C2’s review of Whisper Falls (Destiny Series, Book 3) by Toni Blake
Contemporary Romance published by Avon 28 Dec 10
Whisper Falls takes us back to Destiny, Ohio, a small town that sounds a good bit like some towns I’ve visited in Ohio, actually. Small towns always play well in books, I think…they are much better in fiction than in reality, says me. I really enjoyed the first Destiny book and the second book was okay. Whisper Falls reminded me of the first book – a bad boy and a good girl find love.
Our hero is Lucky Romo, long lost brother of the hero of Sugar Creek (Book 2 in the series). Lucky is a tattooed, motorcycle-riding, former gang member, bad boy of the highest caliber – totally different from his brother the upstanding small town cop. Or so it seems. Lucky is also an artist. He paints motorcycles, motorcycle helmets and whatnot; he has set up a business up in the countryside near Destiny so he can be near a young son he just found out about. He hasn’t told anyone he is back. Or why. Has he managed to outrun his bad boy past or will it come back to haunt him?
Our heroine is Tessa Sheridan who has returned to Destiny from the big city after being diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. Her illness played havoc with her life in the city – feeling lousy and maintaining her job was problematic so she came home to recover and live a quieter life. She isn’t exactly happy about being back home but she recognizes that returning to Destiny was the best thing to do.
As luck would have it, Lucky’s new home/business is right next door to the house Tessa is living in. When she is outside searching for her vacationing best friend’s cat (she’s cat-sitting), she meets her new neighbor and recognizes Lucky. Tessa wonders why no one has mentioned him being back home – one of her best friends is engaged to Mike so she knows she would have heard about his return.
Lucky does not want anyone to know he is back in town – he knows people will find out eventually but he wants to make sure his old life hasn’t followed him back to Destiny. He is afraid bad things could happen to people he cares about. Apparently he was involved with some Very Bad People and he left under not-so-good circumstances so the gang members could be out for revenge. Still, he can’t quite stop himself from being interested in Tessa – he hires her to redecorate a room in his house for his son. And as they spend time together, Lucky and Tessa both see that they might have found something really special.
The bad guys from his past aren’t Lucky’s only concern – he hasn’t been in touch with his family since he was a teenager. He left town and never looked back, as far as his family knows, and relationships were strained before he left. His brother Mike is not happy when he finds out Lucky has been in town for a while and hasn’t told the family – and he isn’t happy that Lucky won’t talk about his past. Their parents are just glad that Lucky has returned and realize there are still issues that need resolving.
They have more in common than meets the eye – they are both trying to deal with the hand life has dealt them, stop focusing on the past and look to the future. Neither Lucky nor Tessa is particularly happy about being back in their home town but know it is the best place for them to be. Tessa still has health issues. She has more good than bad days now but the bad days are still bad and staying positive isn’t always easy. Lucky admires the way she deals with her illness.
I think this may be my favorite of the series so far. It seems more balanced and the plotting is more even than the previous two books. The lead characters are likable and sympathetic and realistic, mostly (what do I know about gang stuff??). There is enough angst to satisfy the angst-lovers (you know who you are) but not so much that the rest of us want to throw up our hands and say “Snap out of it!”. Whisper Falls is an excellent addition to the Destiny series.
Grade: B
For more info on the series click on the Destiny series tag.
Blurb:
Welcome to Destiny, Ohio—where coming home means finding your true heart and maybe even your true love
Tessa Sheridan came crawling back to her quaint hometown of Destiny after her big-city interior design career crumbled. Now not only must she struggle to make ends meet, but she has to contend with a biker next door and the roar of Harleys shattering the serenity of her cabin in the woods by Whisper Falls.
Worse still, her sexy, bad boy neighbor makes her feel breathless and weak—and shy, petite Tessa knows what a major mistake it would be to get involved with someone so . . . dangerous.
They say that former teen rebel Lucky Romo has a dark, secret past—that he’s trouble with a capital “T.” Still, Tessa feels all tingly when she sees how well he fills out a pair of tight jeans. And when Lucky invites her into his world, she knows the intense heat sparking between them could lead her somewhere wild and wonderful . . . and, yes, dangerous!Read an EXCERPT!
Other books in the series:
