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To Find Polaris: a sexy, empowering, contemporary love story
ONE OF THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL AND HEART-BREAKING LOVE STORIES PUBLISHED IN 2019.
He has sky-high cheekbones and he sounds way better than Sinatra.
British bad boy and singer, Lord Mark Hartley has been spoiled by success -- too many women, too many private jets, too little love. Suffering from his dark past and perhaps an even darker future, he is looking for love without success and he has no idea how to navigate what lies ahead.
Then he meets Julianne McNally, a beautiful, serious, and centered young American trial lawyer, who has sworn off romance,
having experienced the bitterness of a broken heart.
He needs her skills , and she reluctantly takes his legal case. Despite Mark's best efforts, falling in love with a celebrity, whose press precedes him, is simply not part of Julianne's plan.
But Cupid may have the way of shooting the heart of even the most hardened cynic and star-gazing can be a romantic adventure...
Their sexual chemistry is combustible but their relationship almost explodes as their values conflict and emotional stakes rise. Will they find Polaris, the North Star, that stationary point of direction? Will they find their way home to each other?
This novel explores the emotional and psychological truths and challenges in forming a lasting relationship.
Set in Devonshire, England, Los Angeles, and Paris, this smart, sexy,contemporary romance is also an emotionally charged and psychologically moving love story, an atypical, unpredictable, unconventional and non-generic romance. Be prepared to experience something quite different as only can come from the pen of C. Elyana Brooke. Are you team-Mark or not? Read it and join the discussion!
This is the debut novel in The World of C. Elyana Brooke. Please click on her author name under the book title Follow her on Author Central to track her upcoming releases! Below the Brilliant Stars has just been launched on Kindle and paperback is soon to follow!
He has sky-high cheekbones and he sounds way better than Sinatra.
British bad boy and singer, Lord Mark Hartley has been spoiled by success -- too many women, too many private jets, too little love. Suffering from his dark past and perhaps an even darker future, he is looking for love without success and he has no idea how to navigate what lies ahead.
Then he meets Julianne McNally, a beautiful, serious, and centered young American trial lawyer, who has sworn off romance,
having experienced the bitterness of a broken heart.
He needs her skills , and she reluctantly takes his legal case. Despite Mark's best efforts, falling in love with a celebrity, whose press precedes him, is simply not part of Julianne's plan.
But Cupid may have the way of shooting the heart of even the most hardened cynic and star-gazing can be a romantic adventure...
Their sexual chemistry is combustible but their relationship almost explodes as their values conflict and emotional stakes rise. Will they find Polaris, the North Star, that stationary point of direction? Will they find their way home to each other?
This novel explores the emotional and psychological truths and challenges in forming a lasting relationship.
Set in Devonshire, England, Los Angeles, and Paris, this smart, sexy,contemporary romance is also an emotionally charged and psychologically moving love story, an atypical, unpredictable, unconventional and non-generic romance. Be prepared to experience something quite different as only can come from the pen of C. Elyana Brooke. Are you team-Mark or not? Read it and join the discussion!
This is the debut novel in The World of C. Elyana Brooke. Please click on her author name under the book title Follow her on Author Central to track her upcoming releases! Below the Brilliant Stars has just been launched on Kindle and paperback is soon to follow!
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 2, 2019
1 person is currently reading
2397 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 27, 2020
My Rating:
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
He is such a dichotomy, a sensitive artist in the clothing of an avowed wolf.
I have been single handedly keeping psychiatrists in Mercedes and yachts for years.
There are millions of people who have never known true happiness and they continue going about the business of leading their lives. I am proof positive that it’s possible and I’m still an incorrigible optimist in spite of it.
“It’s not easy, Mark, fulfilling dreams and quelling fears.” “No, darling, no one will ever tell you that. Dreams never come easily.”
My Review:
I fell into this oddly and undeniable compelling tale and couldn’t seem to let it go, although it was not an easy read as it hit all the feels high and low and plummeted the depths quite thoroughly. The writing was slightly hypnotic, easy to follow, lavishly descriptive, and sucked me into a vortex that was hard to pull away from, even when I wanted to throw my beloved Kindle down and walk away in furious indignation.
Mark Hartley was an English lord as well as a multi-talented and well-known actor, popular singer, beloved songwriter, successful businessman, cocky Casanova, total bastard, unrepentant cad, and possibly the most selfish and screwed up jackass on the planet. His behavior was loathsome, yet his family's had been even worse. I empathized with and despised him in equal measure. He was deeply damaged and his attitude and infidelities were deplorable and devastating for his wife, yet he was also beguiling, compelling, multilayered, self-indulged, intelligent, wracked with anxieties and obsessions, and twisting himself in knots.
This was a heart-wrenching tale that often had me gnashing my teeth and bristling with annoyance, yet I couldn’t put it down. I was hopelessly bewitched and lethally invested in these intriguing and complex characters as well as the twisted saga of their warped relationships. They nearly ruined me. I was stamping my little foot and wanting to give them both a good whack or ten with my Kindle, although I have to admit, they kept me deeply engrossed and out of trouble for quite some time as this book was 458 pages long with multiple storylines and a large cast of irregular and uniquely irresistible and fascinating characters. C. Elyana Brooke has mad skills and strong word voodoo.
4.5
Favorite Quotes:
He is such a dichotomy, a sensitive artist in the clothing of an avowed wolf.
I have been single handedly keeping psychiatrists in Mercedes and yachts for years.
There are millions of people who have never known true happiness and they continue going about the business of leading their lives. I am proof positive that it’s possible and I’m still an incorrigible optimist in spite of it.
“It’s not easy, Mark, fulfilling dreams and quelling fears.” “No, darling, no one will ever tell you that. Dreams never come easily.”
My Review:
I fell into this oddly and undeniable compelling tale and couldn’t seem to let it go, although it was not an easy read as it hit all the feels high and low and plummeted the depths quite thoroughly. The writing was slightly hypnotic, easy to follow, lavishly descriptive, and sucked me into a vortex that was hard to pull away from, even when I wanted to throw my beloved Kindle down and walk away in furious indignation.
Mark Hartley was an English lord as well as a multi-talented and well-known actor, popular singer, beloved songwriter, successful businessman, cocky Casanova, total bastard, unrepentant cad, and possibly the most selfish and screwed up jackass on the planet. His behavior was loathsome, yet his family's had been even worse. I empathized with and despised him in equal measure. He was deeply damaged and his attitude and infidelities were deplorable and devastating for his wife, yet he was also beguiling, compelling, multilayered, self-indulged, intelligent, wracked with anxieties and obsessions, and twisting himself in knots.
This was a heart-wrenching tale that often had me gnashing my teeth and bristling with annoyance, yet I couldn’t put it down. I was hopelessly bewitched and lethally invested in these intriguing and complex characters as well as the twisted saga of their warped relationships. They nearly ruined me. I was stamping my little foot and wanting to give them both a good whack or ten with my Kindle, although I have to admit, they kept me deeply engrossed and out of trouble for quite some time as this book was 458 pages long with multiple storylines and a large cast of irregular and uniquely irresistible and fascinating characters. C. Elyana Brooke has mad skills and strong word voodoo.
July 26, 2019
C. Elyana Brooke, ‘To Find Polaris’, a love story.
As an ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here it is. English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 4 stars (of 5).
In general: A complicated road to living together in love.
Leading characters:
- Mark Hartley (35).
Third son of an English lord, a diplomat in Washington. Mark was raised by nannies and governesses in England. His unloving parents (mom an alcoholic, dad an egoistic, authoritarian man) visit him once a year. With some help from a brother and an aunt he studies music and theatre in the US and appears to be very talented.
Now he’s a famous, wealthy singer/songwriter and actor. Divorced and surrounded by starlets and singers who are interested in him because he can help them with their career. So he feels unhappy.
- Julianne McNally.
Her loving middle class parents emphazised education. Her dad recently died in a car accident and her mother was a lawyer specialized in family law. She studied at Yale University and became an attorney at a prestigious litigation law firm in LA. She had for six years a relationship with another law student but he betrayed her.
Mark meets Julianne as the lawyer of an opponent in a lawsuit. He tries to use his charms on her to get a good deal but she keeps her distance and let him pay more than he expected. After this first meeting Mark tries to date her but - contrary to what he’s used to - she refuses again and again.
Then the author, C. Elyana Brooke, describes how Mark and Julianne find love in spite of the painful break ups both had in the past. And then they discover that loving each other without the wish to adapt your way of life to the ambitions of your partner causes a lot of problems. So their relationship develops with many ups and downs. Finding the road to living together with love is like finding your way in a dark, starry sky with Polaris as a guide.
The author writes with a lot of insight and feeling how both main characters struggle to find a way that gives their love a chance. Reading about Mark and Julianne’s love life is supplemented with a lot of interesting information about the American law system and the world of entertainment. So in spite of - especially Mark’s - sometimes illogical behaviour the book was for me an easy to read page turner, a pleasure to read.
R. Huiszoon.
As an ARC reader I received this book for free. And promised an honest review. Here it is. English isn’t my first language. Sorry for errors.
Rating: 4 stars (of 5).
In general: A complicated road to living together in love.
Leading characters:
- Mark Hartley (35).
Third son of an English lord, a diplomat in Washington. Mark was raised by nannies and governesses in England. His unloving parents (mom an alcoholic, dad an egoistic, authoritarian man) visit him once a year. With some help from a brother and an aunt he studies music and theatre in the US and appears to be very talented.
Now he’s a famous, wealthy singer/songwriter and actor. Divorced and surrounded by starlets and singers who are interested in him because he can help them with their career. So he feels unhappy.
- Julianne McNally.
Her loving middle class parents emphazised education. Her dad recently died in a car accident and her mother was a lawyer specialized in family law. She studied at Yale University and became an attorney at a prestigious litigation law firm in LA. She had for six years a relationship with another law student but he betrayed her.
Mark meets Julianne as the lawyer of an opponent in a lawsuit. He tries to use his charms on her to get a good deal but she keeps her distance and let him pay more than he expected. After this first meeting Mark tries to date her but - contrary to what he’s used to - she refuses again and again.
Then the author, C. Elyana Brooke, describes how Mark and Julianne find love in spite of the painful break ups both had in the past. And then they discover that loving each other without the wish to adapt your way of life to the ambitions of your partner causes a lot of problems. So their relationship develops with many ups and downs. Finding the road to living together with love is like finding your way in a dark, starry sky with Polaris as a guide.
The author writes with a lot of insight and feeling how both main characters struggle to find a way that gives their love a chance. Reading about Mark and Julianne’s love life is supplemented with a lot of interesting information about the American law system and the world of entertainment. So in spite of - especially Mark’s - sometimes illogical behaviour the book was for me an easy to read page turner, a pleasure to read.
R. Huiszoon.
July 18, 2019
For two characters that are from very different worlds, they came together so easily! Mark being the typical ladies man who you love to get annoyed with falls for the quirky, but the loving lawyer who is trying to make a name for herself. I honestly wanted to slap Mark myself a few times just because of his arrogance. But the author did an awesome job of adding twists of his past that share what has molded him together as a person. Doing that shows him as a human being and not just some hot shot sexy man who has achieved great success. I felt like Julianne was a strong woman on her own, but still has that soft romantic side that made her want to believe in real love. She's not as cynical as others in the world. Together they're a good balance and because of that, it made their love affair seem so relatable yet story tale-like. I loved it, a great debut!
November 14, 2019
Disappointing
Unfortunately I can't say that I actually enjoyed reading this book; it sure isn't a feel good romance. It profiles a predominantly dark, destructive and depressing relationship. THERE ARE MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF CHEATING. I did not emotionally connect with the characters nor did I feel their chemistry.
I found the story dragged at times and I had to force myself to keep reading. It was particularly annoying that there were incorrectly placed quotation marks throughout the book which made it challenging to read the dialogue. The lack of paragraphs and no marking between scenes made it hard to read and the flow was lost as I had to try and work out if it was a new scene or conversation and then go back and reread the beginning of the section. Further editing is definitely needed.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Unfortunately I can't say that I actually enjoyed reading this book; it sure isn't a feel good romance. It profiles a predominantly dark, destructive and depressing relationship. THERE ARE MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF CHEATING. I did not emotionally connect with the characters nor did I feel their chemistry.
I found the story dragged at times and I had to force myself to keep reading. It was particularly annoying that there were incorrectly placed quotation marks throughout the book which made it challenging to read the dialogue. The lack of paragraphs and no marking between scenes made it hard to read and the flow was lost as I had to try and work out if it was a new scene or conversation and then go back and reread the beginning of the section. Further editing is definitely needed.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 29, 2020
I received a free ARC of this novel via Hidden Gems in exchange for an honest review. My opinion is my own.
I enjoyed the beginning of this story but towards the middle my opinion really started to go down. The male lead is the most immature main character I have ever come across. There were SO many times that the female lead, a lawyer, angered me because shes relatively intelligent but lets the guy do whatever with no REAL consequences. If I had a daughter that would be an example of what to Never do.
I enjoyed the beginning of this story but towards the middle my opinion really started to go down. The male lead is the most immature main character I have ever come across. There were SO many times that the female lead, a lawyer, angered me because shes relatively intelligent but lets the guy do whatever with no REAL consequences. If I had a daughter that would be an example of what to Never do.
August 7, 2019
An intense and emocional love and live story. Lord Mark Hartley is emocional damaged from childhood and he is looking for true love all his life. Julianne, a tough and workaholic lawyer, I determined to resist Mark’s charm. But their life will intertwine, and they will have low and high gh until they realise that they are meant to each other. A journey through tough emotions, fears, friendship and love. I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it
October 23, 2019
If I could give this 3.5 🌟 I would! Won as a Goodreads Giveaway. Enjoyed story plot and characters, even when I couldn't stand them :) definitely recommend for a good somewhat light read. I plan to read more of her in the future!
July 31, 2019
It felt too drawn out and Mark and Julianne didn't do it for me. I had a hard time finishing it.
I'm voluntarily reviewing this after receiving a free copy from Hidden Arcs.
I'm voluntarily reviewing this after receiving a free copy from Hidden Arcs.
August 30, 2019
Excellent book!!!
October 7, 2019
This was so good.. just what you need on a cool fall night.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews