Photo credits: Pexels (Pixabay) Edited by Vaishali Title: Tip the Scales Series: Road Trip Romance Author: A.K. Evans Publisher: Self published Year of Publication: 2019 Format: E-book copy Genre/Themes: Contemporary small-town romance, Adult fiction, secret billionaire. R E V I E W Over the years, I've realised that I can build a greater sense of marvel and connection with something through the prism of context. Whether it be a piece of commissioned art, a cinematic composition, ordinary people and their extraordinary behaviours, or of course the written story, everything has a history and hence everything harbours a story. And that's the story I want to know, because as much as I love the created, I'm fascinated by why the creator created. I naturally sleepwalk towards the call of ‘the chronicle’ because in addition to the made and materialised thing, I want to shadow the needle that stitched - the behind-the-scenes perspective has an accessibly humanistic charm of its own, and the intention of the maker is an incentive sweetener that I’d love to drop in my tea on any given day. Tip the Scales is my first A.K. Evans romance but the author actually starts this book by offering up a pint-sized bit of backstory; she did indeed trigger that aforementioned contextual sweet spot I mentioned above. Titled Road Trip Romance, and contrary to what one might think, the aim of this series isn't to shed light on fresh couples who journey together ‘via the road’. Each book is actually the something-written product of every place the author has visited on her familial pilgrim to visit every state in the US. As such, every book written is a story set within a visited state. So as I understand it, we the reader, hitch a ride through fifty states via fifty stories, and yes with fifty fictional couples. Such a fresh concept; the reader travels as the writer travels, which is where the series name plays into it. Introverted Ella is new to small-town Maine. The busy city life was a charged drone that drove her to quieter pastures. It's peace that she needs, quiet that she wants and Maine is more silence than the buzz that bothered her. A few months in and Ella hasn't quite made big, grand plans to explore. And she won't get to any time soon when she underestimates the scale of a big local storm just hours before its arrival. Unprepared, underprepared and out of her element, she's snowed in by a frigid storm the likes of which she's never experienced. While Ella was fairly content to ogle her handsome neighbour from afar, it's a natural disaster that forces her to brave a face to face with the big, the warm, the neighbourly Max King. This low-key lady quickly realises just how lucky she is to have a native-to-Maine man right next door to see her through the worst of the storm. She'd long since decided that Max was husband material and her dream man proves to be the man for her every day he puts her first. Max King is big-hearted, warmhearted and a charitable member of the community. And it just so happens that he's just as taken by the neighbourhood newcomer. Tip the Scales is a fast track love story and with both Max and Ella it was a case of fast feelings in close quarters. As is expected with shorter reads, the stretch isn't vast but the story carved a warm and wonderful communal cluster. Easy to pick up, easy to read and easy to channel the far-from-chilly chemistry. I'm not a keen observer of overly saccharine novels, and while this was a sweet, softened and self-effacing romance with balmy personalities, Tip the Scales was wholesome without being too wholesome. From the start, it's easy to assume this is going to be a smooth-sailing sort of romance and I actually worked through the story believing that the major point of contention would stem from the surrounding elements; the storm itself. I hadn't expected the twist or the conflict that eventually emerges between our couple. While it was a nice little disruption that both solicits some tension and disturbs the peace, I did wonder why Ella's withholding a secret became a big point of conflict when she and Max are in the very early doors of a relationship (one that does burn rubber). Or why Max later acts in a way that felt uncharacteristic when the big ball drops. I don’t think the twist itself was a needed plot point. To present a mostly trouble-free (and sometimes repetitious) first half of the book and to then puzzle in an unexpected element of suspense did elicit that 'wait what?' moment. I think the author could have resorted to a more felicitous, to-the-purpose approach to reveal Ella's secret. Perhaps with some additional subtleties, it wouldn't have appeared as off-key. I really love a dual POV but I was slightly disappointed that Max only gets three POV sequences to Ella's eleven. In certain situations I hoped for a perspective through his lens. But perhaps the main particular that left me wanting was the lack of adventure. I wanted to see Ella explore White Pine. Seeing as this book was both Ella's first time walking new ground, in fresh locale, and the author’s resolve to discover new places I was hoping for that sense of journey and discovery. I love the description of the neighbourhood but thanks to the frosty timing and forces of mother nature, the story is very much removed from the outdoors and appointed to the indoors, the setting mostly switching from Ella’s house to Max’s. Ruminations aside and I if I look beyond a few objections I can honestly say that I really enjoyed the first instalment to A.K. Evans’s Road Trip Romance series. I love the idea. I love the concept. I love the warmth and ease of settling into something intimate, small, simple and cosy. A seasonably appropriate small-town neighbourhood romance where the hero is all rugged lines and gentle heart and protects his heroine with layers of heat and blankets of warmth. Low-key, unadorned and light of heart with some disharmony that plays into an edge of alarm. I gave this book 3.5/4 stars -C O N T E N T W A R N I N G: Minimal swearing, one non-explicit bedroom scene (the rest are alluded to). Mentions drugs/drug trafficking. Kidnapping of a child. --------------------------------------- M Y R A T I N G S Y S T E M: ★ - 1 star: I did not like the book ★★ - 2 stars: The book was okay ★★★ - 3 stars: It was a good, solid read ★★★★ - 4 stars: A great book ★★★★★ - 5: A phenomenal read --------------------------------------- I love interacting with fellow readers, reviewers, bloggers and writers. Hearing about reader opinion is the fuel to my reader appetite, so get in touch and comment below! SHARE ON FACEBOOK L E A V E A C O M M E N T A N D L E T' S T A L K A B O U T |
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