***5 ‘#TeamDiesel’ Stars***
Now that’s how you bring all the pieces together and put them back together the way they should be! It wasn’t easy, and still just as frustrating as watching the events in High Tide, but this time I was hooked on all that was going on with Hollie and Diesel and absolutely loved watching them both finally become the people they were always meant to be.
So, my review for High Tide was insanely vague, but considering who is gracing the cover of Island Side, I figure I can be a little less vague. Since it’s quite obvious which...horse...I was rooting for, I can say that I ADORED Diesel. Yes, he is an unrepentant asshat for much of the time I’ve ‘known’ him, but I couldn’t help but respect the brutal honesty that came out of him. Could he have been a bit more considerate and tactful? Sure, but that isn’t him and as I finally got to see under the anger, I found a man with a battered, but golden and wise heart.
Hollie. Here’s the thing with Hollie. I’ve always liked her. I’ve always seen her as being way too old for her actual age and yet still naive in so many ways. So, to say she frustrated me throughout most of these books isn’t a surprise, but I enjoyed watching her learn and grow from each situation she found herself in, good or bad, and emerge as a person who finally understood what her true strengths and vulnerabilities were and worked with them, instead of against them and found what really mattered to her in the end.
As for the “triangular second-chance love story”. I’m happy with the way everything turned out. Hollie’s journey was chock full of heartache in all forms, learning to forgive ~ not only those who hurt her, but herself as well for choices made and not made ~ but it was one that showed that sometimes you find the truest love in the most unexpected of places.
I have to admit that I was a bit hesitant to dive into this baby. Oh, I wanted to see how everything would play out, but I’m always wary about any story that is set in Hawaii since I was born and raised there and though I haven’t called it ‘home’ for many years, my heart still considers it that in every way that matters. It doesn’t matter if the author is from the islands or not, we all have our view of it and it takes a bit to adjust and accept another one. It was a little more difficult this time since both sides of my family lineage can be traced to the Big Island and the Hilo area and I spent quite a bit of time there growing up, but I must give the author props for bringing the city to life. I do use the word ‘City’ loosely since Hilo isn’t call ‘Hilo Town’ for nothing, but the laid back, go with the flow (mostly because doing anything quickly isn’t possible with all the humidity) vibe that I’ve known all my life jumped off the page and I felt like I was home.
This was a great end to the series, though if you’ve read any of the authors books you know that they are all connected in various ways and characters from other books have a way of popping up every now and again, so to say it is an ‘end’ isn’t necessarily true in the general sense, but right for the series. And what I’ve come to love, appreciate and respect about this author’s writing is that while we do get that HEA ending we all crave, she keeps things real because life is messy and not everything has a resolution that we’ll like, but life rolls on and it’s up to us to find the happy and roll with it.
~ Copy provided by the author & voluntarily reviewed ~
Hollie Lesowski is a beautiful young actress locked in a legal battle with one of the most powerful and feared directors in Hollywood, a man who betrayed and hurt her, a man she mistakenly believed was her father.
Maximillian Cash is her bodyguard, a blond, blue-eyed giant sworn to protect her. Gentle despite his imposing presence, he seems to be just right for her. But can she trust him with her deepest secrets?
Diesel Le is a rock star in her sister’s band. Devastatingly sexy and annoyingly arrogant, the former pro surfer from Hawaii delights in driving her and everyone else crazy. So, why does she have to continually remind herself to stay away from him?
Two uniquely handsome men tempt her. Both want to make her their own. But one is her employee, and the other is a confirmed player.
Will she be swept away by temptation?
High Tide and Island Side is a heart-twisting, gut-churning, page-turning, coming-of-age duet. It is a triangular second-chance love story with two compelling alpha males but no cheating. Romantic and suspenseful, it sparkles with the glitz of Hollywood, sizzles with the tropical heat of Hawaii, and steals your breath at times, but it will also make your spirit soar.
Don’t miss High Tide and Island Side by New York Times bestselling author Michelle Mankin, the highly anticipated two-part conclusion to the Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances series.
Release Date: July 11th, 2019
Oceanside (Book #3)
Release Date: April 10th, 2018
High Tide (Book #4)
Release Date: July 2nd, 2019
Rock Stars. Romance. Redemption.
Love Evolution, Love Revolution, and Love Resolution are a BRUTAL STRENGTH centered trilogy, combining the plot underpinnings of Shakespeare with the drama, excitement, and indisputable sexiness of the rock 'n roll industry.
Things take a bit of an edgier, once upon a time turn with the TEMPEST series. These pierced, tatted, and troubled Seattle rockers are young and on the cusp of making it big, but with serious obstacles to overcome that may prevent them from ever getting there.
Rock stars, myths, and legends collide with paranormal romance in a totally mesmerizing way in the MAGIC series.
Catch the perfect wave with irresistible surfers in the ROCK STARS, SURF AND SECOND CHANCES series.
Romance and self-discovery, the FINDING ME series is a Tempest spin off with a more experienced but familiar cast of characters.
When Michelle is not prowling the streets of her Texas town listening to her rock or NOLA funk music much too loud, she is putting her daydreams down on paper or traveling the world with her family and friends, sometimes for real, and sometimes just for pretend.
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