toddie09's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anakaren_19's review against another edition
5.0
This book was really good and very different compared to the Rosemary Beach series because it did not feature too many character from previous books. This book was mainly about Captain and Rose and I really like that because sometimes too many characters were overwhelming and didn't focus on the main ones.
pebblespenguin1's review
5.0
I really loved this book. Some of the others in the series were hit or miss for me, but this one I really loved!
smitch29's review
3.0
3.4
Overall, the story hit most of the author's typical points. It was a quick, easy romantic read. She made it entertaining and fairly realistic. My main issue was that everything being dealt with in the story was actually fairly heavy stuff, and there was just so much room for the plot to dig in deeper. This was both a good and a bad thing for me. Sometimes it's nice to mix things up (and this was a bit different for Abbi Glines), but then it also felt like something was missing, since the story just skimmed over most of the bigger issues and made their resolutions unrealistically simple.
For a quick recap, our two lovebirds each had two names for the present and the past versions of themselves. River "Captain" Kipling and Rose "Addy" (I don't remember her last name) knew each other from their childhood where they lived in the same household. Addy moved in while she was still a preteen or early in her teens, and met River. However, their mom was really abusive, in the face of an absent father figure. It threw Addy and River together, and they ended up falling in love. However, that abusive mother ends up really being their downfall as she drives Addy out of town, and makes it out that she killed Addy. River gets her arrested and then he is basically leaving on the streets. He gets taken under the wing of some crime lord, and changes his name to Captain, and becomes a hitman. He maintains a moral compass by only killing people that have really hurt others (especially children), and he verifies each and every person's guilt. His first time out of the crime world, he getsg a job putting a restaurant together in Rosemary Beach, where his sister, Blair, lives. That is where Addy catches up with him, after searching for him all those years. She's colored her hair, changed her name, and added glasses to disguise herself and to figure out what kind of guy River is these days. When she left she was pregnant and she's trying to protect their kid, even if she's protecting her from River himself.
When she first meets River as "Captain", he's really abrasive and doesn't seem like the boy she once knew or the father figure she is hoping for their child. It takes a month or so for her to warm to the idea of telling him the truth. Since he thought the love of his life died when he was a teenager, he's been struggling with demons as an adult. The two of them have a lot of issues to overcome and a lot of feelings to deal with, all while looking out for the good of their child. It doesn't help, either, when Captain's past comes calling.
Like I said, this book delves into some heavy stuff. And yet it wasn't a long book at all. The ending came across as a very "happy for now" finale, since there were so many deeps issues that weren't fully resolved, since resolving them takes time, and not a lot of time passed in this book.
I did still like the characters. If any, Addy, was the most annoying with some wishy-washy moments that were really immature for a single-mother. Otherwise, I liked her and River's interactions. The author showed a lot of scenes from their childhood, and I thought the first few were great, as they were catching me up on what happened to the point that Addy left and River thought she had died. Then the flashbacks kept being shown in an effort to illuminate how they fell in love. I hated those and ended up skimming most of them. They weren't necessary and took away from the present narrative. I think those flashbacks tried too hard to be the foundation for the entire love story, and I don't think that is realistic or right. The past connection they had is great, but after around a decade, they are going be almost entirely different people and thus, will need a new foundation to build upon, using the past as inspiration, not the basis.
Not my favorite in this series, but I'll still continue on and see what will come for Major (who works for the same crime boss that Captain did) and Nan.
Overall, the story hit most of the author's typical points. It was a quick, easy romantic read. She made it entertaining and fairly realistic. My main issue was that everything being dealt with in the story was actually fairly heavy stuff, and there was just so much room for the plot to dig in deeper. This was both a good and a bad thing for me. Sometimes it's nice to mix things up (and this was a bit different for Abbi Glines), but then it also felt like something was missing, since the story just skimmed over most of the bigger issues and made their resolutions unrealistically simple.
For a quick recap, our two lovebirds each had two names for the present and the past versions of themselves. River "Captain" Kipling and Rose "Addy" (I don't remember her last name) knew each other from their childhood where they lived in the same household. Addy moved in while she was still a preteen or early in her teens, and met River. However, their mom was really abusive, in the face of an absent father figure. It threw Addy and River together, and they ended up falling in love. However, that abusive mother ends up really being their downfall as she drives Addy out of town, and makes it out that she killed Addy. River gets her arrested and then he is basically leaving on the streets. He gets taken under the wing of some crime lord, and changes his name to Captain, and becomes a hitman. He maintains a moral compass by only killing people that have really hurt others (especially children), and he verifies each and every person's guilt. His first time out of the crime world, he getsg a job putting a restaurant together in Rosemary Beach, where his sister, Blair, lives. That is where Addy catches up with him, after searching for him all those years. She's colored her hair, changed her name, and added glasses to disguise herself and to figure out what kind of guy River is these days. When she left she was pregnant and she's trying to protect their kid, even if she's protecting her from River himself.
When she first meets River as "Captain", he's really abrasive and doesn't seem like the boy she once knew or the father figure she is hoping for their child. It takes a month or so for her to warm to the idea of telling him the truth. Since he thought the love of his life died when he was a teenager, he's been struggling with demons as an adult. The two of them have a lot of issues to overcome and a lot of feelings to deal with, all while looking out for the good of their child. It doesn't help, either, when Captain's past comes calling.
Like I said, this book delves into some heavy stuff. And yet it wasn't a long book at all. The ending came across as a very "happy for now" finale, since there were so many deeps issues that weren't fully resolved, since resolving them takes time, and not a lot of time passed in this book.
I did still like the characters. If any, Addy, was the most annoying with some wishy-washy moments that were really immature for a single-mother. Otherwise, I liked her and River's interactions. The author showed a lot of scenes from their childhood, and I thought the first few were great, as they were catching me up on what happened to the point that Addy left and River thought she had died. Then the flashbacks kept being shown in an effort to illuminate how they fell in love. I hated those and ended up skimming most of them. They weren't necessary and took away from the present narrative. I think those flashbacks tried too hard to be the foundation for the entire love story, and I don't think that is realistic or right. The past connection they had is great, but after around a decade, they are going be almost entirely different people and thus, will need a new foundation to build upon, using the past as inspiration, not the basis.
Not my favorite in this series, but I'll still continue on and see what will come for Major (who works for the same crime boss that Captain did) and Nan.
stephsuzanna's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this story. It felt fresh and i really liked the dynamics of the characters. I just wish it was a bit longer. I feel like it ended too quickly and actually 'seeing' the fight where River gets shot, seeing him in action would have given us insight to this 'darkness' he refers to, which we never actually saw. It could have helped us understand him a little better.
greylandreviews's review
3.0
3.5 stars
My first book of the year I finished and it was a Glines book. What a surprise! With this book, I didn't think it was as good as her others in the Rosemary Beach series.
Greyland Reviews
My first book of the year I finished and it was a Glines book. What a surprise! With this book, I didn't think it was as good as her others in the Rosemary Beach series.
Greyland Reviews
rlp78's review
5.0
I love this series and really enjoy any book where I get to revisit this world. Captain and Addy's story was heartbreaking and beautiful. The scene where he figured out who "Rose" is was so perfect. I usually hate that the author splits her couple books in two but I almost wish we had more with this couple. The good thing is that I know we haven't seen the last of this group.
thebookishlibrarian's review
The 12th installment of the Rosemary Beach series, Glines brings on the steamy romance! River “Captain” Kipling is ready to leave his crime-filled past as an employee of a well-none mob-boss and move on with his life. His new target is Rose Henderson, the cute redhead waitress at a local restaurant. He doesn’t know much about her, except that she’s a single mom, and wonders if she’d be interested in him, or if she knows anything about his past…
whatcha_listening_to's review against another edition
4.0
4 2nd Chance Stars
Captain and Rose... Well I liked the back story not what happened obviously, but I like how they had a past and how she did all she could to find and bring him in there her life in a safe way.
He was always a character I thought about even after I read the books. So I was glad he got his story. I like Rose for most of the book until she would be so very jealous over every women he was talking to.
I can totally see the ex. But any other women. That was a bit of a oh holy hell lady moment for me... BUTTTT that didn't take from the story. And that's the point I am trying to make.
I <3 how she took the time to think about his past and did what was best for her and for Frankie and that was Captain.
I love a HEA! <3
*All my Reviews are 100% honest and my own.*
Captain and Rose... Well I liked the back story not what happened obviously, but I like how they had a past and how she did all she could to find and bring him in there her life in a safe way.
He was always a character I thought about even after I read the books. So I was glad he got his story. I like Rose for most of the book until she would be so very jealous over every women he was talking to.
I can totally see the ex. But any other women. That was a bit of a oh holy hell lady moment for me... BUTTTT that didn't take from the story. And that's the point I am trying to make.
I <3 how she took the time to think about his past and did what was best for her and for Frankie and that was Captain.
I love a HEA! <3
*All my Reviews are 100% honest and my own.*
bookaddict1975's review against another edition
3.0
🎧 Audio Review 🎧
While I’ve loved this series, this book wasn’t for me. I liked the story line but there were just too many eye rolling situations for my taste. She was THE ONE... but when she dyes her hair and comes back into his life...he doesn’t recognize her, that’s just one of many things that just weren’t believable in this book.
The narration was 50/50, I really enjoy Jason Carpenter even if he sounds a lot older than the characters. Olivia Song on the other hand isn’t for me. She is a good narrator but I don’t think she should do male voices, I’d rather them have her voice then the deep fake voice she gave them.
While I’ve loved this series, this book wasn’t for me. I liked the story line but there were just too many eye rolling situations for my taste. She was THE ONE... but when she dyes her hair and comes back into his life...he doesn’t recognize her, that’s just one of many things that just weren’t believable in this book.
The narration was 50/50, I really enjoy Jason Carpenter even if he sounds a lot older than the characters. Olivia Song on the other hand isn’t for me. She is a good narrator but I don’t think she should do male voices, I’d rather them have her voice then the deep fake voice she gave them.