His Comfort and Joy

The Moorehouse Legacy #2

by Jessica Bird

THE MOST DANGEROUS MAN ALIVE

Ruthless might as well be Gray Bennett's middle name. When the renowned Washington, D.C. insider talks, powerful people listen. But Gray hasn't come home to Saranac Lake to play politics. Or play at all. A tragedy has shaken the unshakable Gray Bennett to his hardened core. And so has the most unlikely of women.

The mousy redhead who used to run around the Moorehouse B and B, the one he never noticed is now all fiery hair and lush curves. But sweet Joy Moorehouse is too innocent for a cynic like him. So Gray won't let himself lay a hand on her...until the night he can no longer resist the woman she has become. That's when he discovers a secret that leaves him gasping for breath and wanting more.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Harlequin, Fiction, Category Romance, Ebooks

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Jessica Bird also writes as J.R. Ward

Jessica Rowley Pell Bird was born on 1969 in Massachusetts, USA. She is the daughter of Maxine F. and W. Gillette Bird, Jr. She began writing as a child, penning her thoughts in diaries as well as inventing short stories. She read her first Harlequin Presents novel in a rose garden when she was in her teens. She was hooked immediately. By the time she went to college, she had boxes and boxes of Harlequins and Silhouettes. Every year, her mother would ask why all those books had to live in the house and Jess would reply that if even one of them disappeared she would know. (She'd catalogued them.)

Jess finished her first romance manuscript the summer before her freshman year of college. She attended Smith College and graduated with a double major in history and art history. She then received a law degree from Albany Law School. Shortly after that, she began working in the healthcare industry in Boston. She spent many years as one of the premier medical center’s Chief of Staff. While working as a lawyer in Boston, she completed two novels more and started a number of partials. In 2001, Bird married John Neville Blakemore III. Both her mother and her new husband kept telling her to send something in to an agent, a publisher, the Tooth Fairy, anyone. She thought they were nuts, but eventually got her nerve up and bought a lot of stamps. Since getting published, she has written contemporary romances as Jessica Bird and paranormal romances as J. R. Ward. She has been a Rita Award finalist, received two Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice nominations and has been a HOLT medallion finalist.

New England born and bred, Jess is surprised to find herself living south of the Mason Dixon line. (But that's what happens when you marry a Southern gentleman.) She and her husband live with their golden retriever, who oversees her writing in a supervisory role.

Reviews

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

This does not get old. The ending was the best.

Reread!!

Loved this romance and couple. One of my top favorites.

This was J.R. Ward before she went mainstream I believe.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had planned to write a full review on this book, but I'm feeling lazy so I'll just post some of my random thoughts here:

- Gray: I fell in love with him in the 1st half of the story, but when he started acting like a jerk, throwing accusations at Joy without any basis to support his suspicions, he lost some ground with me. I didn't end up hating him because Ms. Bird did a god job showing his insecurity and vulnerability when it came to Joy, but he could have snapped out of it sooner than he did.

- Joy: I liked her, even though she was too good and sweet to be true and came close to being a pushover. I was glad to see her becoming something other than her Grand-Em caretaker, because that was pretty much all she was when she was introduced in Beauty And The Black Sheep, the 1st book in the series.

- Plot & Writing: Gray's I-want-you-but-I'm-no-good-for-you routine was interesting at first, as I was curious to know what made him such a hard-hearted man, but it was dragged a bit too long and I got tired of it in the end. Luckily for him, Joy was a very patient woman and endured it all with an open heart. Gray's refusal to share his inner demons with Joy also led to some misunderstandings - small ones, thankfully - and, at one point, I found myself wondering what kind of relationship he wanted to have with her. He was confused, and so was I.

- Overall: I really enjoyed this read, despite the minor "complaints" mentioned above. Ms. Bird made me care for Gray and Joy, and her writing kept the story flowing effortlessly. As I've grown to expect since I read my 1st book by Ms. Bird, there were echoes of J.R. Ward's very characteristic writing style in this book too and I'm not sure how I feel about it because it's kind of distracting. Not enough to ruin the read, though.

[UniquelyMoi ~ BlithelyBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Review:

Joy Moorehouse has loved Grayson Bennett from afar for years, and while they have homes not far away from each other, they live in totally different worlds. Grayson's world is one of political maneuverings, high class parties and more one night stands than he can remember while Joy lives at the family’s struggling B&B, helping out as she can and caring for her Grandmother who suffers from dementia. To say they have little or nothing in common is an understatement and if it weren’t for the fact that he knew and called her by name, she’d have thought he didn’t even know she existed – but she would have been wrong.

Gray has been fighting his desire for Joy for years, having been drawn to her innocence, her confidence and her beauty. But as far as he is concerned, she deserves a much better man than he could ever hope to be. Embittered by his years of political consulting and rubbing shoulders with some of the country’s most powerful – and least honorable – men, he doesn’t see himself as a man who could ever be worthy of someone like her. And when it becomes clear that she’s as attracted to him as he is to her, he starts throwing up all kinds of obstacles to keep them apart and protect her from the man he is, the man he will always be.

I’m really enjoying this series. While the books are light, easy reads, they are by no means brainless. As she does with her Black Dagger Brotherhood series which she writes under the name J.R. Ward, Jessica Bird has given us complex characters who are often times too noble and self sacrificing for their own good.

As is always the case with all of her stories, it was a pleasure to watch the characters, Joy and Grayson, grow. I loved seeing Joy, with her inherent goodness, reach out to and try to break through the cynicism that had embedded itself into Grayson’s soul and embrace him, loving the man for all he is, all he is not, and all that he might become.

And without giving too much away, I have to say, she really, really… REALLY, had her work cut out for her.

Next up, From The First, Alex Moorehouse's story!

[Buggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening line: "The boat's engine throbbed as Grayson Bennett kept the Hacker at a low speed and close to the lakeshore."

HIS COMFORT AND JOY is book 2 in the Moorehouse legacy trilogy which I discovered through being a fan of JR Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this romance, although its within this instalment that you really begin to hear Ward's voice (and some of the Brothers too) The level of sexual tension throughout the story is such that I couldn't put it down. It's clever, interesting and Wow, can Ms Bird ever write a tortured love scene.

Joy Moorehouse has fantasized about Grayson Bennett for ages but not once during the 5 or 6 times a year that she sees him has he ever really noticed her. Truthfully, she realizes he probably doesn't even know her name. I mean she's being ridiculous right? Why would a wealthy political consultant and playboy extraordinaire notice her? She's just a small town nobody working in the family's B&B and looking after her ailing grandmother, he's a Washington big shot, several years older and experienced in the ways of the world. In fact the last couple of times Joy saw him he was just down right rude. What Joy doesn't realize of course is that Gray has to keep his distance; he simply doesn't trust himself when he's around her anymore.

Ever since he saw her in that bikini he can't seem to get her out of his head. Gray can barely breathe when she's near and is filled with raging, unexplainable jealousy (among other things.) Worst of all, nasty thoughts have been swimming around in his head, thoughts of what he'd like to do to her sweet virginal body given the chance. Yeah he'd better keep far away from Joy because the two of them together could only spell disaster he'd eventually wind up hurting her and Gray doesn't think his heart could take it.

Bird's build-up to this couple's first kiss (or in this case first dance) is well done and had me turning the pages in a fever of anticipation. When they finally touch during the slow dance it's well... amazing. As a whole this story kept me entertained and was just different enough from the normal Harlequin formula to keep me guessing. It contains a movie-worthy moment on a train and Bird's usual expertise with multiple POV's. I enjoyed the updates on our past couple as well as the continual development of future storylines. Book #3, From The First (The Moorehouse Legacy, #3)is next and I can't wait to see how Joy's wounded and grief-stricken brother Alex finally finds happiness. Yay for me, another tortured hero.

I would highly recommend that fans of JR Ward check out this series and all of Jessica Bird's earlier writings. Cheers

Here's the correct reading order
(The Moorehouse Legacy)
1-Beauty And The Black Sheep
2-His comfort and Joy
3-From The First
4-A Man In A Million

(The O'Banyon Brothers)Bird/Ward has never completed this series
1-The Billionaire Next Door

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

(Originally published in 2006 as His Comfort and Joy by Jessica Bird)

Review for Speaking of Audiobooks: http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8418

Narrated by Emily Beresford

Grayson is a political consultant whose job is to polish a candidate’s image and make problems disappear. In the dog-eat-dog world of politics, that means less than savory tactics are sometimes necessary. While his power and good looks have gained him a reputation as a lady’s man, his childhood has left him jaded on the subjects of love and marriage.

Joy is in her mid-twenties and inexperienced with love and life. She helps run her family’s inn and catering business and assists in caring for her great aunt. Joy has a knack for sewing and clothing design but hasn’t yet figured out what she wants in life. She’s known Gray for years and has harbored a crush on him all that time.

Gray is powerfully attracted to Joy (she “made him feel male all the way to his chromosomes”), but he won’t make a move. He sees her as a small town innocent and himself as the “player” who has done too many shady things. When circumstances push them together, Gray gives into his attraction and takes Joy to bed (“He’d never been so turned on.”). Once he makes his move and realizes she’s a virgin, he’s horrified and stops immediately. Joy is disappointed but Gray is adamant that he can’t continue. For much of the book Gray agonizes over what he did, as he alternately spends time with Joy and then avoids her. Joy becomes confused and finally angry over Gray’s schizophrenic behavior.

The Player isn’t enhanced by the narration. Emily Beresford has a nice voice and she differentiates between characters well enough but there are a couple of problems. Ms. Beresford breaks sentences into phrases, not always logically, and she pauses at the end of each phrase.

“He could have licked (pause) the sweetness (pause) from her lips.”

“The pain of wanting her was sharp (pause) and shiny as a blade (pause) bearing deep into the muscles of his thighs (pause) making his back spasm.”

Another problem is Ms. Beresford’s character voice for Gray, specifically whenever he is feeling any strong emotion. I believe she is striving for the graveling voice of passion, but she only succeeds in achieving the wheezing sound of an asthmatic. As performed, the strangled voice makes Gray sound weak instead of passionate.

The Player is over-written and overwrought (“...his breath punched out of his mouth.”). Gray, the savvy political consultant, is literally biting his knuckles over the fact that he took Joy’s virginity, and he’s so swamped with guilt he can’t concentrate on his work. Then there is Joy, teaching Gray that love conquers all and sex with a small town girl is the best of his life. Of course, there has to be a misunderstanding and a few other obstacles to their happiness, but the reader can take comfort knowing that these two rather pathetic people are finally off the market, so it’s safe to return to dating.

[Selly - Leggere Romanticamente · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi è piaciuto tanto!
Un bel romance di quelli che piacciono a me, aspetto il terzo della serie!

[Starlitz328 · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This was amazingggg!!

Both h and H are top notch!! the h speaks her mind, and the H is a sucker for her and chases her but refuses to acknowledge how deep in he is for her.

The way H kept traveling far just to see her even for a little bit and would just hug her and hold her! It made me swoon! I also love what a politically baddie he is and how powerful he is, and yet he’s a simp for the h!

The sexual tension and the romance was SOOO good! The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars was lack of epilogue and not ~enough~ sexy times (although the sexual tension was blazing through the whole time)🔥

[Miraphora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non c'è niente che possa vincere il paragone con una lettura Linus. Una copertina di Linus in versione cartacea è quello che serve quando arrivi al limite della sopportazione: romanzi noiosi, pessime traduzioni, ripetitività di un genere, insomma...quando hai bisogno di qualcosa di sicuro, al 100% fidato allora devi scegliere tra le letture Linus. Per me sono poche le autrici che mi assicurano una soddisfazione alta - molto alta, in alcuni casi - e per questo me le tengo da parte, come scorta nei momenti bui di crisi nera.
Pochi giorni fa ho dovuto tirare fuori la mia arma super pesante: la Ward. La mia scelta è ricaduta su una ristampa dei suoi contemporanei e secondo di una serie che avevo già iniziato. La trama del primo romanzo era ben viva nella mia memoria e soprattutto i personaggi principali del secondo romanzo mi erano rimasti impressi per cui pronti partenza via!
In 2 giorni l'ho finito. Certo è corto, 384 pagine in formato tascabile, ma la resa è tantissima.
Nella puntata precedente...Frankie, la sorella maggiore, riesce a salvare il B&B di famiglia grazie all'intervento di Nate, cuoco provetto e super bad boy, che le ruba anche il cuore. Nel frattempo...la sorella minore Joy si strugge d'amore per Gray, il bad boy che ha fatto carriera, il donnaiolo che compare una volta all'anno e che è sempre gentile con lei.
In questo episodio...Joy è stufa marcia di essere considerata la mascotte della casa. Frankie e Nate la trattano più come una sorellina minore che come una donna e l'obbligo di curare la nonna comincia a pesarle. Joy non ha mai avuto la possibilità di vivere la sua vita, al contrario di Frankie che ha preso in gestione il B&B con passione, lei vuole volare via e imparare a conoscersi. Joy si rende perfettamente conto che i suoi desideri devono passare brutalmente in secondo piano rispetto alla famiglia, così si è abituata al suo ruolo di sorellina e di badante. C'è una sola cosa di cui non può proprio fare a meno, una cosa di cui non si vuole privare perché è sua, solo sua e nessuno ne è a conoscenza: Gray. Joy è perdutamente innamorata di lui fin da quando la sua cotta adolescenziale si è trasformata in passione adulta. Lo vede solo per pochi giorni all'anno, ogni anno, e ogni santa volta cerca di stare in zona, di vederlo e magari di scambiare un saluto perché poi lui sparirà. Joy non ha mai, nemmeno una volta, pensato di poter essere interessante agli occhi del sofisticato politico, dell'uomo d'affari fatto e finito. Gray è l'opposto di quello che Joy dovrebbe trovare interessante: è pericoloso, ha avuto tantissime donne e nessuna lo ha legato a sé e non ha nessuna tendenza all'amore romantico. Gray è l'uomo sbagliato e tutti lo sanno. Proprio per questo l'attrazione di Joy è un segreto segretissimo. Eppure Gray, per quanto sia il suo opposto, la vede e ne rimane colpito: lei è diversa da tutte le donne a cui è abituato. E' spontanea, non ha secondi fini e non cerca di sedurlo. Joy è una secchiata di acqua gelida in piena faccia e Gray rimane talmente spiazzato che è obbligato a osservarla per bene. Dopo tanti anni in cui Joy era la Joy della famiglia Moorehouse, giovane, carina e simpatica ora è diventata Joy e basta, una donna bella senza fronzoli e semplice come solo le persone normali sanno essere. Gray è fregato.
A questo punto si instaura un tira e molla molto particolare: da una parte abbiamo Joy che, talmente stupita che quasi non ci crede, vuole approfittare spudoratamente di ogni singola occasione per avere Gray e dall'altra abbiamo Gray che, ci crede o non ci crede?, vuole Joy talmente tanto che non capisce più niente ma, allo stesso tempo, non vuole essere l'orco cattivo che la traumatizza e le toglie quell'aria fresca e pura che si è trascinata dietro. Gray non ci crede che Joy sia al 100% trasparente e, quindi, un po' la strapazza MA, big ma, ogni volta si fa più male lui che lei: lui si sente di cacca e lei è sempre più determinata a portarselo a letto. Mitica Joy non fa la lagna, non si piange addosso, non aspetta che sia lui a fare la prima mossa ma ad ogni strafalcione di Gray lei gli passa sopra come un panzer e lo travolge con la sua sincerità: pensi che faccia finta? Strunz! Allora me ne vado! Torni da me perché mi vuoi? Bene famolo strano! Ti dico che ti amo e tu scappi? Maledetto uomo gnocco, mo' ti convinco io! Quanto mi è piaciuta Joy. Quanto mi piacciono i personaggi normali che si danno una mossa e non aspettano l'intervento divino, soprattutto quando non si trasformano per raggiungere il livello dell'altro personaggio. In questo caso è Gray che compie il passo, che cambia e che arriva a riconsiderare tutta la sua vita, compresa la visione che ha dell'amore.
Non oso cominciare a parlare delle scene d'ammore. Sono pochissime, si contano sulle dita di una mano (e nemmeno tutte) ma sono ustionanti, come solo la Ward sa fare. Roba che santo cielo sul pullman mi facevo aria anche se eravamo in giacca e sciarpa. Mamma mia. Gray è un uomo affascinante, pericoloso e fatto di neri e di bianchi. Non ha mezze misure e questo suo aspetto lo rende così intenso, così aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr che ti lascia senza fiato. Solo un personaggio sicuro nel suo amore, sicuro di poter avere il lieto fine di cui entrambi hanno bisogno poteva tenere testa a Gray: Joy è perfetta.
Alla fine del libro avevo una voglia matta di prenderne in mano un altro e fare un'indigestione di Ward ma ho resistito. Devo tenerla buona perché non posso rimanere a secco, a quel punto sarei costretta a rileggerli tutti. Non che la cosa mi pesi, s'intende, ma la smania di novità wardiana è altissimo. Vi consiglio di leggere anche i suoi contemporanei e non di limitarvi agli Angeli o alla BDB. Non sono allo stesso livello ma regalano comunque una lettura mooolto gustosa.

[Rhapsody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joy lives in her family's B&B and looks after her demented grandmother. She's been in love with the wealthy Gray for years but has never done anything about it. When finally does notice her, he refuses to act on his impulse because she seems to young and innocent. Then he starts distrusting her. They get to know one another better when she travels to New York after being commissioned to design an evening gown for one of his friends, but there are a lot of misunderstandings along the way because Gray has so many issues with women and relationships.

I liked it better than the first Moorehouse book involving her older sister. Gray was a pretty imposing alpha male, but he was a bit special in that he really made himself vulnerable a few times. I liked Joy, and I enjoyed how while she was so innocently in love with Gray she was also willing to stand up for herself and not tolerate his behavior. Still, it's very much an "average" read. It didn't suck me in the way the really good romance novels do.

[Laura (Kyahgirl) · Rating 1 out of 5]

1/5; 1 star; DNF

The main male character, Gray, is such a self absorbed, intolerant, judgmental moody jerk, I couldn't stand it. I've read better books by Jessica Bird/J.R. Ward.

I'm not having much luck with the audiobooks lately. I should have looked at my GR friends reviews before starting this book. Carrie did a good one here.

[Jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gray was too cold and in control for my taste. Thank goodness for the smart and likable Joy. And even after their HEA, I am not holding my breath for a lasting one. That man has too many issues with trust and the way he behaved with Joy just about sum his immaturity. And don't get me started on his hang up with his mother.

Still, I liked the story if not the hero.

[AlenGarou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, fermi un momento.
Prima d’iniziare ho una domanda!
Chi minkia ha deciso il titolo?
Voglio dire, non avrei avuto nulla da ridire se il protagonista in questione fosse stato uno sportivo, un broker o comunque qualcuno che si giocava la reputazione. Perché in questo contesto non ha alcun senso e non è nemmeno la cosa peggiore. Qui si giocano i neuroni.
Ma è anche vero che noi Italiani in fatto di tradurre titoli o modificare copertine faccio davvero pena…
Veniamo a noi!
Benvenuti a una nuova recensione!
Come sapete sono una brutta persona e non sono in grado di svolgere una storia d’amore classica (classica nel senso: senza morti, con troppi drammi inutili e zero immaginazione), quindi ho pensato di dedicarmi alla lettura di un romanzo del genere per farmi venire la voglia di scrivere. E chi potevo scegliere se non la Zia Ward?
Ma le mie aspettative sono crollate come un castello di carte man mano che procedevo con la lettura. E dire che il precedente volume mi era piaciuto molto, tant’è che, dopo eoni e molta acqua sotto i ponti, me lo ricordo ancora.
Comunque l’inizio parte bene e, complice lo stile fantastico della Ward, risulta entusiasmante.
I due protagonisti questa volta sono Joy, la sorellina di Frankie protagonista del primo romanzo, e Gray, scapolo d’oro e benestante oltre che consulente politico.
Inutile dire che sembrava quasi di rileggere Orgoglio e Pregiudizio. Oltretutto lui di cognome fa Bennett.
Coincidenze? Io non credo.
Anche perché la sua mentalità all’antica è di quelle parti. E vi risparmio la scena perché mi ha slogato la mandibola.
Tuttavia, devo ammettere che inizialmente ero molto colpita da Gray per il suo carisma e le sue paturnie (che trovo sempre adorabili nei pirla). Anche Joy non si è dimostrata da meno, però…
Se Gray mi stava simpatico, alla fine volevo gettarlo sotto a quel benedetto treno.
Ora, capisco i drammi. Capisco anche le delusioni. A quanto pare una storia d’amore DEVE AVERLI SEMPRE! Perché a quanto pare il pubblico li vuole, ma a me fanno solo girare le ovaie. In dose moderate posso anche capirli, ma qui si concentra tutto su cose campate in aria.
No, davvero.
Gray poi è un grandissimo bipolare.
La vuole, non la vuole, la rivuole, non la vuole, la pensa innocente, la considera una manipolatrice, poi si pente, poi s’incazza, poi si ripente, l’allontana, la segue.
E che cazzo Gray deciditi!
Joy poi è talmente confusa da lui per poco non si colpisce da sola. Se non fosse che lo ama da anni l’avrebbe mandato a cagare dopo pochi giorni. Con le giuste ragioni.
Per carità, quando sono a Saranac Lake è un piacere leggerli, ma dopo New York… stendiamo un velo pietoso.
Senza poi contare come si conclude la loro prima volta.
Ma il peggio è stato il finale.
Sfuriata degna di una lotta titanica, lei che se ne va perché, ovviamente, ne ha le palle piene, lui che mosso dal suo amore salta sul treno in corsa e proposta di matrimonio contornata da gente random che piange. Fine.
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaard…
Cosa minkia ti è successo?
Dimmi che hai sbattuto la testa.
Dimmi che ti si è rotto il computer e hai dovuto riscrivere in fretta e furia metà romanzo.
Dimmi che ti sei ubriacata con il tuo agente e hai scritto tutto di getto.
No, perché rispetto a tutti gli altri sui libri questo è senza dubbio il più svarionato.
Ad ogni modo ha i suoi lati positivi (tipo che in un paio di ore lo finisci).
Come detto, la prima parte a Saranac Lake mi è piaciuta, anche perché Gray era ancora sopportabile. Senza contare la faccenda tra Alex, il fratello di Joy e Frankie che nel precedente volume ha avuto un incidente dove è morto il suo migliore amico, e Cass, moglie del suo migliore amico. Indovinate un po’? eh eh.
Per non parlare di tutte le scene del B&B. Ma sì, avrei preferito una maggiore partecipazione da parte di Frankie e Nate e magari qual cosina di più sul loro matrimonio.
In sostanza non posso dire che non mi sia piaciuto perché sarebbe una bugia, ma cristo santo… ora devo farmi controllare la glicemia.
Spero che il prossimo non sia così “deludente”. O, almeno, che sia realistico.
Sì, mi accontento del realismo…
Pleaseeeee

[CrazyForRomance · Rating 2 out of 5]

Due stelle e mezzo.
C’era una volta una ragazza dolce e carina, la quale nutriva una cotta per un ragazzo più grande di lei. Lui si chiamava Gray, un ragazzo forte e con dei segreti, che con il tempo diventò un uomo rispettato, ma anche molto temuto. Nel frattempo, la piccola Joy cresceva, e con sé cresceva anche l’interesse e il debole che provava per Gray. Nonostante i loro mondi estremamente diversi, un legame invisibile sembrava legarli..
Gray conosce da sempre la piccola rossa, ed è solo da qualche tempo che si è accorto di lei, ma sa anche che le tipe come Joy non devono nemmeno avvicinarsi ai tipi come lui. E Joy non ha mai creduto di avere una reale possibilità fino a quando non le è venuta incontro la cucina del B&b della sua famiglia.
Si prospetta una bella storia.

Joy è una ragazza che si è sempre accontentata di ciò che l’ha sempre circondata, e l’ha sempre fatto senza alcun peso, fino a quando.. non si accorge che oltre quel lago, quella natura, quel b&b e oltre la sua famiglia, c’è l’ occasione per essere se stessa: ci sono i suoi sogni, che ha sempre tenuto perfettamente piegati nel proprio cassetto; c’è una vita che non ha mai pensato di poter vivere, e cose che non credeva di poter fare. Un conto è conoscere una sola strada e percorrerla nel miglior modo possibile; un altro è conoscerne due, testarle, e scegliere quella che più piace: la più breve? La panoramica? Quella in salita? Ciò che Joy non ha mai conosciuto, prima che nella sua vita entrasse Gray (e non dimentichiamo Cassandra), è proprio questo, l’emozione di avere una possibilità, e soprattutto di poterla scegliere.
Gray è un uomo che ha costruito delle alte mura attorno a se. Un adolescenza con dei segreti che tuttora lo divorano nel profondo; un padre che ama, amici che stima, un lavoro diventato così semplice ma sempre più riprovevole. Il suo passato, il suo lavoro e il suo rapporto con le donne, gli ricordano ogni giorno che uomo sia, e di certo non è l’uomo per Joy. Ma combattere fino allo stremo le proprie emozioni credete possa funzionare? Se sappiamo qualcosa sull’amore, è che questo non ha regole.. gioca sporco e soprattutto la sua posta è sempre alta: gioia immensa o immenso dolore. Quindi come potrà mai procedere tra Gray e Joy, sapendo che, per quanto la testa combatta, il cuore la spunta sempre?
Continua su Crazy For Romance

[Jacqueline J · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was much better than the first one. The characters were more interesting and more fully developed. Gray especially had a lot of bad stuff running around in his head that he had to overcome. Also the premise was more interesting. Naive young woman and a jaded cynical man who thinks he's too old for her but just can't stay away. The angst level was higher here and it looks like the next one is going to be even more angsty.

[Kate ✨ is a dreamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I really liked this one! It was super back-and-forth, angsty and fun to witness!

I love an unrequited romance, and this one was no exception. Joy was an innocent small-town girl with big dreams and too much responsibility to make them come true.

Joy is the sister of Frankie, the main character of the first book in this series. While Frankie's responsibilities include the owning and the day-to-day managing of the Bed and Breakfast, Joy helps in anything Frankie needs and the much harder managing of Grand-Em, their dementia-addled grandmother.

But Joy dreams of fashion-design, and when a possible big-break looms, accompanied by the handsome source of her unrequited love, Joy has to make a choice.

It was a sweet book, and Joy and Gray had so many moments between each other that were utterly swoon-worthy. Joy is an innocent woman, blushing but knowing what she wants, while Gray finds himself too corrupted to be with a woman like Joy.

It was a fun read, full of angsty and dramatic back-and-forth's that had me anxiously flipping through every page, waiting for the ultimate conclusion.

The only disappointments I had with this book was the credibility from book 1 to book 2. Joy was portrayed as a spineless, meek "simpleton" of a girl in the first book, ready to do whomever's bidding someone asked of her. She was lumped together with George, who has mental problems leaving him a thought-process that doesn't match his age, and I honestly thought she might be on the same boat.

But here in book 2, she's a strong woman ready to call a Wall Street shark on his shit and dives right into New York's high society as a career. Which, of course, I much prefer to the girl in book 2. But the two portrayals just don't jive in my mind.

And my second concern, seems to be a thematic one with JR Ward contemporaries. But we just didn't get enough time together with them as a couple. As soon as they accept their feelings of each other, the story ends and I'm left wanting more. This one had a little more sprinkled throughout than the first, but still not enough, in my opinion.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" Long, short, or somewhere in between, I don’t think J. R. Ward (in this case writing as Jessica Bird) is capable of writing a bad book. I’ve very much enjoyed everything I’ve read by her so far, and His Comfort and Joy was no exception. Even though it’s one of her earlier works, written in a short novel format, the plot and character development was stellar. I loved both Gray and Joy, as well as the way in which their romance builds. It’s both sweet and angsty, just the way I like it. The love scenes are a little steamier than most Silhouette books I’ve read and more closely reflect Ms. Bird style that’s seen in her BDB books than some of her earlier contemporaries, which was a plus. I also liked the juxtaposition between the rural upstate New York setting and New York City. It brought an interesting flavor to the story. The supporting cast was superb too, and I found it especially impressive that the author was able to build their characters so well in this shorter format. Everything combined made this book a near-perfect read for me.

Gray turned out to be a complex hero. He has a reputation as a player both in business and his personal life. He works as a political consultant, and is basically a game-maker. If a politician wants to get elected to office, Gray is the man to make it happen, and as such, he sometimes treads into the gray zone to get the job done. In his personal life, he’s known as a ladies’ man who freely admits that it’s not unusual for him to spend the night with a woman and then leave her in the morning, never looking back. Gray’s family owns a house on the same lake near Joy’s family home, so he’s known her for years, but it hasn’t been until recently that he’s started to notice that somewhere along the line she turned into a beautiful and desirable woman. He begins to feel unfamiliar pangs of jealousy when she’s around other men, but he’s vowed never to marry and knows that Joy is not the type of girl who deserves a one-night stand. Gray carried around a lot of pain over his parent’s broken marriage. He spent a large part his childhood and teen years, helping his mother cover up her numerous infidelities that broke his father’s heart, so he has trouble trusting women to be truthful and faithful. Gray’s views on women slowly begin to change when he gets involved with Joy and especially after he discovers her virginity in a moment of passion. IMHO, what he did after that was sweet if a little misguided. But despite that he still has trouble fully opening his heart up to her. His past has left him cynical and jaded, while his work in politics has left him feeling dirty and tainted, and he doesn’t want to sully something as perfect as Joy by sharing that part of his life with her. Not to mention, he’s just downright afraid that she’s going to end up breaking his heart if he allows himself to love her. I loved Gray’s character and how he has to go through this transformative process to get to a place where he can open his heart to Joy’s love, but at the same time he takes so long to get there, it can be a tad frustrating. This is the one and only reason I ended up dropping one-half star from the rating, but I’ll also admit that Gray’s final gesture was so grand, he almost made up for it so that I waffled on whether to give it the full five.

Joy is a wonderful heroine, who is sweetness personified, and everything Gray needed to help him understand that all women aren’t like his mother. Joy is deeply committed to her family. She and her siblings lost their parents in an accident when Joy was just a teenager, so her older sister, Frankie (Beauty and the Black Sheep) finished raising her. Together, they run a bed and breakfast in their family’s old Victorian mansion. Joy went off to college and got a practical degree that she hoped would help her family and worked through college to foot the bill. Then she came back home to help Frankie with the family business and to take care of her grandmother who has Alzheimer's, so she hasn’t had time to pursue her real dream of becoming a fashion designer or for any relationships. Even though she only sees him a few times a year when he’s at his family’s home on the lake, Joy has been in love with Gray from afar for years. She’s just about to give up on her childish fairy tale notion of a romance with him when he finally starts to take notice of her. She knows he’s not really the type to settle down, but she’s willing to give him whatever he’ll accept, until an aborted love-making session changes everything. Gray goes from a passionate alpha male to an almost coldly formal gentleman in a heartbeat. In some ways, he’s now the perfect boyfriend always calling and taking her out, but never touching her passionately like before and unwilling or unable to open up and share his life with her, leaving Joy wondering what exactly they have between them. During this time, I had to admire Joy for her patience in dealing with Gray and for keeping hope alive that they could eventually turn things around and become the romantic couple she wants them to be.

As I mentioned before, the author fits in quite a number of supporting characters who are seen in other related books. Gray was previously seen as a secondary character in some of the previous books. Nate and Frankie, the hero and heroine of Beauty and the Black Sheep aka The Rebel, are still running the White Caps B & B and are planning a wedding in this book. Nate’s best friend and chef, Spike, has joined them in the kitchen and as a business partner. He has an unusual physical feature that makes me wonder if he’s somehow related to a couple of the brothers from the BDB. He’ll become the hero of book #4, A Man in a Million aka The Rogue. I enjoyed the close relationship Joy has with her brother, Alex, who is still recuperating from severe injuries sustained in a sailing accident that killed his best friend. We discover that he’s loved his friend’s widow, Cassandra, for a long time, and she helps launch Joy’s fashion designing career. These two become the hero and heroine of the next book in the Moorehouse Legacy, From the First aka The Renegade. We’re also introduced to Gray’s best friend, Sean O’Banyon who becomes the hero of The Billionaire Next Door aka The Billionaire. In addition, there’s a brief mention of Cassandra attending a Hall Foundation fund-raiser, which of course, is the charitable organization run by Grace Hall of An Unforgettable Lady.

Overall, I had a really great time reading His Comfort and Joy. There’s a certain sweetness in Gray and Joy’s relationship that I truly loved, and if not for Gray’s stubborn resistance to admitting that he was falling in love with Joy, it would have been an absolutely perfect read for me. In spite of that, it was still pretty awesome. I very much enjoyed all the character connections too. I’m already half in love with Alex, so I can’t wait to read his book to find out more about him, as well as to see him and Cassandra get their HEA.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm sure we've all had crushes on the older person when we were teens. The Rock Star, the Movie Star. So many posters hanging on our walls. So many magazines littering our bedroom floors. We dreamed of meeting them and having them sweep us off our feet. *sigh* But what if the person you crushed on was the older boy next door? I'm talking 20 years older? Is that more attainable?
Our heroine has harbored a crush on the neighbor's son most of her life. He saw her as the cute but annoying kid next door. Until he came home on one of his infrequent visits and saw her in a bikini in the last book. Alas, even though he is interested he sees himself as too cynical and hard for her. She disagrees. There were many times in this book I tended to agree with him. Then our brilliant writer would bridge the gaps between their ages and their outlooks to make them seem like they would work. She is his salvation.
Good story!

[**Sognatrice di libri** · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stelle e 1/2

Ho voluto riprendere questa serie per via delle poche pagine così avrei potuto chiudere la mia reading challenge che mi ero prefissata.
Tornando al libro: è stato una lettura scorrevole, piacevole e poco impegnativa.
I due protagonisti sin dall’inizio non mi hanno preso subito, si erano già visto nel capitolo precedente della serie ma non erano ben definiti, ma con il procedere della lettura Joy mostra tutte le sue sfumature gradualmente facendo così migliorare il suo personaggio; invece Gray rimane sempre uguale con nessun lato che si rivela pian piano, anzi verso la fine si rivela tutto insieme che è la cosa che mi ha convinto di meno del libro.
In conclusione non dico che mi ha deluso questa lettura ma decisamente con la Ward sono abituata a situazioni diverse e più d’impatto ma nel complesso un libro carino.

[Aou · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too idiotic H!

[Tammy Scheidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as the Player

[Ermione · Rating 3 out of 5]

Premetto che questo commento sarà pieno di SPOILER (anche se, in realtà, la storia è così semplice e prevedibile che c’è ben poco da spoilerare…) e, probabilmente, pieno di parolacce, perché a me certe cose scatenano “il piccolo camionista” interiore, non posso farci nulla. Perché, ok che un romance generalmente ha la struttura semplice di una fiaba, ma quando la semplicità sconfina troppo nel nulla condito da idiozia cominciano a girarmi gli zebedei.
Dunque, se siete allergiche agli spoiler di ogni tipo e siete donnine a modo e il turpiloquio vi infastidisce, fermatevi pure.

Allora, credo che l’intreccio si possa riassumere in poche righe: lei (giovane donna appartenente ad una famiglia dell’aristocrazia decaduta: per intenderci, il villone di famiglia è stato trasformato in un B&B) è da sempre infatuata di lui (ricchissimo, rampante e spregiudicato consulente di noti personaggi politici), che la conosce da sempre e da sempre la tratta con indifferenza, ma che dopo averla vista tuffarsi nel lago in bikini è praticamente rimasto folgorato. I due si incontrano in diverse situazioni e sono perennemente infoiati. Lei, che si diletta con taglio e cucito, viene invitata a NY da un’amica di lui, che si propone di lanciarla nel mondo della moda. Lui lavora tra NY e Washington e, come è facile intuire, visto l’infoiamento di cui sopra, ad un certo punto ci scappa la frittata. Ma, dal momento che lui si sente in colpa per averla deflorata (!!!), il brodino si allunga grazie ad una serie di assurdi tira e molla fino al vomitevole happy ending finale, con tanto di pubblica proposta di matrimonio in ginocchio. Scusate, sto cercando di controllare un conato.

Ora, sono convinta che, di per sé, una trama semplice non sempre e non necessariamente costituisca il fattore predittivo di una ca*ata. Ci vuole altro e qui la Bird/Ward ci offre un ingrediente fondamentale: un protagonista che per come si comporta e come parla ti fa rimpiangere gli uomini della vita reale. Ma tanto. Un evento quasi eccezionale per una lettrice di romance.
L’autrice ce lo presenta come uno spregiudicato, uno sciupafemmine, freddo, cinico e calcolatore, indurito dalle traumatiche esperienze del suo passato. Ma lo volete sapere in che cosa consistono queste esperienze che lo hanno reso così gelido e incapace di amare? Da bambino ha beccato più volte la mamma a zozzoleggiare con vari uomini e ha imparato a “coprirla” in modo che il paparino non la lasciasse e, quindi, si è convinto che tutte le donne sono zoccole come mammà. Tutto qui. Sul serio. Tutto qui.
Ma quello che mi ha scatenato la bestia è stato il suo atteggiamento nel momento in cui scopre che lei, alla veneranda età di 26 anni, è ancora illibata.
Ora, noi lettrici di romance sappiamo che questo della “inaspettata deflorazione” è un topic abbastanza classico nel genere. Ma, francamente, non mi era mai capitato di vederlo reso in questo modo.
Lui la porta a letto, va sparato come treno ad alta velocità…per poi ritrarsi di scatto – che neanche glielo avesse morso un gatto – schizzare via e giacere tutta la notte vicino a lei, senza toccarla, tremante e sotto shock. Lui. Non lei. Lui. Non so, forse il problema è che io sono una di quelle lettrici che tendono ad immedesimarsi nella protagonista, quindi, è facile indovinare quali istinti violenti mi si siano scatenati. A parte il fatto che se una donna di 26 anni decide consapevolmente di dartela, per favore, evita di trattarla come una ragazzina di 15 anni, incapace di intendere e di volere…ma, soprattutto, almeno impegnati per soddisfarla, larva umana, brutto idiota parassita che non sei altro! E invece no, lui se ne sta lì a cospargersi il capo di cenere e a piangersi addosso. E qui la povera lettrice si ritrova a pensare: adesso gli passa e inizia a comportarsi da uomo. Noooooo!!! Si attacca a lei come una cozza (appuntamenti, cene, telefonate etc.), MA SEMPRE SENZA SFIORARLA, perché si sente in colpa. Addirittura la porta da Tiffany (mica nella bottega di Gigetto!) per farle scegliere un anello, chiedendole di sposarlo per “riparare”. Stiamo parlando di un romanzo contemporaneo pubblicato nel 2006. Dico, 2006! E queste sceneggiate continuano fino alla fine, anche dopo che quella povera disgraziata di Joy, la protagonista, riesce a portarlo a letto…e a farcelo restare, perdinci!
E poi, non so voi, ma io un uomo che se ne esce con frasi come “Non meritavo il dono della tua innocenza” o “Creatura dolcissima, sarai la mia rovina” mi verrebbe solo di riempirlo di sberle. Arghhhhh!!! Datemi subito un romanzo della Stuart o, ancora meglio, di Anna Chillon!!! Quelli sì che sono uomini “come si deve”, eccheccacchio!
Tre stelline scarse, ma giusto perché non è scritto male e sono riuscita ad arrivare alla fine.

[Brandi Aquino · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't want to rehash the plot, so I will get straight to my thoughts.

Right out of the starting gate, I liked these characters. Each one has that strong, unique voice I have come to expect in Ward's characters. Gray was powerful, fierce, and commanding, and yet he had that soft under layer that lets you know that he isn't a bad person, but maybe just following down the wrong path. Joy is the type of woman who is caring and thoughtful and gives a lot of herself, probably too much, even at the expense of her own happiness. She has been in love with Gray for years but doesn't really consider herself in his league, not to mention that everyone and their mother seems to be warning her to stay away for her own good.

The story itself was well-written. It had tragedy and sorrow and enough misunderstandings to try a saint's patience. As much as I liked the overall storyline, I was annoyed with Joy and her absolute need to respond to Gray when it seemed to me that, although he had his redeeming qualities, she didn't know that and should have dropped him on his ass, hard...several times. I think what really bothered me about the story, however, isn't all the wishy washy stuff, but the ending.

I have grown somewhat accustomed to the type of endings Ward gives in her BDB and Fallen Angels series that leave me wanting so much more and ready to throw myself over a cliff to get it, that this one left me saying "Huh? Really?" Originality clearly wasn't the name of the game here. Instead, the ending was completely cliched. I can't count how many times this scenario has played out in movies and TV shows where...

*SPOILER ALERT*

...the hero defies death, leaping onto the back of a fast moving train to get to his lady love and plead for her forgiveness, followed up by the spilling of his guts then the down on one knee proposal of which, if she doesn't accept, the lady behind her happily will.

Needless to say, this one fell flat for me. Instead of finishing strong, it took the easy way out. I still love Ward, but I don't know if I will venture into her traditional romance novels again.

Oh, who am I kidding, of course I will! It's J.R. Ward for crying out loud!

[Esther David · Rating 5 out of 5]

All right the review.. Hmmm..where do I start? Okay let's start at the start. Jessica Bird tells us about her idea of the kind of men that roam around us. And I agree with her. This one is about the Player, someone who steamrolls over you and you are so madly in love that you don't care. Well you keep going after him and again till you give up and then he comes back to you. Well, I must tell that happens in a Harlequin book. Real life will bite you in a place of your body that will hurt you the most. Been there, done that. Anyway, I'm deviating. The plot was good and made me read it till the finish. Although I must admit of having hoped to see a sad heart wrenching end to the story (hopelessly), I'm glad it ended the way it ended. The best part was the way Gray our hero keeps having thoughts and conversations with himself. That in fact will make any reader go back and read it again. At least I did. Here's the piece





Before he could say anything, a tuxedoed waiter appeared at their table. “Have you made your selections?”



Um, yeah, Gray thought. I’ll have the total body meltdown with a side of what-the-hell-was-I-thinking. She, evidently, will be having the sex-goddess pot pie.

:-D

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ridiculous trash. Unfortunately, L.A. Weekly displayed its cover in its recently published "Best L.A. Novel" bracket in place of The Player by Michael Tolkin. Admittedly, I wondered how a Harlequin romance novel could have possibly been among the contenders in a competition dubbed "Best L.A. Novel". Of course, I later learned that IT COULDN'T! This book had nothing to do with Los Angeles and even less to do with...well, you understand.

I'm back on track now, reading the book that was actually among the contenders and I hope it's worthy of it's place in the bracket. Oh, and for those readers who are wondering why I gave this book two stars instead of only one, it's because I gave one star to Don't Eat Cat. That book took the one-star rating to a new low. So, two stars it is...

[Adrienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved this book::the warden has done it again for me::its typical romance::slushy::mushy::girl loves guy::guy loves girl but is slow to realize::and a great big HEA:)::i read this series out of order but wish now that i'd resisted temptation as the storyline flows from book to another and altho' you can read them a stand alones they become more of a great big romantic journey if you read them in order::
character development is interesting between the BDB books and this series:: there have been de ja vu moments::one of the characters *Spike* has a similar trait as one of the BDB boys:)::i've just one book in the Mills and Boons left to read *The Billionaire next Door*::then i'll move on to some of her other jessica Bird books:

[L8blmr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have wanted to read the "other side" of author J.R. Ward for a while now and I DID like this book. However, it was one of those stories where the couple would have benefitted greatly from just sitting down and talking. Additionaly, the male lead was not very likable and the woman could have used some backbone. I couldn't help but think how much more I would have enjoyed this couple if he had more of the charisma of the BDB boys and she had some fire and spirit.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good girl meets bad boy kind of story. Joy's been lusting after Gray for years but he's kept his distance because he's too old/damaged/moronic for his own good. They get thrown together and neither can resist the temptation any longer.

A little cliched but overall enjoyable. I liked Joy as a character despite brooding Gray irritating the shit out of me. Predictable but delivered in the end.

Pretty much exactly what I expected when I picked it up and I wasn't disappointed.

[Alice Elle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divorato questo romanzo della mia adorata Ward.
Sì, è un romance molto classico, non ci sono colpi di scena spettacolari né tormenti emotivi da mangiarsi le unghie fino alle ossa, ma è perfetto per me.
A parte che lovvo profondamente le storie in cui i protagonisti si conoscono da sempre e si guardano da lontano... poi i protagonisti maschili di J.R. sono puntualmente dei maschioni tutti testosterone fuori e teneroni dentro. Li amo.
Presto la recensione sul blog.

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non ci sono più parole da spendere quando si parla di Jessica Bird alias J.R. Ward, la sua fama la precede e sono arrivato alla certezza che tutto quello che viene toccato dalle sue mani diventi semplicemente un capolavoro.

Adoro la sua mano acerba in questo romanzo, all’oscuro della grande fama che l’ha portata a scalare le classifiche del New York Times con la sua saga centrale che tutti amiamo.

C’è una dolcezza e quel filo d’incertezza che tutti i grandi autori hanno conosciuto prima di raffinare lo stile ed esaltare la narrazione con quella leggerezza di vivere una scena davanti ai propri occhi.

La scrittura è un mezzo per molti, ma un’arte per pochi.

Questa donna ne ha saputo trarre una buona musa e mi viene in mente una sua affermazione all’interno di un’intervista:

“Scrivo quello che le voci mi dicono, anche se non sono sempre d’accordo con loro; quando provo a cambiare seguendo quello che vorrei scrivere io, loro smettono di parlare.”

Sono pienamente d’accordo con le tue voci, perché hanno saputo portarci tutti insieme all’interno di queste grandi narrazioni.

Un romanzo leggero e dolce, che lascia sognare a ogni riga.

Non è trascorso molto tempo, dall’ultima volta che siamo stati tra i monti degli Adirondack a nord dello stato di New York, Gray Bennett conosceva fin troppo bene le temperature della zona e presto la bella stagione estiva avrebbe lasciato posto ai climi rigidi dell’inverno.

La sua barca scivolava lenta lungo le correnti del lago; se Cassandra Culter, una sua amica, avesse saputo quanto la tenuta di White Caps lo attirava nei suoi più profondi desideri, quel momento di distrazione non sarebbe servito a molto.

Joy Moorehouse viveva in quella sponda di lago e nessuna aveva catturato così intensamente i suoi pensieri. Lei era così dolce, allegra e diversa da tutte le donne che aveva incontrato nella sua vita.

Molto spesso, durante la lettura, ho provato a immaginare il dolore di Gray Bennett, e per quanto mi sforzassi, non riuscivo ad arrivare a quella soglia di dolore che si possa arrecare a un ragazzo così giovane.

Il peso delle sue riflessioni lo rendono un personaggio maturo, sveglio e spietato; quando i sentimenti lasciano spazio al vuoto più oscuro, possiamo solo riempirlo con sentimenti che non possano ferirci o peggio, cerchiamo di difenderci da quel vuoto dentro.

Anche se Joy intasa tutti i suoi pensieri, un uomo della portata di Bennett non può lasciarsi andare ad accettare la visione incantevole della ragazza, più tenta di starle lontano e maggiore è il filo conduttore che intreccia le loro strade.

La vita di Joy Moorehouse fino a quel momento si era basata su azioni semplici e spesso noiose. Mentre sua sorella Frankie si occupava del B&B, lei si prendeva cura della loro nonna Grand Em.

Nel corso degli anni aveva sviluppato un interesse per la moda, creando bozzetti e risistemando gli abiti della nonna aveva appreso come eseguire determinate cuciture e molto altro.

Un talento così naturale trova sempre il modo per emergere, ma spesso ha bisogno di qualcuno che può dargli una mano ad arrivare a tale obiettivo. Gray ne parla con Cassandra e la sua amica accetta il suo consiglio, così Joy è costretta a lasciare la sicurezza di White Caps per immergersi tra le trafficate strade di New York.

La dolcezza dei suoi occhi curiosi e indagatori lasciano Gray spiazzato, per poi incrementare l’attrazione per Joy. La vicinanza dei due gioca un passo fondamentale nella conoscenza, se fino a quel momento si trattava soltanto di un’attrazione visiva, le parole scavano a fondo rivelando elementi più interessanti e nuove visioni.

Ognuno vive la propria storia fin nell’istante in cui sulla sua strada s’intrecciano nuove storie. I lenti passi percorsi insieme non rivelano tutto quello che si è vissuto prima di essersi incontrati, ma continuando lungo la stessa direzione è più facile marcare nuovi percorsi riscavando il buio del passato.

Non possiamo affermare di aver conosciuto qualcuno veramente, fin quando non sono stati dissolti tutti i problemi e si è accettato di affrontarli e viverli insieme.

Gray Bennett è un personaggio molto enigmatico e spesso non si riesce a entrare con i suoi ragionamenti, ma quando si trova la chiave per capirlo, sono certo che avrete sfogliato le ultime pagine e vi sarete accorte di amarlo.

Un romanzo ben strutturato e molto dolce, dove si trovano tutti gli elementi per sognare e lasciarsi andare a qualche ora piacevole. Non sono presenti riferimenti paranormal, ma lo stile della Ward si fa riconoscere con quello spessore che solo lei riesce a narrare.

[Emilye · Rating 4 out of 5]

MoorehouseLegacy2

A nice surprise of a book. Joy has a lot more backbone in this outing, and an emotional maturity that came as a welcome relief.

Gray is complex enough to realize they’re not in the same league; but it’s his growth arc that drives this story. He has been self-protectively calloused in his relationships, navigating the shark infested waters of politics at the national level.

Robbed of his innocence at a young age as his mother’s infidelity was a recurring reality and his father, too honorable to throw her out, tolerated her behavior made their son cynical.


The issue of choosing the other was integral to finding a path through the morass of moneyed society. So many untethered people, actively chasing infidelity, regardless of vows spoken and shared. So it’s no real surprise that Gray has no standard by which to measure Joy’s attraction to and for him.

That was nice. The pull-push of peeling the onion of expectations gave scope to the intimacy developing between them, especially in light of Gray’s possessive territoriality. Possessive, because he couldn’t believe Joy lacked interest in anyone else but Gray. But, that focus, that selection, is a facet of her family, and what they bring to relationships.