Guest Review: The Summer He Came Home – Juliana Stone

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

Series:  Bad Boys of Crystal Cove #1
Release Date:  April 2, 2013
Publisher:  Sourcebooks
Source:  Provided by Publisher/NetGalley
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

I absolutely fell in love with this book, and these characters were so real they leaped off the page at me.

Maggie O’Rourke fled Louisiana with her young son to escape an abusive ex-husband.  She settled in Crystal Lake, MI working as a housekeeper for several families in the area.

Cain Black is a former badboy turned famous music superstar that returns home to attend the funeral of his former best friend that was killed in Afghanistan.  I have to say that the opening pages of this book where the author introduces Maggie and Cain to each other are at the funeral gathering.  I was very impressed with the dignity and dexterity with which the author handled establishing a magnetic attraction between Maggie and Cain with grief felt by family/community members regarding the friend’s death.

Through the numerous plot elements that include the twin of Cain’s dead friend’s attraction to his brother’s widow and an abusive situation between another friend and his father an undeniable attraction develops.  Maggie and Cain confront nosy townspeople, those intent on reminding Maggie that she is just a maid, and the return of her abusive ex-husband.  The author deftly weaves the plot so you see the friction that keeps them apart and applaud them when they decide to jump in and give their attraction a chance to blossom into something more.

I found that Cain was a very refreshing and vulnerable hero.  I really found myself liking him because he was honest and upfront with Maggie.  He let her know he was attracted to her and wanted to explore a relationship with her but he didn’t know where it was going to lead.  He also made her feel special and let her know that despite the tabloids he didn’t enter any relationship lightly.  Maggie was fierce in her loyalty to her son.  She was courageous and risked her heart even after a horribly abusive marriage.

I hated to see the book end, and I am stalking the internet for a sequel.  There were other characters that will hopefully have their relationships fleshed out in future books…(hint, hint to the author)