October 18, 2017

[Review] Joyfully His - Jamie Beck

Summary: Folks in Sterling Canyon know that small towns have long memories. Two years after the DUI that injured a pedestrian, Andy Randall is still making amends. He hopes the Christmas spirit will help him get rehired as a ski instructor, but that job will come with conditions. He can’t afford another mistake, which is exactly what making a play for his former boss and friend, Nikki Steele, would be.

Nikki races down double black diamonds and hikes mountains better than most guys, unafraid of tumbling down the slopes. But trusting the guy who once shot her down could end in a fall that actually hurts, especially when she’d have to vouch for him with her boss. Still, the resort needs another instructor to handle the holiday tourists, and Andy’s sexy grin and relaxed charisma make him hard to resist.

With both of their reputations now on the line, can Andy convince Nikki that the second chance he wants isn’t only about the job?
(Pub Date: Oct 17, 2017)

Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

For some reason, this isn't considered a full number in the Sterling Canyon series but I think it is the perfect closure—if Beck has really decided to part with them. But don't worry, this is short but it works well as a standalone.

We finally get to learn Andy's happy ending. The only number I still haven't read is the first but his unfortunate accident that led to a DUI has been mentioned in both of the sequels. Considering his twin sister and his victim are the protagonists of the first, I'm sure that's the key plot that started the whole thing. So yes, we're finally into Andy's solo story.

Even after a three-book-worth time and his parole coming to an end, Andy still suffers judgment from people in town. But he decides to be brave and takes his old job back at the resort, undergoing a probation period until the New Year. Nikki is again Andy's boss and despite having been rejected by him before, her feelings subsist. Finally, he seems interested but it's the worst timing for them to form a relationship.

I think this is pretty much what one can expect from the summary. If you've followed the series until now, that's it. You won't regret. Also, we get to see more from all of the previous couples, it's very nice.

For those starting only now, there aren't big spoilers aside from who ends with whom. Which is pretty much a given when it comes to these types of books, no?

On the characters, Andy is a very nice who has learned from his past, wants to get on with his life but is struggling a lot thanks to how people see him now. He's not the type to get depressed, so he's doing his best to overcome the barrier. I liked that side of him, and the discussion on whether his mistake deserves to be forgiven and forgotten is very present.

Nikki is a strong woman but also very self conscious of how she lacks in femininity. I liked the backstory for the couple because it was actually credible. It's interesting how things between them keep happening at the wrong time.

Unfortunately, it's just good as expected. It simply does the job with no extras or depth, so I couldn't give more than the average rating of 3 stars. Still, know that it is a nice book if you are into this niche.

This really felt like the end of this lovely series. I can't speak for the first book but the following two were very enjoyable so I'll recommend the whole thing for anyone who likes a heartwarming but fun romance. Joyfully His can be read by itself and is quite short, right to the point. I'm sure you'll read it in one seating. Why not get a taste?

Rating: 3 out of 5.

No comments:

Post a Comment