Synopsis:
Gabrielle Boudreaux, the youngest of the Boudreaux clan, is a single mother of her young son, Sam. Running a Bed and Breakfast at the family plantation house at the edge of the Mississippi River, Gabby loves her inn, her boy and her family. She meets new people every day, and takes pride in the house and land that has been in her family for more than five generations. Blessed beyond measure, she’s also lonely, although she would never admit that to anyone. Until Rhys O’Shaughnessy walks through her door, brooding and wounded and the sexiest thing she’s ever laid eyes on.
Rhys has been at the top of his game as a major league pitcher for the Boston Red Sox for more than ten years. Baseball is in his blood. But when he tears his rotator cuff and has to sit a season out, he retreats to Inn Boudreaux at the recommendation of his cousin, Kate, to heal and work toward building his shoulder back to perfect shape with only one goal in mind: to return to the game he loves. But he didn’t plan on being utterly charmed by a devastatingly beautiful woman and her baseball-loving son.
When Rhys’ shoulder has healed and he’s given the chance to return to his team, will he leave the family he’s come to love behind, or will he stay with Gabby and Sam?
My Review:
Easy Charm is book number two in author Kristen Proby’s Boudreaux Series and after loving the first book, I was so excited and beyond lucky to get an early copy of Gabrielle and Rhys’ story. It lived up to everything I hoped for these two amazing characters. Emotional , sexy, and sweet, Easy Charm is the whole package.
Youngest in the Boudreaux family, Gabrielle isn’t looking for love. She’s got an adorable little boy, Sam, and runs a Bed and Breakfast, both of which keep her with little time to find love. She’s also been burned before and tends to be a bit leery when it comes to finding a knight in shining armor. But what happens when love comes looking for her? What happens when an eligible, handsome, and successful man comes for a stay at the B&B? Would she have the courage to give it a shot?
The last thing Pro baseball player Rhys O’Shaughnessy wanted to do was not play baseball. He lived it. Breathed it. It was his life. But suffering a potentially career ending injury will help a guy realize pretty quickly that he may need to take a rest. He didn’t know what to expect when he was talked into staying at a Bed and Breakfast on the edge of the Mississippi River but the last thing he expecting was to be immediately taken with the owner. She was beautiful and right away he could tell she was a tough cookie both as a mother and as a the proprietress of her business. He could also tell right away that she had some major walls up. He did love a challenge and would make it his mission to break down those walls. He just hoped she would let him.
The thing I love about Ms. Proby’s writing is that it is a delicious balance of sexy and romantic. This was no exception. Rhys is every bit the gentleman when it came to getting Gabrielle to warm up to him. I loved that he respected her and let her set the pace….but when she gives in and gives him the green light? Holy hotness, Batman!! Gabrielle is a strong woman. She was dealt a tough hand when she was younger but she has learned a lot from that. She’s learned that she can rely on herself and didn’t need a man in her life to validate who she was both as a woman and mother to her son. Speaking of which, Sam is so damn cute and his personality leaps off the pages! Being a mom of a son myself, I truly appreciated the attention Ms. Proby spent on him in the story. After all, he is a part of who Gabrielle is and I just loved their dynamic.
Of course, all good things must come to an end and the little bubble they resided in along the Mississippi pops when Rhys has to face the fact that his injury has healed and he can return to his life. I won’t lie, I was a nervous wreck and wanted nothing more than for them to stay together and I definitely cried some tears along the way. They both deserved happiness so much! Luckily, Ms. Proby writes some of the best endings around. She also wrote some of the hottest almost-at-the-end-of-the-book-and-I-can’t-give-spoilers-about-why-it’s-so-hot sex in this book and I loved it! (trust me, you’ll know what I mean after to read it *insert evil laugh*)
Thank you, Ms. Proby, for once again giving us a story filled with love, delicious heat, and amazing characters. This will continue to be a series I look forward to reading more of!
Five Loves
Book links:
About the author:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kristen Proby is the author of the bestselling With Me In Seattle and Love Under the Big Sky series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong, humorous characters with a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.
Kristen lives in Montana, where she enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.