Review: Best Worst Mistake by Lia Riley
Best Worst Mistake (Brightwater #3)
by: Lia Riley
Publication Date: Oct. 20, 2015
Publisher: Avon Impulse
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Age Group: Adult
Source: e-ARC received via Edelweiss in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Page Count: 235 pages
Order Links: Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Sometimes the worst mistakes turn out to be the best…
Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.
After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.
But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?
Smoke jumper Wilder Kane once reveled in the rush from putting out dangerous wildfires. But after a tragic accident, he’s cut himself off from the world, refusing to leave his isolated cabin. When a headstrong beauty bursts in, Wilder finds himself craving the fire she ignites in him, but letting anyone near his darkness would be a mistake.
After her Hollywood life went up in smoke, Quinn Higsby decided to leave Tinseltown behind and return to Brightwater to care for her ailing father. She spends her days in a small bookstore, until her peaceful existence is up-ended by a fascinating but damaged man. Quinn is determined not to be scared off by Wilder, not once she’s experienced the heat of his passions.
But when an arsonist targets the community and Wilder is accused, he must confront the ghosts of his past. Will his desire for Quinn burn him up or will he be able to tame the wildness inside and rekindle a hope for their future?
I just cannot even get enough of this series you guys. Seriously, it's WONDERFUL. I absolutely love the Kanes and being in Brightwater with them as they find and fall in love. We had heard about the elusive eldest Kane brother, but haven't officially met him until now. There is a reason for that and it really broke my heart to see Wilder keep his distance because of his guilt. An unfortunate accident brings him back home and while he wants nothing more than to hide away, fate has other plans in store for him.
I absolutely loved how this paralleled Beauty and the Beast! It fit Quinn and Wilder's story SO WELL. She is a book-loving chatterbox who has come back to Brightwater to help care for her ailing father and has caught the interest of the good-looking volunteer firefighter, whom she has no interest in. She isn't looking for love or a relationship, especially with her father and her own worry that she could also inherit the early on-set Alzheimer's gene. However, when her father ends up slipping out of his care facility and ends up at Wilder's, Quinn can't help but be drawn to the gruff, grumpy man who orders books from her store.
I won't even lie. I LOVE gruff, grumpy men who have an ooey gooey center! That is Wilder for sure. He is just as attracted to Quinn, but doesn't see what a broken, damaged man like him who has his own ghosts haunting him can offer someone as vibrant as her. Thankfully, Riley doesn't make him overly angst-filled. He can't fight his feelings for her and he doesn't want to, and slowly lets her in to his life and his heart. It is a beautiful thing to witness and the two just balance each other out so well. Not to mention, they have crazy hot chemistry together. There are so many sexy, tender moments that I just never wanted this one to end.
We get to see another side of Grandma Kane here too, and I loved that. Her and Wilder are quite the headstrong ones in the family and between his grumpiness and her crotchetiness, it was a sight to behold. Yet, Quinn is unfazed and doesn't let either one get the best of her. Grandma Kane loves her grandsons in her own way and while it may not be the traditional grandmotherly one, it's still powerful and the Kane boys really see that tenfold here.
I loved how Wilder and Quinn's story ended and I thought it was perfect. I also like that we got to see Archer and Edie take the next step. I was a little bummed we haven't gotten resolution from Annie and Sawyer yet, but maybe we will in Kit's book? (I'm REALLY hoping Riley won't let us down and give us Kit and Goldie's book next!)
Overall, I really can't recommend this series enough, especially if you love small town romances that just give you ALL THE FEELS.
5 comments
I'm really glad you enjoyed this one just as much as I did, Jess! I loved these two so much. They were top OTP material for sure. :)
ReplyDeleteLovely review!
I LOVED this one too! It was just so darn adorable. I love the gruff heroes with the hearts of gold too. And the main character had my name which was just so much fun!
ReplyDeleteYou SOLD me at the Beauty and the Beast parallel. I NEED IT! Awesome review!
ReplyDeleteOhh I recently started buying books in this series it looks like one I'm gonna love. Yay at least now I'm pretty sure I'll love book 3 :D
ReplyDeleteThis is definitely my favorite of the series! I LOVED the Beauty and the Beast aspect too; it was done so well! And yes, grumpy men do it for me every single time. I think our reviews say the exact same thing haha.
ReplyDeleteLeave me some comment love! And I will get around to commenting back!
My blog is an award-free blog, however, as I just do not have the time to follow-up.