manages to escape – she’s had things planned for a while now – and ends up in a small town in Denver. She doesn’t plan on stopping there, but the waitress at the local diner is so sympathetic and helpful, Ilsa decides to stay for at least a little while. She also needs a job. Her new friend suggests Ilsa see if Levi, the owner of the local garage, needs help with his books. She’s heard he might be interested.
Levis is desperate for help. The last person he had up and quit, leaving things in an awful state. So when he meets Ilsa and hears she’s available for work, he’s delighted. He also goes into full protective mode. Ilsa is still showing the bruises of the beating she got and Levi is incensed that anyone would do harm to this vulnerable woman. And, being a romance, they fall in love even as conflict works against them.
This is a simple-sounding storyline, almost a cliché. But the reasons for clichés is they can work so well even if they risk being overdone, and this sweet book is very well done. Despite suffering for so much of her life, Ilsa is amazingly upbeat and not in a faux kind of way. It is truly her nature not to get bogged down in the sorrow she’s gone through and, as such, she is a very likable heroine. The reader can’t help but root for her.
And Levi is so my kind of hero. First off, he’s blue collar, which I much prefer any day. He’s protective, kind, caring, and so easy to fall for. He falls more into the Beta-type hero, so if you are a fan of the less alpha type, Levi is the hero for you.
This ended up being the best kind of chocolate that’s wrapped in plain paper that you’ve never heard of, the kind you want to share with others. So that’s what I’m doing, sharing this treasure of a book.
Grade: B+
Summary:
Planning to escape her controlling boyfriend, Isla’s getaway hits a snag when a pair of pink lines show up on a pregnancy test.
Levi just needs an accountant. Someone smart, dependable, and someone who won’t blow town and leave him in the lurch. When a pretty but battered woman falls into his arms, he can’t help but offer her the job. If only he can convince her to take it.
As an unexpected death rocks this small Colorado town, Isla can’t help but wonder if her past somehow followed her to the one place she’s felt at home.
Some sanctuaries aren’t as safe as they appear…
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
