Saturday, March 9, 2013

SEA GLASS WINTER by JoAnn Ross



A Shelter Bay Novel, Book five
Signet/Penguin
December 31st, 2012
978-0-451-23893-1
Contemporary Romance
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)
Obtained by Publisher

 

For Dillon Slater, teaching and coaching were a nice change from being in the trenches in the military. Now teaching at Shelter  high school and enjoying the slower pace of life there, he finds himself drawn to newcomer Claire Templeton. She moved to Shelter Bay to get her son away from the bad influences in L.A. but when she gets a visit from the hunky and charming Dillon over her son’s attitude at basketball try-outs, she finds herself drawn to him even as she tries to stay away from him. What neither anticipates is falling in love even as forces and people conspire to get them together.

Welcome back to Shelter Bay where residents are eager to have a winning basketball team after many years of no wins and even worse, lots of losses. They see Dillon Slater as the savior of the team and though he is enjoying teaching & coaching, he is determined to make sure the kids know that winning isn’t everything. I love this series so much. Ms. Ross delivers another stellar installment in a town that has some wonderful characters populating it. I love how the past characters pop up in the books as we get to see what happens long after ‘the end’ of their stories. The writing is tight, story flows nicely and the characters really make the story and the series. You have former military, long time residents and more that make up Shelter Bay and it is a nice mix of people to enjoy.

Dillon Slater had one of the most dangerous jobs in the military-explosive ordinance disposal specialist and after he is done with his last tour in the military overseas, he is enjoying the slower pace in Shelter Bay, teaching and coaching at the local high school. I loved Dillon’s outlook that winning wasn’t everything regardless of how the booster club for the school’s sports wanted it to be. He was a breath of fresh air to the town and when he meets Claire Templeton, why the sparks fly fast and furious. Claire left L.A. to get her son away from the bad influences there but it hasn’t been easy settling in. Her son is angry at her from pulling him away from his friends and his teammates at his former school’s basketball team and she despairs at her son ever forgiving her for the move. I really enjoyed Claire and her unusual career as a jewelry designer. She used glass that she then created her pieces from which made me want to know more about that part of the story and I really enjoyed the dynamics Claire had with the town, her son, Dillon and more. I really enjoyed how past characters turned up and moved the story along as well. It wasnice catching up with them after their stories last page was turned.

SEA GLASS WINTER is a heartfelt, engrossing story that I couldn’t put down. I loved every minute of it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series to come out. Ms. Ross is truly a masterful storyteller who really lets her characters shine in all her books. This is surely one series a reader can not miss. If you enjoy heartfelt, engrossing tales of a town you can’t help but fall a little bit in love with then try the Shelter Bay series. I promise you won’t regret it.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement


 

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