Synopsis:
Small-town park ranger Casey Hobbes has spent her life under the radar, carefully guarding a secret. “The forest flirt,” as her best friend calls her, keeps things casual with men. That way she’ll never care enough to be tempted to share the truth about her past. But when she spots a half-naked stranger on the lake’s edge, Casey can’t resist his muscles or his charm and she’s all-in for enjoying both, while keeping emotion out of it. What could be the danger of one summer fling?
Professor Zane Buchanan has built his entire career on exposing the dark realities of cults, but one—the Sunshine Seekers—remains infuriatingly impossible to crack. Zane’s shocked to discover its sole anonymous survivor is hiding in his new hometown. It’s nearly impossible to concentrate on work, however, when he’s derailed by his attraction to the beautiful blonde in khaki uniform shorts.
As things between Casey and Zane heat up, she struggles with keeping her past from him. And Zane’s on a quest to expose the truth, no matter the consequences. Will their growing emotions finally unseal Casey’s big secret? Or will she turn her back on love to keep the past safely buried?
My review:
All For You is the second book in author Christi Barth’s Shore Secrets series, a series I fell in love with in the previous book and my love continued with this next installment. Two amazing characters drawn together with a secret that could tear them apart just as they begin their relationship? Yep, I was totally hooked and loved every minute of Casey and Zane’s story.
Park ranger Casey Hobbes and new-in-town professor Zane Buchanan meet under less than ideal circumstances, thanks in part to Zane’s misadventure with diving in their local lake in colder temps than he’s used to. Luckily, Casey has seen it all before and didn’t make Zane feel worse than he already did about the whole “I’m almost a bona fide mansicle” situation. Zane knew better than to dive when it was too cold but he can’t even be angry with himself since it was this situation that introduced him to this gorgeous park ranger. The heat and attraction between them is immediate and unable to ignore. Luckily Zane would be in town for a little bit, interviewing for a position at the university, and with a little bit of luck, would get a chance to explore things with Casey.
But what seems to be a delicious match on the surface may prove to be a match that is doomed from the start. Zane’s life’s work has been studying cults and the dangers and darkness within them, specifically The Sunshine Seekers. A group of extremists with only one lone survivor left and that survivor is the person he has his sights set on. Zane had no idea that he was closer to that survivor than he ever imagined…and Casey had no idea that her secret, the one she’s kept for so many years, was the closest it’s ever been to being revealed. Were Casey and Zane destined to lose what they have just found between them?
Oh, how I love this series. There is something so wonderful with this town and all of the characters it holds. I have loved Casey since meeting her in the previous book and I was so happy she would have a chance at love. And who better than with the sexy newbie, Zane? He’s everything a gal could want. Smart, sexy, curious, and witty. Casey is also smart and witty on top of dedicated and caring. The banter they share is fantastic and beyond enjoyable. I love that between a hero and heroine. Adding to that is the smoldering heat that sparks between them almost immediately and continues to grow and at a delicious pace. Oh, my, only a few pages in and I was hot for teacher. Of course, as I read, I realized what Casey was keeping secret and that it had every potential to ruin things between them and I was so worried! It was s secret that could make Zane’s career, his life’s work, and solve a mystery that has been plaguing him for years. I just kept worrying that this whole thing would end in a crash and burn, with Casey hurt. Luckily, Christi writes some pretty amazing men and Zane was no exception. (I can’t give anything away but trust me when I say the ending was “dreamy sigh” worthy). And it’s not without a lot of emotion along the way!
Adding to their story is the continuing appearances of all of the people in the town I adore. It was like visiting with old friends!
Thank you, Christi, for another wonderful addition to the Shore Secrets series and I cannot wait to see what you have in store for us next!
Four Loves
Book links:
About the author:
Christi Barth earned a Masters degree in vocal performance and embarked upon a career on the stage.
A love of romance then drew her to wedding planning. Ultimately she succumbed to her lifelong love of books and now writes contemporary romance.
Christi is President of the Maryland Romance Writers and lives in Maryland with her husband.
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