carolesrandomlife

This review was also posted at Carole's Random Life

I really liked this romantic story. This is the third book in the Stardust, Texas series but I think it would read perfectly fine as a stand alone novel. I did read and enjoy the first book in the series so I knew that I was in for a treat when I picked up this newest installment. I was not disappointed. The characters were interesting and the romance was really sweet with a lot of chemistry. It was a really nice romance to get lost in for a little while.

Kasha was a really interesting character. She has had a troubled past until she joined the Carlyle family. She is very cautious about how she approaches things and has a strong need to always be in control of her emotions. She has just started working for the Gunslingers as a physical therapist and is trying to stay under the radar during her probationary period. Everything changes when she gives her honest opinion about Axel's recovery plan.

Axel is the star pitcher for the Gunslingers. He is working really hard to get his shoulder healed so that he can start playing again. Axel is the type of player who pushes himself and he has a very hard time getting used to the idea that what his shoulder may actually need is a bit of rest. He is very goal focused with dreams of eventually playing for the Yankees in the World Series never far from his mind.

I liked Axel and Kasha together. There is a lot of chemistry between the pair from the very beginning. They don't actually act on any of their feelings for a long time in the story and I think the build up made everything sweeter when things really started to happen. They were both so thoughtful of each other and really took each other's needs into consideration. They both have dealt with major issues in their past that have shaped their outlook in life. I thought that they were really good for each other.

The only thing that drove me a bit crazy was the way that Kasha's sister, Emma, was constantly compared to a child. She is not a child. She is an adult with Down's Syndrome which is a very different thing. I spent a lot of years working individuals with developmental disabilities and this is one thing that always drives me crazy. Kasha does learn a lot about his sister during the story and by the end of the book she does adjust her thinking by the end of the story.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. This story doesn't really have a strong sports theme even though one of the main characters plays a sport. I have read and enjoyed several other books by Lori Wilde. I do plan to read more from this very talented author including other books from this series. I really want to know what else is in that hope chest!

I received a review copy of this book from Harper Collins Publishers - Avon for the purpose of providing an honest review.

Initial Thoughts
I liked this sweet romantic story. Axel and Kasha were both pretty awesome. It did bug me that Emma was treated like a child because of her developmental disability for much of the story. Part of Kasha's growth was to realize that an adult with a developmental disability is very different than a child.