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A review by bookwyrm_lark
Teardrop Lane by Emily March
4.0
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
Whenever I open one of Emily March’s Eternity Springs books, I know I’m in for a richly satisfying romance full of complex, flawed, wonderful people. Her characters and storylines never come across as superficial or saccharine; they’re strong, believable, and real. I can see Eternity Springs, and these people, in my mind; I can hear their voices when they speak. Whatever it is that makes a story come alive for a reader, Emily March knows how to capture it. So I look forward to new releases with eager anticipation.
Teardrop Lane delivers on that promise. Hunt Cicero and Rose Anderson are both compelling characters whom I had met in previous books, and I was rooting for their romance the whole way. But there’s more than a romance in this one. I was just as drawn in by the children and their story, and Cicero’s evolving relationship with them, as I was by Rose and Cicero. There really aren’t two storylines here, and the children aren’t a subplot; their lives, Cicero’s, and Rose’s are slowly but inextricably woven together. It’s as much a tale of six people becoming a family as it is a romance, in a way that takes nothing away from that romance. It kept me reading late into the night, and I closed the book with the sense of having visited a well-loved place and having made new friends.
And that gets back to what I said in the first paragraph: Eternity Springs, its residents, and its stories feel real to me. March gets the details right, from the frustrations of dealing with a carfull of whiny children on a 2-day-long drive, to the descriptions of Cicero working in his glass studio or Rose dealing with patients in her clinic. Little is sanitized or idealized, except for the physical beauty of most of the “couples”, whether starring in this story or from a previous book. Kids get hurt or sick in this town; things don’t always work out perfectly for everyone – though of course things always work out for the hero and heroine in the end; this is a romance series, after all. But it’s not always easy getting there.
Some people might argue that the warmth, friendships, and community spirit of Eternity Springs are idealized, and that real life isn’t like that. But I live in a small town/county, and I’ve seen just that sort of care and support for each other among my friends and neighbors. I don’t think March is portraying Eternity Springs through overly rose-colored glasses. (The town could, however, do with a bit more diversity…)
Honestly, if you enjoy contemporary romance and you haven’t read the Eternity Springs series yet, you’re missing a treat. Run right out and get book one, Angel’s Rest. You can thank me later.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley; I also purchased a copy. All opinions are entirely my own.
Whenever I open one of Emily March’s Eternity Springs books, I know I’m in for a richly satisfying romance full of complex, flawed, wonderful people. Her characters and storylines never come across as superficial or saccharine; they’re strong, believable, and real. I can see Eternity Springs, and these people, in my mind; I can hear their voices when they speak. Whatever it is that makes a story come alive for a reader, Emily March knows how to capture it. So I look forward to new releases with eager anticipation.
Teardrop Lane delivers on that promise. Hunt Cicero and Rose Anderson are both compelling characters whom I had met in previous books, and I was rooting for their romance the whole way. But there’s more than a romance in this one. I was just as drawn in by the children and their story, and Cicero’s evolving relationship with them, as I was by Rose and Cicero. There really aren’t two storylines here, and the children aren’t a subplot; their lives, Cicero’s, and Rose’s are slowly but inextricably woven together. It’s as much a tale of six people becoming a family as it is a romance, in a way that takes nothing away from that romance. It kept me reading late into the night, and I closed the book with the sense of having visited a well-loved place and having made new friends.
And that gets back to what I said in the first paragraph: Eternity Springs, its residents, and its stories feel real to me. March gets the details right, from the frustrations of dealing with a carfull of whiny children on a 2-day-long drive, to the descriptions of Cicero working in his glass studio or Rose dealing with patients in her clinic. Little is sanitized or idealized, except for the physical beauty of most of the “couples”, whether starring in this story or from a previous book. Kids get hurt or sick in this town; things don’t always work out perfectly for everyone – though of course things always work out for the hero and heroine in the end; this is a romance series, after all. But it’s not always easy getting there.
Some people might argue that the warmth, friendships, and community spirit of Eternity Springs are idealized, and that real life isn’t like that. But I live in a small town/county, and I’ve seen just that sort of care and support for each other among my friends and neighbors. I don’t think March is portraying Eternity Springs through overly rose-colored glasses. (The town could, however, do with a bit more diversity…)
Honestly, if you enjoy contemporary romance and you haven’t read the Eternity Springs series yet, you’re missing a treat. Run right out and get book one, Angel’s Rest. You can thank me later.
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley; I also purchased a copy. All opinions are entirely my own.