A Love Like This

Sapphire Shores #1

by Kianna Alexander

'Tis the season for everlasting love… 

All Devon Granger wants for Christmas is a peaceful, low-key escape to his North Carolina coastal hometown far from LA. But how is the injured Hollywood action star supposed to rest with Hadley Monroe tending to his every need? His caring childhood friend has blossomed into a stunning, self-possessed woman who's making her amorous feelings known…and lighting a fire Devon has no interest in putting out. 

As the youngest in a family of overprotective brothers, Hadley has to work twice as hard to prove herself. The heiress to the Monroe real estate dynasty plans to transform Sapphire Shores while preserving its small-town charm—a vision she shares with Devon. Until the media and Hollywood camera crews descend on the beachfront community, putting their love to the ultimate test. With suspicion and mistrust dividing them, will Hadley and Devon ring in the New Year…together?

Genres: Harlequin, Romance

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2017

About the author

I've always loved the written word. For as long as I can remember, I read as much as I could, as often as I could. Cereal boxes, newspapers, product packaging. Ebony, Essence, and Jet Magazine. Billboards. I loved it all. I read the entire Fear Street series, as well as the Sweet Valley Books, from Twins and Friends through Sweet Valley High. Each week I'd bring 15 or 20 books home from the library, and read them all before the due date.

Now, my mother owned a pristine, barely touched collection of Harlequin romance novels, and I was not to touch them under any circumstances. Well, as a teenager, you know what that meant. I read some of them, and got my first introduction to romance.

When I was sixteen, I picked up my stepmother's copy of Night Song, by Beverly Jenkins. The cover showed an obviously historical image of a black couple, against a beautiful backdrop, locked in a passionate embrace. With my love of history, I had to crack this book. What I read inside literally blew my mind. I was exposed to a wonderful, touching love story involving people who looked like me! What a thrill. To this day Night Song remains my favorite book, and I credit it with planting the seed of desire to write romance. I didn't get serious until many years later, but that's where it all began.

Reviews

[Dj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tis the season for everlasting love…All Devon Granger (action hero) wants for Christmas is a peaceful, low-key escape to his North Carolina coastal hometown far from LA. But how is the injured Hollywood action star supposed to rest with Hadley Monroe (luxury property rental) tending to his every need? His caring childhood friend has blossomed into a stunning, self-possessed woman who’s making her amorous feelings known…and lighting a fire Devon has no interest in putting out after living the last five years as a widower. As the youngest in a family of overprotective brothers, Hadley has to work twice as hard to prove herself. The heiress to the Monroe real estate dynasty plans to transform Sapphire Shores while preserving its small-town charm—a vision she shares with Devon. Until the media and Hollywood camera crews descend on the beachfront community, putting their love to the ultimate test. With suspicion and mistrust dividing them, will Hadley and Devon ring in the New Year…together?

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hadley is working hard to preserve the small town charm of Sapphire Shores. Devon is a Hollywood action star who just wants a peaceful escape to Sapphire Shores. They are childhood friends who share their vision for the future as they fall in love. The outside world will put their love to the test.

[Juanita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Love Like This

I just truly enjoyed this story line. Movie icon and nurturer with fire, was beautiful love story. I also loved the family's inputs. Looking forward to the next brother's story line. Thank you Kianna Alexander.

[Joyce Manning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine having feelings for a man for years, but giving him room because his wife died. Hadley went after her man, but why did he think the worst?

[Deborah C. Fidderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Love Like This

I loved the story of Hadley and Devon. It is a great story with a fantastic ending. I recommend this book to everyone who loves romance novels.

[Tigger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really wanted to rate this 2.50 stars
It was an ok read
Just did not grab me, had to force myself to not skip to the last chapter

[Lichaun Trotter · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was really cute. I loved that the lead was a smart intelligent woman who handle what comes her way.

[ToniReads_1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love like thide

5 stars . A hopeless romantic i am. I fell in love with Devon and Hadley love story. The characters, the location, the peaks and valleys they had to go through.

[Marsha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hadley Monroe knows what she wants and isn’t shy about going after it (a very refreshing change). Devon Granger is a solid, down-to-earth type. He’s got money but he doesn’t flaunt it. He’s an actor from L.A. but prefers the quiet serenity to be found on the isolated Sapphire Islands. They’re made for each other and the story backs up the inevitable happy ending for the pair of them.

But it’s not entirely an easy road for either of them. He’s thinking about a change in career and getting no support from anybody in the industry. Hadley wants to preserve the local businesses and works hard at her job. But she gets no respect from her brothers who continue to treat her like the baby sister, even though she’s almost thirty.

While I could have wanted Hadley to talk about something other than men with her best friend Belinda (the stereotypically brash, honest and sassy type), her conversations with her family were very satisfying. They had advice to give her about business AND her love life. So the book wasn’t as one dimensional in tone as with other romances. Devon too had probing talks about where his life was headed and that evened out matters very agreeably.

However, a romance without tension, conflict or drama is very boring and the author throws an unexpected but likely monkey wrench into the works. It does cause a mild hiccup but not enough to derail the romance between this lovely pair.

The love that grows between these two is sweet yet naughty and has all the satisfaction of affection that grows between adults rather than lust-addled adolescents. All good things come to those who wait…

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Sapphire Shores