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lmrivas54's review against another edition
4.0
I liked Luke a lot, the silent, strong type. Sydney was a lovely lady and she was very sensitive to her problems and how they might affect Luke. It was lovely to read a book about a couple who cared so much for each other's feelings.
suzysuzy34's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely loving this series, book three was the best one yet. Marie Force tells great stories, this book dealt with the heroine losing her husband and children and then finding love again with the first man she ever loved. I loved all the previous characters popping up again, they are like old friends. Can’t wait to read the rest of the series, straight onto book four.
lifeand100books's review against another edition
5.0
Marie Force is quickly becoming a force (haha) to be reckoned with in the world of indie self publishing. If you follow her Facebook and Twitter accounts not only will you find one incredibly hard-working individual, but one earning awards left and right for her many works. I count myself among the lucky to have found her works when doing my weekly scavenge for nook books. I came across the first book in this series, Maid For Love, and upon finishing it found myself quickly reading all five that are currently published. I felt like I was reading as fast as this man speaks.
Now that our heads are spinning…
In her third installment of the McCarthy’s of Gansett Island series, Ready for Love, Marie Force tells the story of Luke Harris. Born and raised on the island, Luke had a summer romance with Sydney Donovan, whose wealthy parents had a summer home on the island. When the summer ended and Sydney was destined for college, the romance ended, as is most often the case. Fast forward many years later: Luke still lives and works on the island, and Sydney is happily married to another man with two beautiful children. However, all of this changes when a terrible accident claims the life of Sydney’s husband and children. Seeking an escape from this terrible loss, Sydney comes back to Gansett Island 15 months later, only to find that Luke is still there and his love for her is as strong as the day they parted so many years ago. Will they rekindle their love or will Sydney’s pain be so great that she cannot love anyone any more?
I’m writing this review having finished the first five books of the series. Having read them all I can honestly say that Ready for Love is my second favorite. (Book one, Maid For Love, is the only one beating it!) Force has an extraordinary ability to create characters that are relatable, charismatic, and have great personalities, which in turn makes readers WANT to care about them. Her books are filled with a collection of characters that become like a second family the further you get in the series. For any author to achieve this is a great feat in and of itself, but Force continually does it book after book. It’s one of the main reasons I keep reading all the books in this series. I want to meet more of the Gansett Island folks! Knowing that there are several more books expected for this series makes me SQUEE with joy.
Additionally, another great thing about Force’s writing is that her plots aren’t unrealistic. In my opinion, Ready For Love’s main theme is that true love waits. Luke has truly been in love with Sydney since they were teenagers. They definitely weren’t ready for “the rest of our lives” when they were 17, but the trials that life has put them through in the years since their last meeting have turned them into the people they are today, the people they need to be for their love to last. Sydney’s plight, albeit a sad one in that she lost her husband and children, teaches her that her life can be redeemed from the depression she’s been beholden to with Luke’s effervescent personality, charm, and sheer confidence in the strength of their love. It was a touching story from start to finish. If this is the first review you’re reading for the Gansett Island series, then click back for my reviews of book one and two and give this series a try.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-11X
Now that our heads are spinning…
In her third installment of the McCarthy’s of Gansett Island series, Ready for Love, Marie Force tells the story of Luke Harris. Born and raised on the island, Luke had a summer romance with Sydney Donovan, whose wealthy parents had a summer home on the island. When the summer ended and Sydney was destined for college, the romance ended, as is most often the case. Fast forward many years later: Luke still lives and works on the island, and Sydney is happily married to another man with two beautiful children. However, all of this changes when a terrible accident claims the life of Sydney’s husband and children. Seeking an escape from this terrible loss, Sydney comes back to Gansett Island 15 months later, only to find that Luke is still there and his love for her is as strong as the day they parted so many years ago. Will they rekindle their love or will Sydney’s pain be so great that she cannot love anyone any more?
I’m writing this review having finished the first five books of the series. Having read them all I can honestly say that Ready for Love is my second favorite. (Book one, Maid For Love, is the only one beating it!) Force has an extraordinary ability to create characters that are relatable, charismatic, and have great personalities, which in turn makes readers WANT to care about them. Her books are filled with a collection of characters that become like a second family the further you get in the series. For any author to achieve this is a great feat in and of itself, but Force continually does it book after book. It’s one of the main reasons I keep reading all the books in this series. I want to meet more of the Gansett Island folks! Knowing that there are several more books expected for this series makes me SQUEE with joy.
Additionally, another great thing about Force’s writing is that her plots aren’t unrealistic. In my opinion, Ready For Love’s main theme is that true love waits. Luke has truly been in love with Sydney since they were teenagers. They definitely weren’t ready for “the rest of our lives” when they were 17, but the trials that life has put them through in the years since their last meeting have turned them into the people they are today, the people they need to be for their love to last. Sydney’s plight, albeit a sad one in that she lost her husband and children, teaches her that her life can be redeemed from the depression she’s been beholden to with Luke’s effervescent personality, charm, and sheer confidence in the strength of their love. It was a touching story from start to finish. If this is the first review you’re reading for the Gansett Island series, then click back for my reviews of book one and two and give this series a try.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://wp.me/p18lIL-11X
hpitcher15's review against another edition
4.0
Cute that they got back together after so many years :)
scvallese1's review against another edition
4.0
I'm a sucker for a good second-chance book, and Ready For Love fits that criteria perfectly!
Luke and Sydney met and fell in love when they were teenagers. For a few summers, they were pretty inseparable. But one summer, Sydney didn't return, and that was because she had met someone while in college, someone that her parents felt was a better fit for her. Tragedy brought her back to Gansett Island seventeen years later, so that she could heal. Luke kepts tabs on her from afar, but the following summer, they reconnect.
I loved how much Luke loved Sydney, and how Sydney overcame so much, including her parents' judgmental opinions.
While most will love the fact that there is a lot of revisiting the other characters from previous books, I found that too much of the story was taken up by other couples. Don't get me wrong; I really like catching up with previous characters, but so much of the book was this, that it detracted from Luke and Sydney's story for me. That being said, I loved them, and look forward to more from Gansett Island!
Luke and Sydney met and fell in love when they were teenagers. For a few summers, they were pretty inseparable. But one summer, Sydney didn't return, and that was because she had met someone while in college, someone that her parents felt was a better fit for her. Tragedy brought her back to Gansett Island seventeen years later, so that she could heal. Luke kepts tabs on her from afar, but the following summer, they reconnect.
I loved how much Luke loved Sydney, and how Sydney overcame so much, including her parents' judgmental opinions.
While most will love the fact that there is a lot of revisiting the other characters from previous books, I found that too much of the story was taken up by other couples. Don't get me wrong; I really like catching up with previous characters, but so much of the book was this, that it detracted from Luke and Sydney's story for me. That being said, I loved them, and look forward to more from Gansett Island!
nighteyes82's review against another edition
2.0
that was nice. but in the begining of the book it is said that she hurts physically every morning because of the aftermath of the accident. How come she never hurts afterward?
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
4.0
When I read what happened to Sydney Donovan's family at the end of Fool for Love, I could imagine how we were going to get a story out of something so tragic. Well, we got one and it was good!
A little more than a year ago, Sydney Donovan's life was turned upside down when a drunk driver hit her car killing her 2 kids and her husband. She was not only physically broken, but psychologically as well.
Little did Sydney know that Luke Harris, her old high school summer sweetheart, watched her as she dealt with her tragedy. So he's shocked when he's immediately found out the following summer when Sydney comes back to Gansett Island. Luke has never stopped loving Sydney. She may have broken his heart when she never came back to the island, but he never found anyone bump Sydney from that place in his heart.
Finding her a little more like her old self (one who apologized for how she treated him at nineteen), they strike a deal on a friendship. However, that deal only lasts so long when the spark they had when they were teenagers rears it's head to show that it's alive and wanting to explore what might have been. However, they have a few snags they need to deal with while trying to figure out just what they have.
Her parents are still very prejudice against Luke, thinking he is somehow beneath Sydney. Luke, still a little gun shy and wondering if Sydney's going to bolt at the first opportunity, isn't all that forthcoming with what his life is like in Gansett Island (i.e., part owner in the marina and a boat restorer). And then we have Sydney, who is waiting for the other shoe to drop, convinced she has bad karma and that is why her family had been taken away.
Mixed in with all that, we get to meet up again with Joe & Janey, who are weeks away from their wedding, and Mac & Maddie, who are 2 months away from the birth of their child. It was great to see where they are in relation to how we last saw them.
Another great addition to the series. I'm happy that Marie Force will be continuing on the trials and tribulations of the residents of Gansett Island. Next up with be Grant McCarthy's story. I'm wondering though...is his match Abbey or maybe a certain bartender. I'll guess we'll have to wait and see.
4 Cocktails
A little more than a year ago, Sydney Donovan's life was turned upside down when a drunk driver hit her car killing her 2 kids and her husband. She was not only physically broken, but psychologically as well.
Little did Sydney know that Luke Harris, her old high school summer sweetheart, watched her as she dealt with her tragedy. So he's shocked when he's immediately found out the following summer when Sydney comes back to Gansett Island. Luke has never stopped loving Sydney. She may have broken his heart when she never came back to the island, but he never found anyone bump Sydney from that place in his heart.
Finding her a little more like her old self (one who apologized for how she treated him at nineteen), they strike a deal on a friendship. However, that deal only lasts so long when the spark they had when they were teenagers rears it's head to show that it's alive and wanting to explore what might have been. However, they have a few snags they need to deal with while trying to figure out just what they have.
Her parents are still very prejudice against Luke, thinking he is somehow beneath Sydney. Luke, still a little gun shy and wondering if Sydney's going to bolt at the first opportunity, isn't all that forthcoming with what his life is like in Gansett Island (i.e., part owner in the marina and a boat restorer). And then we have Sydney, who is waiting for the other shoe to drop, convinced she has bad karma and that is why her family had been taken away.
Mixed in with all that, we get to meet up again with Joe & Janey, who are weeks away from their wedding, and Mac & Maddie, who are 2 months away from the birth of their child. It was great to see where they are in relation to how we last saw them.
Another great addition to the series. I'm happy that Marie Force will be continuing on the trials and tribulations of the residents of Gansett Island. Next up with be Grant McCarthy's story. I'm wondering though...is his match Abbey or maybe a certain bartender. I'll guess we'll have to wait and see.
4 Cocktails
mfabiano726's review against another edition
In book 3 of the McCarthy series, Marie Force tells the story of Luke and Sydney, who were teenage sweethearts for four summers. But, after the fouth summer, convinced that Sydney could do better than Luke (by her parents), Sydeny left for college without a word to Luke. Sydney moved on with her life. She was married and had two children. Tragically, Seth (her husband) and two kids, were killed in a car accident that left Syndey also badly injured. Sydeny goes back to the island to heal both menally and physically. After 17-years, Luke has never stopped loving Sydney and it turns out that she still very much loves him. While this story primarily revolves around these two, Force manages to keep us informed of Mac and Maddie (who are expecting their second baby) and Joe and Janey (who are are two weeks away from their wedding. She then incorporates two new love stories - Grant (another McCarthy son), who loves Abby (but she is engaged to the island's current doctor) and Ned and Francine, who are rekindling a love that they shared over 30 years ago. Let's not forget Stephanie, who works at the Marina and who has an obvious crush on Grant. Force does a wonderful job of keeping track of everyone's lives. It's a soap opera, beautifully written in novels. I can't get enough of this series!
mags_louise's review against another edition
5.0
I Love this book and have now read it multiple times. As the characters are great and so engaging and its like being welcomed back to old friends each time I read it and it always leaves me with a big smile on my face.