🧀💻 💗 “Wishing for Mr. Right” (The Adair Family #2) (2022) 💗💻🧀 – Book Review

 

MY REVIEW

 

Series: The Adair Family (Book #2)

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Tule Publishing (September 29, 2022)

Language: English

ISBN-13: 978-1958686201

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“When you wish upon a star, sometimes your dreams come true…
 
 When her high-rise career tanks, urbanite Dacey Adair returns to her northern Michigan hometown of Christmas Tree Cove in need of a reset. Early one morning while prepping for her seasonal job on a fishing charter, Dacey makes a half-hearted wish on the harvest moon to bring her the man of her dreams.
 
 A few blinks later, she finds a naked man clinging to her boat.
 
 Local heartthrob Luke La Fontaine has led a charmed life. He’s recently become famous for his TikTok videos demonstrating the art of cheesemaking while surrounded by adorable farm animals. His handmade, small batch cheese is much sought-after by foodies. But what he really needs is a business strategy.
 
 It's the perfect recipe to set Dacey back on the path to success, but as she and Luke spend more time together, her goals blur. Is this an off-season fling or will their connection age to perfection?”

 

Thank you in advance to the author, Sarah Vance-Tompkins, for providing a complimentary review copy through Kate Rock Book Tours. A positive review was not required nor requested, and all words are my own.

Last year I read Vance-Tompkins’ On Christmas Tree Cove, the first book of the series. And, knowing it is a series – I HAD to read it.

 

Also, it was a bit interesting with Dacey making a wish for the man of her dreams and finding a naked man clinging to her boat.

 

There was also the “cheese-making” part of the plot that grabbed my attention too. It is definitely a rare profession – especially in a romance novel. And, then there’s the sweet, swoony, autumn cover.

 

Returning from the first book:

 

🎄Morgan Adair

🎄Jesse Taylor

💻 Dacey Adair

🎄 Kayla Adair

🍻 Eli Adair

 

In this latest story, the author introduces us to

 

🧀 Luke La Fontaine

🧀 Sophie

🧀 Alizeé

 

The author also expands the diversity of the character cast with a same-sex couple in this book. They are not the main characters, but they do have a substantial supportive role.

 

There will be a bit of “language” in this book, but it is mild and not repetitive. Variation of the “s”-word, the use of a$$, as well as the mention of a movie (Knives Out, PG-13) that might have questionable content for some.

 

According to Common Sense media, language and content contained in referenced: Language includes one "f--k," plus "s--t," "son of a bitch," "a--hole," and more. There's a bit of sex-related talk, and one character is said to have had an affair. People drink at a party, characters smoke cigars and pot (there's a secret stash of joints), prescription meds are injected, and there's dialogue about a morphine addict. This movie is NOT discussed in detail though, and only mentioned once in conversation.   

 

That said …

 

The prologue is definitely interesting – Luke with a woman who has a boyfriend and a mad escape – sans pants. But, his situation will lead him to Dacey.

 

Dacey is on a boat thinking about how she does not wish for anything. If she did, it would be a job. She was fired from a company after a false sense of security from Hagen Kearney.

 

Though she ends up making a wish for a man.

 

She gets a call for a video interview which doesn’t end well – she needs a recommendation from Hagen to continue up the process. She ends up fishing Luke out of the water. Of course, he owes her – but doesn’t mean it – at first.

 

Dacey learns about Luke’s reputation from her family. Luke knows what is said about him, and some of it hurts him. What Dacey doesn’t know – his cheesemaking videos are popular on TikTok.

 

Dacey ends up helping chaperone a fourth (4^th) grade field trip. After a series of “inappropriate” questions – Luke kicks her out. He does admit the questions are valid, but not in that setting. I definitely agreed with him. She was focused on business – all he wanted to do was teach the kids how cheese was made. As a kid, I would be more interested in the cheese making than business aspect. That was more appropriate for a college class on business.

 

She also is reminded by the Brentwood Group – she needs to update her recommendation information. That ends up being a good thing – by helping Luke, she helps herself as he can be her recommendation.

 

Though she admits, he makes her heart flutter, and he is attracted to her – she insists nothing is going on. Luke does suggest they have a “date”.

 

In the middle of Luke’s cheesemaking, Dacey trying to get back to her “real life”, the siblings are also managing Morgan’s wedding, and Kayla announces she’s pregnant. And, Dacey is trying to ignore everyone seeing that she and Luke have chemistry. Though her need to be right is something that is off-putting to Luke.

 

And, despite having fun working together – along with a dinner to an exclusive event – Luke watches as Dacey’s need to get back to her real life overshadows their friendship. Even more so after a call from a man in Dacey’s past.

 

Vance-Tompkins will have everyone reading up until the last pages for the happy-ending – and glad we’re all wearing pants in this sweet romance and business can work together kind of story.

 

The short chapters kept the story moving. The discussions of cheesemaking was absolutely entertaining and educational. Less so on the marketing part.

 

The language didn’t bother me too much. But, my main issue was Dacey’s constant need to get back to her “real life” in Chicago. I get that she enjoyed what she did, but her continual focus on it was a bit off-putting. Couldn’t she have started her own company? She had the business acumen, and she definitely had a need right there – her brother’s business as well as Luke’s.

 

In addition, the call – to Luke as well as me – had her going back with her career, not forward. I think Dacey needed to see this as a chance to reinvent herself or try something new.

 

As someone who doesn’t like seeing food thrown away (but agree on the spoiled/bad stuff), I loved the metaphor about getting rid of the old to make way for the new. Definitely something we all need to do from time to time in our lives.

 

While readers don’t have to read the first book to know what is going on, they should so they familiarize themselves with the Adair family and their history. And, there will be some spoilers in this book with reference to Morgan and Jesse.

 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am definitely interested in reading the next book in the series.

 

 

[FYI: Paperback information taken from Barnes & Noble]

 

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;update https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2022/07/what-goes-into-my-reviews-2022-edition.html)

PREVIOUS BOOK IN THE SERIES:

Series: The Adair Family (Book #1)

Paperback: 250 pages

Publisher: Tule Publishing (October 27, 2021)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1954894961

ISBN-13: 978-1954894969

⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information

 

“This Christmas calls for a special touch of magic...

 

December was always a special time for seaplane pilot Morgan Adair, but after losing her parents six years ago, the holiday is a quiet affair. When her siblings announce plans to sell the family home, Morgan longs to experience her favorite, now-forgotten tradition one more time: a lighted tree that, for over a hundred years, has appeared floating on a boat in the harbor every Christmas Eve.

 

The Taylors were always rivals to the Adairs in the once-thriving fishing village of Christmas Tree Cove, but Jesse Taylor was much more. He wanted to be understanding when Morgan set aside their plans to escape to Chicago in order to hold her family together, but his future as a successful freelance photographer soared on without her.

 

As Morgan dives deeper into the history of the mysterious holiday appearance, she discovers that true love has always been at the heart of the annual tradition. Can the wonder of Christmas and a few surprises along the way rekindle that love for Morgan and Jesse too?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Sarah Vance-Tompkins earned an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California before working in feature film development. Prior to film school, she began her media career as an on-air radio personality. As a lifetime reader of romance, she is excited to be writing in the genre. She and her husband live in Southern California with two unruly cats.

 

You can find her on the following social media accounts:

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarahvancetompkins/  

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahvantom/

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarahvtompkins

 

Website: http://www.sarahvancetompkins.com/

 

 

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