In the first Bounty Bay novel, former runway fashion model Lauren Taylor is hiding out in the wilds of New Zealand with her four-year-old son. Except for her family, no one in the small town of Bounty Bay knows about her celebrity status and the abusive ex-husband she left in the States. When a famous photojournalist buys the dilapidated property next door to hers, she fears her carefully crafted little world will soon fall victim to the paparazzi.
Nathan Fraser bought the rat-infested house and overgrown property to make into a celebrity hideaway, and he’s sinking every penny he has into fixing the place up. With the profits, he’ll be set for life and will no longer have to travel to war zones. After he rescues Lauren and her son Drew from being stranded on the road in the middle of a storm, he finds himself drawn to the mysterious woman and the adorable boy, but settling down is the last thing he wants.
Both Lauren and Nate are stubborn and emotionally withdrawn people. She’s still living in fear because of the trauma she suffered at her ex’s hands, and he’s so much of a loner that he doesn’t realize how much he actually needs and wants a family and home. Trust, friendship, and romance bloomed slowly between them. Her little boy Drew is completely adorable (my favorite character in the book) and it’s easy to see why Nate fell head over heels for him.
The sex scenes were brief and sweetly sensual rather than explicit, and furthered the H/h’s budding romance. I normally read stories that have a lot of fast-paced action and mystery, but this one was slower and focused more on family ties, emotional turmoil, and simple, small-town living. Nothing big really happened, but I enjoyed the story and the beautiful descriptions of New Zealand.
3 Stars
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3.7 stars
Wonderful characters, likable, nice people you can't help but enjoying spending time with. The setting was more inland country than here other series which was all about the water. This story had a more mature story of a woman hiding from an abusive husband and public life, a little boy who wakes from nightmares of past horrors, and a good man who hasn't found any reason to put down roots.
This was the second book in the New Zealand romance starter set by the same author. I enjoyed it almost as much and the Due South series book in this set. Due South is my favorite but this one runs close by. ( )

Reading a book by Tracey Alvarez is like taking a mini vacation to my imagined little happy place in New Zealand. I've never been to New Zealand but thanks to her, I feel like I go there every time I read one of her books and once I finish it, my mind will still keep wandering off to that awesome place in my head. Just like a vacation though, it's never long enough!

My favorite thing about this book was the heroine. I loved Lauren so much, which is different because I usually tend to like the guys better. The women can get on my nerves sometimes but not Lauren. She is a former model turned kickass mom who is now a mechanic and handles a chainsaw like a pro!! I even loved that she had a scar on her face, I'm not sure why but I thought that was so cool, like a physical proof of just how tough she was. But she can also put on an apron and bake muffins for the boys.

Who doesn't love a story about a mom who will do anything for her kid? This book was beautiful and inspiring and I know I've been gushing so much about Lauren but Nate was pretty great too, quite stubborn but still great. Have some patience because he takes his time to come around but as always, Ms. Alvarez makes it worth your while.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* ( )

A wonderfully written and sweet, steamy story with a bit of humor. The characters are likable, relatable and well developed. A delightful, quick read.

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )