Included in this romance box set are 3 stories to keep you sighing. All three are excellent! The set includes: First Love, Elemental Love, and Accidental Love. Below is a review of one of the books to give you an idea of the wonderful selections you’ll find!
>>> Reviewing “ELEMENTAL LOVE” <<<
As a child, Rachel Shaw always looked forward excitedly to summer vacation which offered all sorts of possibilities ahead. But at 18, the start of the summer could be scary as you now have to look toward your future. Only a nice sandy beach made it possible to get through it all while waiting for college to start up. Unfortunately, it seemed her Dad had the summer pretty well planned with tasks! They lived as employees on the Maitland estate and there was always work to be done around the grounds.
Rachel’s Mom had died in a car accident when Rachel was a baby. She and her Dad moved after that to the Maitland estate. She missed having a Mom, but her Dad was the best Dad ever and made sure her childhood was a good one.
Alex and Thomas Maitland were also home for the summer. Alex was the heir to the family business and wealth and Rachel felt he was a natural snob. Thomas, however, had been her crush since she was 13, even though he never noticed her. Alex and Tom argued about what college Tom was hoping to attend. He wanted one where the girls wore bikinis in the warm weather, so Harvard just wouldn’t do. He was looking for someplace warm like Santa Cruz. He just didn’t take life as seriously as Alex did.
As Tom brought a redhead to their pool, Rachel couldn’t stop herself from going over to see what they were up to. Alex had gone for a walk on the grounds and saw her sneaking through the trees. So he followed behind her. Being tall, he could see what his brother was up to – so he asked her who she was spying on to divert her attention. After almost falling over, she said she was looking for . . . bugs! Their crazy conversation ended with her telling him casually that he was not very memorable. That got a very definite reaction from him, as he stepped forward and kissed her until she pushed him away. Then he did it again, and this time she kissed him back, realizing this was a man and not a boy. Thoughts of Thomas went out of her head completely as she enjoyed what he was doing – until he stepped back and assured her that NOW she would know who he is and remember him! Then he walked away and packed for his trip to Washington to start the project his father had turned over to him.
Ten years later, Rachel was having dinner with her cousin, preparing to return home from Madrid. It had been years since she had been back home. She was leaving her successful business but felt she was ready for a new challenge. But arriving home, her Dad had talked about Alex and she felt the same anger inside, remembering “that night”. Looking for a happier change of subject, she said it looked like the Maitlands were having a big party and her Dad told her it was Thomas’ engagement party. Fortunately when he wanted to ask about her failed engagement to Mathias in Madrid, he noticed her mood and didn’t ask.
When Tom interrupted Alex in his study, he told him that Rachel was back and looked fantastic. Alex was concerned that Tom would flirt with her, despite being engaged to a woman whose father was entering into a project with Maitland Development. He didn’t want anything messing up that deal. And he thought again about the night he had kissed Rachel. To keep her away from Tom and avoid trouble, he called her employer and hired her as the interior designer for his Hell’s Kitchen apartment renovation and expansion. As Rachel met with him and thought of all the ways she hated him, she noticed that her body wasn’t reacting that way at all! As for Alex, he was having fun watching her get angry with him but trying to hold it back. Was this the start of something the two of them could ever envision? Could they give each other a chance? Was there still something there that neither had recognized before?
I thoroughly loved this book! The reader is shown both sides of all situations, so the love and caring of the Maitland family members is plainly seen. The love between Rachel and her Dad is also obvious. The author handles the character development beautifully and makes each one so realistic that the reader feels they know them personally. The story line is very good and the pacing, despite the 10-year jump, is perfect. It may not keep the reader on the edge of the seat, but it will surround you with a story that pulls you in and makes you feel comfortable there. Don’t miss this one or the other two equally good stories! This box set is a treasure!