Charity L. (kingsdaughter1611) -
Melody Carlson is an author I normally don't read much of. I prefer either historical or mystery but this one looked to good to pass up. And I am glad I requested it! This was a heartwarming romantic story that I enjoyed as a break from my preferred genre.
Anna is a small town girl who had dreams of being management in some fancy posh hotel. But instead she stayed with her grandmother to help out and is now managing this rinky dink motel. When a friend comes back to town and gives her the push she so needed, Anna spreads her wings and takes off to New York City in hopes of being hired at a boutique hotel. What she doesn't expect is the appearance of her childhood crush, Sean. And while things don't go as planned in her job search, she is hired as the head of housekeeping while Sean is hired for the management position, she feels unexpected freedom of doing what she has always dreamed of.
I totally fell in love with Sean and his too big to be true demeanor. Of course, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Irishmen and though he doesn't have the brogue, I loved him. The only worry I had with this book was that everything in her dreams came true. I am always fearful when a story plays out with everything turning right, the road is nice and easy, etc. It isn't that way in real life after all. Anna really has no hardships and she gets her job, her new life in the big city and a romance to boot. But if I look at it as being fiction, keeping things in perspective, it helps a lot. The characters in this one really drew me and even the secondary people were fun to read about. And seeing New York City through the eyes of the character is fun. I have been there and seen many of the same buildings and tourist attractions that Anna does in the book. Lots of fun to read and a great summer novel!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.
Anna is a small town girl who had dreams of being management in some fancy posh hotel. But instead she stayed with her grandmother to help out and is now managing this rinky dink motel. When a friend comes back to town and gives her the push she so needed, Anna spreads her wings and takes off to New York City in hopes of being hired at a boutique hotel. What she doesn't expect is the appearance of her childhood crush, Sean. And while things don't go as planned in her job search, she is hired as the head of housekeeping while Sean is hired for the management position, she feels unexpected freedom of doing what she has always dreamed of.
I totally fell in love with Sean and his too big to be true demeanor. Of course, I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Irishmen and though he doesn't have the brogue, I loved him. The only worry I had with this book was that everything in her dreams came true. I am always fearful when a story plays out with everything turning right, the road is nice and easy, etc. It isn't that way in real life after all. Anna really has no hardships and she gets her job, her new life in the big city and a romance to boot. But if I look at it as being fiction, keeping things in perspective, it helps a lot. The characters in this one really drew me and even the secondary people were fun to read about. And seeing New York City through the eyes of the character is fun. I have been there and seen many of the same buildings and tourist attractions that Anna does in the book. Lots of fun to read and a great summer novel!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are 100% mine.
N R. (Moonpie) reviewed Once Upon a Summertime: A New York City Romance (Follow Your Heart) on + 1170 more book reviews
I have never read a book by Melody Carlson I did not enjoy. This one will be added to the list. It was a refreshing change from historical novels. I never fail to learn something new from the books I read. When I heard of people going to school to get a degree in hotel management I never realized all the Hospitality Industry entailed professionally!
Anna Gordon is a young woman with big dreams to pursue a career she loves. She puts her plans on hold to move back to her small home town and be with her widowed grandmother. Making the best of the situation and wait or God to direct her, she gets a job managing the Value Lodge. The name should tell you enough! It was fraught with frustrations dealing with indifferent owners, lax employees, and outdated facilities. She feels her education and expertise is worthless there. Just when she thinks she cant handle anymore, the opportunity of a life time opens up.
A friend arranges for her to interview for a job at a stylish, high-class, new hotel opening in New York City! She gets a job, but not as manager. Much to her disappointment, she is hired as head of housekeeping. She decides to do her very best and hopefully move up in the future. The real blow to her comes when she finds out that Sean ONeil is the new manager. He is an old crush of hers from high school. Still drawn to him, she struggles to maintain a professional attitude and relationship. Much to her surprise, he is very interested in more.
That wasnt the only adjustment she faced. It was quite a change from her little community to bustling New York City! I have never been to the Big Apple, but I feel like I got a mini trip their through Anna! Ms. Carlson made the sights and sounds so real. I especially liked her descriptiveness of the hotel and Annas first apartment. This is a fun book, and such a sweet story of romance. An added bonus is a sneak peek at the authors next book in her Follow Your Heart series. I cant wait to read it too!
I received a copy of this book from Revell's Blog Tour Program for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Anna Gordon is a young woman with big dreams to pursue a career she loves. She puts her plans on hold to move back to her small home town and be with her widowed grandmother. Making the best of the situation and wait or God to direct her, she gets a job managing the Value Lodge. The name should tell you enough! It was fraught with frustrations dealing with indifferent owners, lax employees, and outdated facilities. She feels her education and expertise is worthless there. Just when she thinks she cant handle anymore, the opportunity of a life time opens up.
A friend arranges for her to interview for a job at a stylish, high-class, new hotel opening in New York City! She gets a job, but not as manager. Much to her disappointment, she is hired as head of housekeeping. She decides to do her very best and hopefully move up in the future. The real blow to her comes when she finds out that Sean ONeil is the new manager. He is an old crush of hers from high school. Still drawn to him, she struggles to maintain a professional attitude and relationship. Much to her surprise, he is very interested in more.
That wasnt the only adjustment she faced. It was quite a change from her little community to bustling New York City! I have never been to the Big Apple, but I feel like I got a mini trip their through Anna! Ms. Carlson made the sights and sounds so real. I especially liked her descriptiveness of the hotel and Annas first apartment. This is a fun book, and such a sweet story of romance. An added bonus is a sneak peek at the authors next book in her Follow Your Heart series. I cant wait to read it too!
I received a copy of this book from Revell's Blog Tour Program for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own.
