Review…Stirring Up Trouble by Kimberly Kincaid

Synopsis:

Sloane Russo’s turned a decade of crazy jobs and whimsical travel into a career writing steamy novels set in exotic places. Trouble is, Sloane’s flat broke now—and she can’t channel sun-drenched beaches in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The only fast cash in town comes with some seriously distracting temptation: Gavin Carmichael, hot, handsome and oh-so-hard-headed.

Gavin isn’t the impulsive Don Juan of Sloane’s novels. He’s raising his thirteen-year-old half-sister, and he’s pretty sure he’s supposed to act like he’s never heard of fun. Sloane is way too sexy and irresponsible to be his idea of a good tutor for Bree, but the unpredictable anti-nanny may be irresistible as well.

My review:

Stirring Up Trouble is the third book in author Kimberly Kincaid’s Pine Mountain Series. This is a series I have loved since the very beginning and was so excited to get my hands on Sloane’s story and let me say…this series just keeps getting better and better. This book was fantastic!

Romance writer Sloane Russo has always lived by the seat of her pants. Trying out new things, going on new adventures, never slowing down long enough to grow bored and that’s how she liked it. Now, her family didn’t like it, per se, and thought she should be settling down and making babies, but it was her life and she loved it. And it was those adventures that lead her to her successful writing career. Her travels to exotic places gave her inspiration and the material to spark her imagination and get her creative juices flowing. Only problem now was that she had used up her travel experiences and was all dried up in the inspiration department. She was also died up in the finances department. Making matters worse was that her publisher wanted a new exotic book, and fast. There was no way she could fly to a far off destination on her good looks and the dust bunnies in her bank account. Leave it to fate to have a way of intervening and dropping a job practically right into her lap. A temporary babysitting job for Gavin, her best friend’s restaurant manager’s, thirteen-year-old sister. Not exactly a dream job, but a job nonetheless. She just had to stick it out for a few weeks, hop on a flight, and write a book. That becomes easier said than done when Sloane soon starts falling for Gavin. Could she ever dream of staying in one place long enough to start a real life? With Gavin, she thinks it just may be possible.

Restaurant manager, Gavin Carmichael really didn’t need any more complications in his life. He lost his mother to cancer, relocated, and now was responsible for his little sister. He couldn’t believe he now lost his sitter for a few weeks. Things start to look up, marginally, when he meets Sloane and she agrees to help him and Bree out. She isn’t exactly his first choice as a sitter for his sister, but she was an adult and could surely supervise. Hopefully. It turns out she is more than capable and in more ways than one and he is soon smitten with all that Sloane is and all that she has become to mean to him and Bree. It scares him to death that she self-admittedly doesn’t do the permanent and never stayed in one place for the long-term but he wants noting more to convince her that he and Bree were worth it. Would he succeed in getting the free spirit to put down roots? God, he really hoped so…

This book focuses on Sloane and Gavin (and Bree) and it was the total package from the very first chapter. Sloane is one of the best heroine’s I’ve read. She’s witty and snarky and matter of fact and I loved everything about her. She doesn’t really do the soft and fluffy and I adore her for it. She cuts to the chase and tells it like it is and even though she doesn’t think she’s the settling down type, deep down she really is. She’s just waiting for the right reason to settle down for. Enter Gavin. The astute professional who is navigating the father-figure role as best as he can. He is handsome and responsible and just wants his life, and his sister’s life, to be ok. What he really needed is an outsider’s point of view to help with his sister and that’s where Sloane shines.   Truly opposites, Gavin and Sloane were a gem of an unlikely match that completely belongs together, even if they didn’t want to believe it at first. The attraction and chemistry between them smolders at first and quickly grows into a burning heat… It. Was. Delicious. I loved watching the relationship evolve for all of them (Sloane, Gavin and Bree) and seeing it bloom into something so very special. I cried my eyes out more than once while reading and the loss of Gavin and Bree’s mother brought a touching aspect to this story.

As I said in the beginning of this review, the Pine Mountain Series is a series that just gets better and better with each book. Yes, you can read any of them as a stand-alone, but the effect as a whole is just so amazing that I vote for reading them all.

Kimberly Kincaid is one of those hidden author gems. She always writes a beautiful story with well-developed characters, great dialogue, interesting and engaging story lines, and plenty of beautifully written heated scenes. If you haven’t picked up one of her book yet, what are you waiting for?

Thank you, Kimberly, for another wonderful addition to the Pine Mountain crew! I can’t wait to read Aidan’s story….

Five Loves

Book links:

Amazon  |  B&N  |  Kobo  |  iBooks

About the author:
Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance novels that split the difference between sexy and sweet, taking the traditional idea of boy-meets-girl and infusing it with a sassy magic all her own. She believes in fiery yet flawed characters destined for a crash-course in falling in love– usually the hard way– and injects her trademark humor as well as poignant touches into her writing to create her stories.

Kimberly’s writing journey has led down some bumpy roads (that first manuscript is under the bed, where it is very likely to stay), but there has been some fresh pavement too (her second manuscript earned her very first contest final, and landed the fantastic Maureen Walters at the Curtis Brown Literary Agency). One thing is certain — the wild ride of being a writer is a lot richer in both its ups and downs because of friends and readers along the path.

When Kimberly’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to eclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. She resides in northern Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.

Places to find Kimberly Kincaid:

Site: http://www.kimberlykincaid.com

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKimberlyKincaid

Twitter:https://twitter.com/kimberlykincaid

Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6938229.Kimberly_Kincaid