Blog Tour: The One Series by Laurel Ulen Curtis
Today is my stop on The One Series blog tour hosted by IMR Tours!
Book #1
Title: The One Place (The
One Series, #1)
Author: Laurel Ulen Curtis
Publication Date: 1/24/2013
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Romance
Age Group: Adult
Natalie Dalton is a beautiful,
witty, charismatic twenty-seven year old with an ugly past and one weakness-the
people she loves. She’s been waiting for a way out of the dark cloud that’s
suffocating her for a year when the perfect opportunity comes.
She finds herself settling in a
small town based on a feeling of rightness, and as she learns about the people
around her, they start to fill the holes she didn’t know there were in her
heart.
Tucker Cody is a quick-witted,
playful, and hard-loving twenty-nine year old, but for the past 5 years he’s
set that all aside and focused on work as a way to escape. Abandoned by his
whole family in one way or another, he’s kept people at a distance ever since.
Until one girl.
Will they find a way to heal each other and move on from their pasts? Or will their pasts find a way to hold onto them?
The One Place is the first book
in The One Series.
Warning: Some explicit
language and sexual content.
Review:
My Rating: 3.5/5 stars
These books are Adult Contemporary. As you saw previously there is language and quite a bit of sexual content.
I really enjoyed this book! (I read it one night- I couldn't put it down!) From the moment you open up the book and read the first chapter, your heart breaks for Natalie (our main character) and the situation she finds herself in. However, she had a plan. She didn't want to be stuck in that miserable life forever. That seriously says something about her, even though I hated that she stayed as long as she did. Fear is a big motivator for people to remain in terrible situations, so it's not that I don't understand her reasoning behind staying. Natalie flees her situation and finds herself far from NYC and into the heart of Tennessee! (Being from middle TN, this is awesome!)
When Natalie reaches the small town of Joplin, she is instantly welcomed by the town. It's almost as if they knew she were running from something and needed a warm community to welcome her with open arms.
She becomes good friends with Ruthie and Jezzy, who are both bubbly girls who are more than willing to help Natalie out and befriend her. Ruthie is a bit more prominent in the book than Jezzy, so I connected with her a bit more. Ruthie is fun and not afraid to speak her mind. However, Ruthie's boyfriend is all too reminiscent of Natalie's ex, Andrew. Natalie does not want her friend to fall into the same cycle her friend Jenny did. Natalie has a big heart and it's awesome to see her have so much love to give others.
Then there's Tuck, the oh so delicious arrogant cowboy, who just makes you swoon with his southern drawl and attitude. His southern drawl did get on my nerves a bit, but I was able to get past it. I liked his and Natalie's banter and exchange. They were alot of fun to read about. And whew, those two had some s-t-e-a-m-y scenes! The only thing that irritated me about Tuck was that he seemed to go too fast. He claimed Natalie as his, wants her to move in, and tells her she's the only one for him in the span of a short time together. She was also a little hesitant, but he managed to reel her in. Natalie and Tuck definitely should have spent more time communicating rather than ahem, sexing, as we have some pretty shocking revelations at the end of the novel when the cat is let out of the bag and Curtis hits us with a whopper of a cliff-hanger! It's quite interesting to see how the story comes full circle and we're left with a feeling of, "Uh-oh, now what?"
Tuck and Natalie's romance definitely did it for me and while I felt it was a little rushed, it still felt genuine to me.
Book #2
Title: The One Girl (The One
Series, #2)
Author: Laurel Ulen Curtis
Publication Date: 2/27/2013
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Romance
Age Group: Adult
Book Blurb:
Warning: The One Girl is
the second book in The One Series, and picks up where the story of The One
Place left off. If you have not read The One Place, the following description
may contain SPOILERS.
Warning, #2: This book contains
explicit language and sexual content.
Tucker Cody has just been dealt a
surprising blow. His fiance, his love, his future--his Talie--has a twisted
connection to his past.
When faced with the same man
who’s responsible for the loss of his entire family, will he be able to protect
his new one? Or will danger come from other directions?
All of the answers come down to
one thing. One girl.
Book Links:
My Rating: 3/5 stars
These books are Adult Contemporary. As you saw previously there is language and quite a bit of sexual content.
SO glad I had this book to read right after the first one! We immediately pick back up where we left off with the cliffhanger from the first novel. I really didn't see that twist coming at ALL. So props to Laurel for rocking my world a little bit there! I won't give anything away, but the past really does have a way coming back to get you.
This book was good for me because it was from Tuck's POV. And I liked Tuck. (Though I wasn't crazy about the fact that his nickname for Natalie was Babe.) Some people might not like his possessiveness, and I don't usually go for it, but lately I'm digging it. I really do think it's sexy and hot when a man claims you as his own. And Tuck claims Talie as his time and time again. :) I feel that Tuck and Natalie balance each other out really well. He's there for her when she's feeling vulnerable and afraid and he won't let her go without a fight. Natalie's first instinct is to run away because she wants to protect everyone she cares about, but Tuck tells her that it's their turn to protect and take care of her.
I also liked the addition of Kayla, Natalie's sister. She was funny and brazen and she interacted well with our main characters.
I do wish we had a little bit more of Andrew, Natalie's ex, in this book. I would have liked to see a little more development on that situation. I feel like we didn't get enough where he was concerned, especially considering how much he altered Natalie's life.
I definitely did not see the plot twist toward the end of the book coming at all. It was definitely a 'what?!' moment. I am glad the book tied up all loose ends. I would love to see Laurel do a book on Kayla next!
Author Bio:
Laurel Ulen Curtis is a 26 year
old mother of one. She lives with her husband and son (and cat and two fish!)
in New Jersey, but grew up all over the United States. She graduated from
Rutgers University in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology, and puts
that to almost no use other than forecasting for her friends! She has a passion
for her family, laughing, and reading and writing Romance novels. And Coke. The
drink, not the drug.Author Links:
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