Title: Anything for You (Blue Heron, #5) Author: Kristan Higgins
Links: Bookshop (affiliate link) |Goodreads
Rating:
Summary: This was a sweet story, but a little bland and unadventurous for my tastes.
After a secret, on-again-off-again relationship of 10 years, Connor O’Rourke finally gets up the courage to ask Jessica Dunn to marry him. When she turns him down, he’s stunned and refuses to keep seeing her. Although Jessica is heartbroken, she believes her past reputation and current responsibility for her younger brother make a normal relationship impossible. Fortunately, she and Connor may both have a difficult time moving on.
There wasn’t anything wrong with this book, but there wasn’t much that stood out about it to me either. There was something enjoyable about reading about a small town in the Finger Lakes region, given that’s where I’m living now. The whole small town feel also seemed a little bland to me though, with everyone knowing everyone and family owned business all over the place. I also both liked and disliked that the problems the main characters faced were so realistic. The challenges Jessica faced in caring for her younger brother and having a life of her own were refreshingly believable, but predictable and not very exciting. The main “villain” of the story was simply an unpleasant coworker. She was annoying enough it was hard to read about, but also not a particularly exciting obstacle.
The sex scenes were equally bland, with perhaps slightly more hints at what was happening than most non-romance books, but still with just a suggestion and then a fade to black. I don’t think this was the main problem for me though. I think I’ve simply discovered that at the point I’m going to be reading romances, I’d like more adventure and escapism than such a realistic setting provides. I don’t think I’ll pick up a similar romance again.
Vicki
Sorry you didn’t like it more.
DoingDewey
Me too, but so far, a few three star reads isn’t so bad for a venture into a new-to-me genre. I’m happy to be learning about what I like and hopefully I’ll get better at picking out books I’ll like 🙂
Deepika Ramesh
Oh no. Romance doesn’t agree with me too. But, I like the dog on the cover. 😉
DoingDewey
Haha, this romance certainly didn’t agree with me, but I have actually found a few books that do. I just need to get better at finding the ones that work for me!
Naomi
Well, it’s obvious by the cover why this one wasn’t as good as the others – it’s too tame! Where are the rippling muscles? 😉
DoingDewey
Haha, that’s right! It’s hardly a romance at all with that cover 🙂
Tamara @ Traveling With T
Oh no! I hate that you thought this was bland. Kristan Higgins is my hands down fave romance lady.
However, this was the last in the series- and while I enjoyed it- I had read the previous ones, gotten to know the characters, etc.
I agree that this romance was a bit more “tame” than others- and the realistic side of the problems was a bit much.
You might enjoy one of the earlier books in the series more- In Your Dreams is my hands down fave in her series 🙂
And *ahem* for a more steamy side to romance- try Sarah Morgan’s O’Neill brothers series- the covers have those cute covers- but when it’s time to get steamy, Sarah has a gift with the words.
DoingDewey
Thanks for the recommendations! I’m not sure I’m up for giving this author another try, but I might check out Sarah Morgan’s series 🙂