Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Review: Beach House No. 9 by Christie Ridgway


When book doctor Jane Pearson arrives at Griffin Lowell's beach house, she expects a brooding loner. After all, his agent hired her to help the reclusive war journalist write his stalled memoir. Instead, Jane finds a tanned, ocean-blue-eyed man in a Hawaiian shirt, hosting a beach party and surrounded by beauties. Faster than he can untie a bikini top, Griffin lets Jane know he doesn't want her. But she desperately needs this job and digs her toes in the sand.

Griffin intends to spend the coming weeks at Beach House No. 9 taking refuge from his painful memories-and from the primly sexy book doctor who wants to bare his soul. But warm nights, moonlit walks and sultry kisses just may unlock both their guarded hearts....

This is my first book by Ms. Ridgway, and I must say, it stuck with me long after I'd finished it.  Beach House No. 9 has romance at its core, but it's so much more than that.  

Griffin needs Jane's help; he just doesn't believe it.  Griffin has been contracted to write his memoir of his time imbedded with a squad in Afghanistan, yet he cannot overcome the bad memories in order to focus on the good ones.  Jane has a knack of getting to the heart of the problem with authors, but Griffin's problem is so much bigger than she's aware of.   They hurl insults at each other, all the while learning to depend on the other and reveal deeply hidden truths about themselves.  

The only aspect I didn't like was 
Griffin's proposal of marriage and Jane's acceptance.  Both of them have so many issues to work out, collectively and as a couple, that a happily for now would have been fine.  Or better still, have news of their engagement crop up in one of the upcoming books of this series. 

Still, the book as a whole knocked me flat -- in a good way -- so I cannot wait to read what else is in store from Ms. Ridgway. 

(A very special thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Beach House No. 9.)

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