Rebekah Weatherspoon

"A week-long getaway... City girl Claudia Cade's carefree life is plunged into chaos when a camping trip with her brother in the national forests of Northern California turns into a deadly dash for her survival. Nature photographer Shepard Olsen has resigned himself to a quiet existence ... until a women in need of his protection shows up on his doorstep and throws his universe in disarray"--Back cover.

Haven

Morgan Thomas

Much better than I thought it would be. I enjoyed the chemistry between the characters but there were still moments where I found their behavior a bit cringey and annoying (which I have found in the other Rebekah Weatherspoon books I have read). My biggest issue though is with some of the writing. Often instead of conversation or brief lines discussing a long period of time we would get pages (often from the point of view of the hero) describing what they did and ways that they were beginning to connect. I could have done with more intimate moments between the characters.

Renee Delcourt

b.andherbooks

Not going to lie, I did get teased a bit by my colleagues at the library when Haven arrived on the holdshelf for me. But, haters gonna hate, and I'm a firm believer in #noshame #nosuchthingasaguiltypleasureread. Also, ever since Cap sported a beard in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War I've had feelings. 

Okay, that said, this was very sexy book that I wish had just a bit more character development in the later pages. Basically, mountain recluse and nature photographer Shepard Olsen rescues city-girl Claudia Cade from murders when she stumbles upon his porch covered in blood and beat to hell one night. The murderers succeeded in killing Claudia's one and only family member, her brother, while they were out camping, and Shep and his shotgun are the only thing that save her from the same fate.

Claudia spends a few nights recovering from her physical wounds in the local hospital and forms an instant PTSD-drive connection with Shep, who also will continue to have his own struggles since he shot and killed one of Claudia's pursuers. They both try to return to their "normal lives" but are thrown back together when Claudia comes back to Shep's small town community to thank you, and tell him she thinks she needs to be with him to help process her trauma. 

From there, they enter into a very consensual and very very hot BDSM relationship, which I was on board with. BUT, I just thought the ending came so very quickly. Of course they eventually realize sex won't heal all wounds, and Claudia leaves Shep behind, but then through the powers of therapy and time recovers enough to come back and they have their HEA.

I wanted a bit more of her journey on the page, but whatever. This was still pretty great and I'll definitely read more of this series.

Haven

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