🦌🐐🏞️ "An Alaskan Home Coming" (Northern Lights #8) (2021) 🏞️🐐🦌 - Book Tour & Review
Ever after wasn't the plan
Until now!
Rowan O'Shea's intention was just to visit her family in the small Alaskan town she calls home. Now she's not sure she wants to leave, given the romantic mess she's left behind. A temporary fake marriage to gorgeous veterinarian Zack Vogel might be the perfect solution, if she can convince Zack. But Rowan's marriage of convenience has a seriously inconvenient snag she's falling for her new fake husband!
A Northern Lights Novel
Book 1: The Alaskan Catch
Book 2: A Gift for Santa
Book 3: Alaskan Hideaway
Book 4: An Alaskan Proposal
Book 5: Sweet Home Alaska
Book 6: Alaskan Dreams
Book 7: An Alaskan Family Christmas
Book 8: An Alaskan Homecoming
Tour Giveaway
One winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card and Alaskan Dreams, An Alaskan Proposal and Sweet Home Alaska (paperbacks if winner is in the US, ebooks otherwise)
Ends June 30, 2021
Thank you in advance to the author, Beth Carpenter, for providing a complimentary review copy through Prism Book Tours. A positive review was not required or requested, all words are my own.
This was my second read of the author’s Northern Lights series, and like the one before it – it tended to act as a standalone read. The characters from An Alaskan Christmas Family did not appear in this novel. I had no trouble in figuring out the key characters and didn’t feel like there was anything missing.
That said, I would like to read the other six (6) books in the series.
Right off the cute and whimsical cover make me wonder where this is – isn’t Alaska cold and snowy? She’s wearing shorts? But, at least the author got Las Vegas’s “dry heat” right!
I’m not too sure about the moose in the background though. Of course they do play a slight roll in this book.
An Alaskan Homecoming introduced me to Zack, Rowan, and Zack’s super-cute little sister, Becca. These three so so perfect from the beginning it makes you wonder how anyone could separate them. There’s a few glitches: Rowan is unhappily engaged to Sutton Tanaka, and Zack is Becca’s temporary guardian. Becca’s biological mom is roaming the Caribbean after Zack’s father’s death. She was wife #4.
Plots like the “fake” marriage for any reason tend to have me on edge. Usually fake marriage stories don’t end well, especially when they’re exposed. What’s so sweet about this one? It works. The cover story to the end – it works! Kudos to Carpenter on that one.
Rowan, like me, is a people pleaser. We don’t like conflict. She put everyone’s needs ahead of her own (I’m definitely guilty of that one), sometimes to her own detriment (again, guilty). It’s no surprise that she’s found herself engaged to Sutton.
The other supporting characters were alternately charming and cringe-worthy: Rowan’s grandmother (a delight), Sutton (neutral, clear he isn’t “in love” with Rowan), Rowan’s uber irritating mother, just to name a few. There is quite the cast in this book.
Even though the story grabbed me right off. For me, didn’t pick up until I was about one-third (1/3) of the way in despite Carpenter’s use of relatively short chapters. This “line” is notoriously known for its long chapters. There were also a few spelling and punctuation issues in it, but those weren’t too distracting. The author is very descriptive with some scenes – especially the food related ones.
Right off – Rowan is visiting from Japan where she lives. It’s an interesting choice for a character to live. Then again, Rowan has grown up all over the world. She’s merely in Alaska to help her grandmother.
Zack has his own issues, he’s trying to manage the Vet Clinic along with his house and truck, along with caring for Becca. A few more dollars would help keep WildER operating.
Rowan is also one-third (1/3) owner of her family’s endeavor – Now and Forever Farms. The farm is known, locally, for its delicious blends of goat cheese.
By chapter three, Rowan is wondering if she really loves Sutton. And, she wonders if hers and Sutton’s “love” falls into the “good enough” category since it definitely isn’t the stuff from movies and television. It is here that another plot point comes up – a recipe contest. And, Rowan admits she had considered culinary school before her parents detoured her education.
When Zack comes out to help with one of the goats, he and Rowan reconnect and he offers her a tour of the clinic. Because of “rules”, he passes her off as a volunteer, but Rowan becomes more.
Zack also has his hands full with his father’s widow – Clarissa. It is clear right off that she only cares about the money and the lifestyle it affords her. She has a problem with her credit card and calls Zack – and that is the basis of their relationship. It’s clear that Zack’s only concern is his sister’s well-being and he is ready to fight for custody.
He's also trying to find the will and pre-nup that have mysteriously gone missing. So, Carpenter has a few story arcs going on here that are entertaining and keep the reader engaged.
But, as soon as Zack and Rowan reconnect, he begins to consider dating her. That is until he learns about Sutton.
Still, that doesn’t stop Rowan from organizing a fundraiser to assist Zack’s vet efforts. And, Rowan is soon “in” with Zack’s group.
Of course, Rowan decides that she can’t marry Sutton and decides to visit him while he’s on a business trip in California. She tells Zack they’ll have a “date” when she gets back. Sutton’s “treatment” of Rowan is really shameful – he basically takes the ring until she “is ready”. She’s absolutely done after a pat on the head.
But, the trip isn’t a total loss as she meets a couple who is eager to help with the fundraiser. This was also an interesting plot down the road in the book. And, I was beginning to wonder if I could trust these people.
It isn’t until half (½) into the book that the fake marriage comes up as a result of Zack’s custody battle to keep Becca as her mother isn’t maternally inclined. In addition, Becca prefers Zack to her mother. And, it would also help Rowan shed herself of Sutton as even her mother refuses to take no for an answer. And, there is a reason for the rush for Sutton and Rowan to marry.
Zack is concerned that Rowan will give up too much. I enjoyed the fact that they didn’t rush into the fake marriage, but talked it out as if it was a real marriage. They decide to give it a year – especially after Zack gets a letter from Clarissa’s attorney.
The author sends them off to Las Vegas for a quickie marriage – and I LOVED how the characters saw the chapel, the heat (as I was reading it, we set a record high of 116° which is high for June), as well as the process. I know most of it – I live here. Zack’s comment on page 211 about it being the temperature of the sun – no joke. And, there was a recent meme illustrating that for a joke. And, yes – we’re often told “it’s a dry heat”.
From the wedding, Carpenter quickly, though not rushing, sets the stage for Rowan’s new life as Zack’s wife. And, quickly transitions into the main story of the fundraiser as well as Clarissa’s financial issues. And, an earlier plot point comes back to confront Rowan and force her to consider her future,
There were a few “oh, I’m not liking this part” moments and some I thought were going to end in disaster. And, without a spoiler, I can’t reveal whether I was right or wrong.
As with most romances, this does have a “happily-ever-after” ending, though it takes a bit to get there. There wasn’t much conflict, and it was such a sweet read. I loved the little suspense about the paperwork and Clarissa. Carpenter really kept that little surprise until almost the end.
And, a sweet lesson – don’t settle for “good enough” when it comes to love.
While I appreciate the author expeditiously getting rid of Sutton, I really wanted a better or more of a resolution with him. It was interesting to see Rowan’s parents’ disparity with regard to that relationship.
There are a few funny moments in this – one is a reference to leftover coffee being referred to as “road tar”. I can relate to that. Another moment was similar to a scene in an episode of CBS’ FBI: Most Wanted. The line from that episode was Jess LaCroix telling a woman that he understood what she was explaining to him, but then retracting and saying he didn’t understand (“I understand. No, I don’t understand”).
In this book, it is Rowan who has a similar moment. Zack is explaining how Clarissa “acts” towards Becca (her daughter). Rowan stated “I see”, but shakes her head and states “I don’t see”.
It was interesting to see the similarity, but also so easy to understand the confusion when you’re trying to understand something, but honestly can’t.
As this is the Heartwarming line, it is a clean read with no foul language. There are no intimate scenes and only minor kissing involved. Sweet, wholesome, beautiful summer read.
Fans of the author, those who’ve read the previous novels, and those who have an overall enjoyment of the genre are sure to love this latest release.
I can’t wait to read the next one.
RATING:
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Bookbub
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
Thank you for the wonderful review, and for being part of the tour!
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