"Falling into Forever" by Elena Aitken

Synopsis:

The last thing Officer Rhys Anderson expected to encounter at the end of his quiet Sunday afternoon shift was a beautiful woman stranded by the side of the road in his hometown of Cedar Springs. After that one chance meeting, and despite the fact that Rhys knows there's something Kari's hiding, he can't keep his mind off her.

All Kari Fox wanted to do was run as far away from her life, and her controlling ex-husband, as possible. She never planned to end up stuck in a small mountain town, and she definitely never expected to fall for the handsome police officer who helped her.

With a good job at the Springs resort, good friends and a steamy new relationship, things are finally beginning to go right, and Kari might even be starting to believe that she has a future in Cedar Springs.

But Kari has secrets. Secrets that threaten to destroy everything she's trying to create, including her relationship with Rhys. As the truth comes to light, will their connection be strong enough to withstand the truth of her past?

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Review:

This was not the first book by Elena Aitken that I have read, but it is the first I have chosen to review.  Falling into Forever is the 2nd book in The Springs series.  The story stands alone and concludes in this single volume, but the reader's experience with Falling into Forever if they read Summer of Change first - it provides background and setting on the town of Cedar Springs.  

As I began reading Falling into Forever, I was quickly able to relate to and love Rhys character.  In the first chapter, he's waving hello to his Aunt across the street as he helps a damsel in distress.  Who doesn't love a man who loves his family.  The author did a great job creating Rhys as a character who tries to balance his fear of mishandling another relationship with his instinct that tells him SOMETHING is going on with Kari.  I felt the struggles with Rhys as he continued to fight his feelings for Kari and balance those fights with the need to know what was going on with Kari, and his ongoing friendship with former love, Beth.  The author created a tenuous situation that we knew had to break at some point - and that break point was key to the climax of the story.

Kari's struggles with her past and her need for anonymity are difficult in the small town of Cedar Springs.  They protect their own but at the same time, no business is your own in a small town.  Kari is immediately embraced by the town and I loved how they gave her a sense of comfort and safety that she hadn't felt at home, or with her mother.  By the way, I HATED her mother (which I'm sure was the author's point, and she did it well). 

All in all, what that means is the author has created a wonderful cast of characters who endear themselves to the reader quickly and invite you into their hometown to sit down on the back deck, put your feet up, and stay a while.  They embraced Kari in that way and make the reader feel that you are right there with them!

Links:

Goodreads - Amazon - Barnes and Noble - Kobo

About the Author:

I’ve been writing in one form or another since elementary school but although I always knew I wanted to be a writer when I grew up, instead I earned university degrees in Marketing and Psychology and writing got put on the back burner. After my twins were born I was buried in diaper changes, middle of the night feedings and mountains of laundry—obviously it was the logical time to start writing again. I guess it took me while to grow up. 

I turned to non-fiction and became a regular contributor to local parenting magazines, published in four Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, and a compilation by Seal Press. It wasn’t until 2005 that I tried my hand at writing fiction and wrote my first novel. It’s buried on my hard drive where it should be, and ever since I just keep writing more.

Like a lot of my readers, I’m a busy mom. It often feels like life is pulling us in a million different directions, which is why I love to write romance!

There’s nothing better than knowing you have an escape waiting for you at the end of a long day in the form of a good book.

I’m lucky enough to live in the shadow of the Canadian Rocky Mountains in the foothills of Alberta, where I can write the stories I love. Whenever I get the chance, I escape into those amazing mountains and I can usually be found sitting with my feet in the lake, working on my next book. As well as contemporary romance novels, I also like to write women’s fiction and my collection of stand alone novels are all part of the Escape Collection. I’m always trying something new, so stay tuned to see what’s next!

Website: http://elenaaitken.com/