Good moring, friends!
I had a very enjoyable day yesterday at my 'local' Starbucks with a Caramel Macchiato and this week's novella.
Sierra Blake has returned
home to Mill Hollows, Virginia. She's lost her job as a hotel marketing
executive. She knew getting romantically involved with the son of the franchise
owner was a bad idea. Turning down his marriage proposal left Sierra updating
her resume and needing a change of scenery. Returning to the small
football-loving town located in view of the Blue Ridge Parkway is definitely a
change of scenery from the sultry heat and water sport enthusiast city of
Tampa. Wes Carter is new to Mill Hollows and stirring up more than sediment and
rocks for geology sampling upon meeting the beautiful Sierra Blake at the
Salted Caramel Cafe. Renting the cabin next door to the Blake family gives him
views of the Roanoke Valley and reasons to contemplate leaving behind his days
of suitcase living. Fall in Virginia isn't the only chill in the air. The last
time Sierra saw her younger sibling, Roxie, the two didn't exactly leave each
other on the best of terms.
Reading Love At the Salted Caramel Cafe was a trip back to my ancestral home for me. My Daddy and his family going back generations were from the Blue Ridge Mountains & the Roanoke area. Think Walton's Mountain and that was where my family lived. I was blessed to live in the area briefly and experience the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall. I called a little community called Rapidan home. While the town wasn't as big as Mill Hollows, there was an old mill along the creek across from the Civil War era home we lived in. I'd love to visit again.
One of the key points I loved about this book was the immediate connection I could feel between Wes and Sierra in the very beginning. That kismet feel when you meet 'the one' for the first time. Both had their relationship obstacles so when the time came, Wes and Sierra had that feeling of coming home. Besides that, a complete stranger on the trail saw the love blooming between them. Their instant love was tangible to those around them.
My quill rating isn't just about my connection to the story, but overall about the almost-flawless writing and putting me in the location as well as the little moments between Wes and Sierra as their atraction grew. Sometimes you just know where you're supposed to be and who you are meant to be with.
I'm giving Love At the Salted Caramel Cafe ...
All my best!
~ Angela
