Review: Love After All

Love After All (Hope - Book 4) by Jaci Burton

Publication Date: 03/31/2015
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Jove
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0515155632
ISBN-13: 978-0515155631

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Jove)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes

Jaci Burton on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series:

Hope

1. Hope Flames
2. Hope Ignites
3. Hope Burns
4. Love After All

Coverart: Click on the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series

Excerpt from Love After All, courtesy of the author's website

Synopsis:

In the latest novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Burns, a woman discovers that the man she least expects is exactly what she needs…

High school math teacher Chelsea Gardner has the perfect plan. She’s tired of dating all the wrong men, and after years of frustration, she’s developed a foolproof list of requirements for finding “The One.”

Bar owner Sebastian “Bash” Palmer finds Chelsea beautiful, smart and fun, but he thinks her list is ridiculous and unnecessary.  Intent on proving Chelsea is looking for love in all the wrong ways, he offers to help her find the “perfect” man.

Chelsea knows Bash isn’t the right guy for her—he barely meets one of her criteria—but there’s something about the charismatic man that has her yearning for things that are most definitely not list approved.

Because sometimes, a relationship that looks totally wrong on paper can turn out incredibly right…

Thoughts:

Jaci Burton returns with her fourth book in the Hope series, Love After All. This time it's Bash and Chelsea's story and readers will love the heat and sensuality of this novel. These two have been friends for a long time and Burton uses that familiarity and bond to develop a great romance. Ever made a list of all the qualities you want in a good man? Chelsea did and Bash intends to help her find one, while providing any kind of other help she needs, including the naked variety.

Jaci Burton is always a favorite of mine, whether it's erotic romance or contemporary. She just has a way of making the reader feel comfortable and relaxed with her stories. There is not a lot of angst or super charged emotions. The reader gets a great story without all the hoops to jump through. That's not to say that there is no action or no conflict. It's just not overwhelming. It seems more realistic and authentic. 

Chelsea and Bash have been great secondary characters in previous books in the series and now they get their own story. I was really excited to read this one and I wasn't disappointed. Chelsea is real firecracker. She has a sassy attitude and seems to always end up with the wrong kind of man. She and Bash have flirted before and have a nice camaraderie going. But he does not meet the criteria that Chelsea has for a the perfect man. I loved the idea of using the list and Bash trying to help her find a man when he was really the right one for her. Great concept!

Bash was a great hero. Not because he proper and upstanding but because he wasn't necessarily any of those things. He was a real man, with real problems and real motivations. I liked the fact that Burton gives him a kind of edge and commanding attitude, but he doesn't lord it over Chelsea. He comes off as very sexy and handsome and actually very thoughtful. He owns a bar and works a lot. He is not the sort of man Chelsea is looking for on paper, but they fit regardless! Just a great couple.

Bottom Line:

Once again Jaci Burton brings readers an amazing romance with lots of heat and sensuality. I loved Bash, because he wasn't perfect. On paper he was a mess but for Chelsea he was very, very right. I thought using the list was a great way to get the story moving and Burton was able to create a romance that was fun and sexy. A great addition to the story.

Love After All is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

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

About the Author:

Jaci Burton is a USA Today and New York Times bestselling author of the Hope novels, including Hope Burns and Hope Ignites, and the Play by Play novels. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and dogs. A lover of sports, Jaci can often tell what season it is by what sport is being played. She watches entirely too much television, which she considers “book research.” When she isn’t on deadline, Jaci can be found at her local casino, trying to become a millionaire (so far, no luck). She’s a total romantic and loves a story with a happily ever after, which you’ll find in all her books.