Review: Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton

Posted August 4, 2014 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Hope Ignites by Jaci BurtonReviewer: Holly
Hope Ignites by Jaci Burton
Series: Hope #2
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: March 25th 2014
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 304
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four-stars

From the New York Times bestselling author of Hope Flames and the hot new Play-by-Play novel, Melting the Ice, comes an all-new novel of small-town romance, second chances, and hope…
When a movie crew asks to film on his cattle ranch, Logan McCormack doesn’t expect Desiree Jenkins, the young, sought-after star, to be so open, so down-to-earth, or so intimately interested in him. But the last thing a loner like Logan needs is a distraction like Des, who wouldn’t understand what it’s like to live peacefully off the land. 
But it’s Logan who doesn’t understand. What Des wants is an escape from paparazzi and gossip columns, and she’s found it at Logan’s ranch. Now it’s up to her to prove that she’s like any other girl looking to be accepted for who she is. And she’s hoping that it’s by this real-life cowboy who has everything it takes—and more—to give her the kind of happily ever after that can’t be found in the movies.
“Jaci Burton’s books are always sexy, romantic, and charming! A hot hero, a lovable heroine, and an adorable dog—prepare to fall in love with Jaci Burton’s amazing new small-town romance series.”—Jill Shalvis, New York Times bestselling author

Logan’s dad married a woman who hated ranching.  Since she was miserable she did her best to make her husband and sons miserable, too (why she didn’t just divorce his dad and leave is beyond me). As a result, Logan has trust issues when it comes to women. Especially “City Girls” like Desiree Jenkins,  lead actress in the movie being filmed on Logan’s ranch. They might be attracted to each other, but he knows better than to get tangled up in a woman who won’t be sticking around. Except Des surprises him at every turn. She’s honest and open, with a forthright way of speaking that gets him every time. Since she isn’t looking for more than a good time while she’s on location, he figures there’s no harm in scratching the itch.

Des realizes pretty early on that Logan has serious mommy issues, but he’s hot as hell and great in the sack. Plus, he’s surprisingly easy to talk to. She loves his ranch and the privacy it offers her. Not to mention the town of Hope, most especially his friends and family. She figures the relationship is of the “go – nowhere” variety, but that works for her since she’ll be headed back to L.A. before long. If only Logan didn’t act so sweet and send out so many mixed signals…

It isn’t long before both of their emotions are engaged. But Logan’s trust issues and Des’s career are standing between them, and Logan isn’t willing to try to climb those particular hurdles.

I have a small girl crush on Des. She was awesome. She was upfront and honest. She wasn’t afraid to put herself out there. She didn’t play games or cause drama. Even when Logan was acting the ass she called him on it then walked away, no hysterics,  no drama. She felt a bit unsettled about what she wanted for her future, but she was confident in herself and not afraid to work for what she wanted.

Logan acted the ass for most of the book. He wanted Des, but didn’t want to want her. He let his mother’s actions dictate how he lived his life,  which didn’t make a lot of sense considering the strong, confident man he was. His saving grace was how quick he was to apologize once he was called on his behavior. He might have needed a cooling down period, but when he said sorry he meant it. It was too bad he spent so much time needing to apologize.

Their chemistry was great both in the bedroom and out of it. They connected on more than one level, which made their romance believable.

I really enjoyed the snippets of ranching life and life on the set of the movie. Both were well done. The town of Hope really came alive for me. I loved visiting with the residents and watching Des form relationships with the women in town.

Hope is a town I want to return to again again.

4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Jove. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

four-stars


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