Author: C.S. Poe
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 69 Pages
Category: Contemporary
At a Glance: This one will give you a little warm spot in your heart, guys. Go grab it.
Reviewed By: Jules
Blurb: Down on his luck is Gideon Joy’s default state. He doesn’t know why he expected anything different on his cross-country trip, but not surprisingly, the hits keep coming—literally this time. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and take a job that’ll pay for the repairs. And in a town so small, Gideon’s always running into Silas. What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more romantic. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth it?
Despite Gideon’s desire to remain in the quaint community that has accepted him as one of their own, past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be waiting in a small town nestled among the great White Mountains.
Review: I was confused when I finished Joy—my first read by C.S. Poe—because I couldn’t decide if I was happily satisfied by the smile and swoon-inducing reading experience, or if I wanted to cross my arms and pout because it was over. I was mostly satisfied…the book really was adorable. ;) But…*whines*… it was toooo short. In this case, the focus should definitely be on the compliment in my complaint, though. I was disappointed in the length because I wanted more of these characters and their story, not because the story necessarily fell short because of it.
Joy is full of small town goodness. I loved the quaint, homey vibe of the town and the people. And, even though Gideon was a transplant from LA, he was pleasantly surprised at how quickly he felt at ease in rural New Hampshire. He could actually breathe again after getting away from the suffocating pressure he was feeling before leaving California. I really loved how instantly Gideon felt at home in Lancaster. Like he was home. Sometimes you go to a place and you just feel it, right? It was great seeing that happen for Gideon. And really, it’s hard not to feel at home in a place where scenes like this happen with the elderly, purple-haired grandma who runs the B&B where you’re staying:
“Bridget smiled and grabbed my hand, patting it. ‘Just because we’re a small country town doesn’t mean we’re all closed-minded like that prick.’
I held back my laughter at hearing a grandma say prick.”
Ha! Bridget and Bernard were so excellent.
Gideon may well be “the most unlucky man this side of the Rockies,” but he also finds bright spots both with his new employer, and, more unexpectedly, with Silas, the man whose car the moose wrecked along with Gideon’s. Silas is so awesome, you guys. I loved, loved him. He was so charming, and solid, and just so…good. And, I love how they sort of fell together. Gideon basically feeds him and ends up accidentally wooing him. Heh.
“All I did was give a guy tacos. Sure, tacos pave the way to anyone’s heart, but I wasn’t trying to—Oh my God, was I trying to flirt? Was I flirting with tacos?”
So, yeah, loved the vibe of the book, loved the characters, loved the romance. I would love for C.S. Poe to give us more Silas and Gideon in the future. Bottom line on this one? SO cute. Too short. BUT, since I’m a glass-half-full kind of girl, I’m just going to look at that as the perfect reason to read it again! This one will give you a little warm spot in your heart, guys. Go grab it.
You can buy Joy here:
[zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2nUiFia” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Dreamspinner Press [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://amzn.to/2n8gBGj” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon US [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://authl.it/B06XPDQ8Y6?d” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Amazon Int’l [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://bit.ly/2nUgpHY” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] Barnes & Noble [/zilla_button][zilla_button url=”http://apple.co/2nUguvg” style=”blue” size=”medium” type=”round” target=”_blank”] iBooks [/zilla_button]