ARC Review: Slow Summer Burn by Elisabeth Barrett

This book was like a breath of fresh air. I was stuck in a rut where the books had instalove and so much angst, my chest felt congested. However, Elisabeth Barrett came along and absolutely thrilled me with this last installment to the Star Harbor series. ~ Under the Covers

This book was like a breath of fresh air. I was stuck in a rut where the books had instalove and so much angst, my chest felt congested. However, Elisabeth Barrett came along and absolutely thrilled me with this last installment to the Star Harbor series.

I’ve always been interested in Val. As a DEA agent, there was a certain allure to his dangerous and sexy ways. He’s the oldest of all the brothers and you definitely get a sense of that written between the lines. He has a very strong and steady presence that I think is very attractive in a hero. As I was reading this, I got the feeling that Val would always be the protector. That’s why his story with the drug case fit him so well. Because of this, it added a sense of realism and believability to the story. Also, it sets up the book very well.

Barrett pairs Val with someone I couldn’t see him with at first. Cameron Stahl is a socialite, but not the ditzy, clueless kind. I wondered how the chemistry would work between them because they seem so vastly different on paper. However, like I said, there’s a calmer side to Cam that comes across when she is with Val. Cam finds out that Val is investigating a person and assumes that he has started dating her to get closer to them.

I found that I enjoyed Cam’s initial skepticism. I loved that she didn’t immediately fall at Val’s feet and that they have to try – and try damn hard! – to get be together. As I said before, I commend Barrett for not taking the easy way out and building a romance from scratch instead of creating some chemistry in hopes that it’s enough for readers to accept as love.

Fans of Nora Roberts’ Inns Boonsboro series will enjoy the Star Harbor series.

*ARC provided by publisher

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[about-author author=”Elisabeth Barrett”]