Review ~ The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started...

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It's been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake, Michigan, to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O'Rourke makes him wonder if he's missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can't afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

REVIEW

The Summer He Came Home is the first book I've read from Juliana Stone.  The book is full of characters you will fall in love with.  You gotta love a story about close friends.  That's what you get with this book.  The Summer He Came Home is the first book in the Bad Boys of Crystal Lake series.  The book centers on Cain Black, who now is the frontman for the band BlackRock.  (To make Cain even more irresistible, he was inspired by Jon Bon Jovi and Nikki Sixx.) Awww.  Sorry.. Back on point.  Ten years ago, Cain was known as one of the "Bad Boys of Crystal Lake, Michigan".  The other guys making up the group included: Luke Jansen, now a paramedic; Mackenzie "Mac" Draper, now an architect; and twins Jacob "Jake" Edwards and Jesse Edwards, both of whom went on to serve in the Marines.

After being gone for ten years, Cain and the guys return to Crystal Lake for the funeral of Jesse, who was killed in Afghanistan.  Upon returning, the first people Cain encounters are seven-year-old Michael and his mother Maggie O'Rourke.  Maggie is a single mother who has recently moved into town.

For Cain, the attraction for Maggie was pretty close to immediate.  The same can't be said for Maggie.  She has a past that she's trying to hide from.  One that she is doing her best to protect.  She needs to stay under the radar and not draw attention to herself.  Of course, for a guy like Cain, this isn't going to work.  You gotta love a guy who takes care of a child, especially one which isn't his, and does whatever is necessary to protect you and your son.

There are so many things to like about this book, I don't know where to start.  You have friendship and love; people who have each other's backs without any questions being asked.  I will however, say that I wasn't prepared for Maggie's secret.  And when that secret came to a head, it had me wanting to skip over a couple of pages.  But I managed to get through, even though I forgot to breathe.  I'm MORE than glad I survived.  I loved the swoon worthy ending....  

Rating: 4

 

Release Date: April 2, 2013

Book Length: 384 pages

Source: Sourcebook Casablanca via NetGalley

Reviewed by: Kim

Reading Format: Available in eBook and Paperback

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Places to find Juliana Stone:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page

Bad Boys of Crystal Lake Series:

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