Review and Giveaway: Sweet Harmony

Sweet Harmony (Cricket Creek - Book 7) by Luann McLane

Publication Date: 10/07/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Signet Eclipse
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0451470486
ISBN-13: 978-0451470485

(Received for an honest review from Signet Eclipse)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Luann McLane on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Cricket Creek

1. Playing for Keeps
2. Catch of a Lifetime
3. Pitch Perfect
4. Whisper's Edge
5. Moonlight Kiss
6. Wildflower Wedding
7. Sweet Harmony

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Sweet Harmony, courtesy of the author's website.

Synopsis:

Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is no Nashville—it’s a sweet, small town outside the big-city limelight. But here, two headstrong country music stars will need to rely on their Southern roots and explosive chemistry to top the charts together.
 
When Cat Carson drops her record label and signs with an independent label based in Cricket Creek, it’s a huge upset in the music world. But the residents of Cricket Creek are thrilled to have a real country music star in their midst. Everyone except Jeff Greenfield, that is—a local rising star himself, who’s been asked to record a duet with the stunning beauty.
 
Jeff grew up on a farm, but his smooth, soulful country style is starting to get him noticed outside Cricket Creek. And while a duet with Cat Carson could send his career skyrocketing, he doesn’t want to lose touch with his roots—or lose his head. Because sparks are flying every time he and Cat hit the studio. And it’s more than a little distracting....

Thoughts:

Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is the setting for the seventh book in the Cricket Creek series, Sweet Harmony by LuAnn McLane. Readers will love the country music overtones in this book, as well as, the charming small town setting and robust characters. When a country/pop sensation moves to town, after ditching her big city record label for more musical control, things start to get out of hand for a local boy. Fans of the series will love the returning characters and embrace the new ones in this addition to a sweet romantic series.

What I liked:

Well, first of all I am a Kentucky girl and reading books set in my home state is always a pleasure. LuAnn McLane obviously knows a lot about small town life and big city dreams. These two ideas combine to make Sweet Harmony a great addition to this well written series. I love all of the nuances and enchanting little tidbits that make Cricket Creek so special. The small town flavor of this book is one of the things that makes it enjoyable. Readers will want to come to Kentucky just to find out if McLane's rendition of a Kentucky hometown is on the level or not and let me just say... it's spot on!

I am not always a big fan of celebrities somehow falling off the beaten track to become locals, but McLane tempers that to an extent in this book, by having Cat sign with a local small town record label. Great things often come from humble beginnings and liked the way that McLane is going with this. Cat is a great character in herself. She may be a famous singer but isn't full of herself. She wanted more control over her career and the music she was making. She could have stayed in Nashville and worked for the machine, making a ton of money, but she choose a different path. I liked her a lot. She was klutzy and sweet and she knew what she wanted out of life.

Jeff was a bit more of a stickler. He didn't say he didn't like Cat's music but he didn't say he liked it either when they met. He was not a fan of Cat's rise to success. His own career as a traditional country musician was a much harder fight and he thought Cat's breezy songs were not heart felt and real. He did however have a soft spot for Cat as a person. In fact he was very attracted to her from the first and when they have to work together on a song, he has a hard time reconciling how he feels about working with her with his attraction to her. I liked him better as the story progressed but I did want to beat him over the head now and then...LOL!

I'm not sure the story was completely realistic, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility either. It was a sweet romance that builds slowly and allows the reader to enjoy the time these two spend together. I thought Cat and Jeff made a good couple once he was willing to accept that they could make a go of things despite both being in the music business. Like I said he was a little hard to convince, but what man isn't? 

What I didn't like:

I'm still not convinced that celebrities and locals make a good fit in most instances, but I in this novel McLane makes it work. Most of us read for escape and this was a good one. 

Bottom Line:

I loved the setting of course, being from Kentucky myself. The small town aspects of the book were a joy to read and reminded me of small towns I've been in myself over the years. Cat was a great heroine, strong minded, a little clumsy and very tender hearted. Jeff was a harder sell for me, but in the end he grew on me and I thought they made a good couple. A good addition to this excellent series.

Sweet Harmony is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag! 

About the Author:

LuAnn McLane lives in Naples, Florida, near the coast. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys beachcombing, reading, traveling, and entertaining friends and family. She loves hearing from readers.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Sweet Harmony by Luann McLane.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, October 30th.

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