Monday, December 22, 2014

Blog Tour/Review: Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined by Rachael Anderson


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Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined, by Rachael Anderson
2014, 245p, Clean Contemporary Romance
My Rating=5 Stars
Source: Received a copy from the tour host for an honest review



For Noah Mackie, life is finally back on track. He has a great support system, a promised promotion is on its way, and he’s finally getting the hang of this single father thing. But when the job falls through and his neighbor’s matchmaking efforts become more aggressive, Noah is in for yet another unwanted detour. With his career and two spirited daughters to worry about, he doesn’t have time for dating—especially not someone like Cassie Ellis, his girls’ beautiful and sophisticated dance instructor, who is about as open and approachable as a brick wall.

Rough around the Edges Meets Refined is about two people who think they know exactly what they want but who have no idea what they really need. It’s about learning that people aren’t always what they seem and that sometimes life’s detours take you exactly where you need to go.

The first book in this series is about Emma and Kevin. Noah is Emma's brother and we met him and his girls in the first book. Noah and Cassie are both widowed. Noah and his wife had a good marriage and he still misses her. Cassie recently lost her husband but he didn't treat her well once they were married so she's not looking to get into a relationship again any time soon. 

Noah's neighbor Becky gets them to meet each other and they both realize they're being set up and neither one is interested. Becky makes Noah promise he'll ask Cassie a certain question before he gives up and it sounds easy, so he agrees. Little does he know how much work it will take to answer that one question! Noah and Cassie are quite different and I loved how Noah's daughters helped bring them together.

I laughed when I heard how Noah put his girls' hair in ponytails--with a vacuum. I couldn't quite picture it but there are videos which explain how to do it (apparently this method is used way more than I realized). I would personally never do it because I see what goes into my vacuum and wouldn't let the hose touch my daughter's clean hair but it does seem to work:



I loved Noah and Cassie and had fun getting to know them! I enjoyed their conversations and the natural flow of their relationship. It wasn't smooth sailing for them but there were lots of people cheering them on and helping them out. It was also fun to see how Emma and Kevin are doing and what's happening with them. This book can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to have the background of Emma and Kevin's story first.

I love Rachael Anderson's writing because I know I'm going to be entertained. I will become invested in the characters, laugh and wonder how things will work out. And in the end, I will definitely feel satisfied. This is a fun series! I have enjoyed the first two books and am looking forward to the third book which will be about Becky's daughter, Sam!

Excerpt:

Carpet samples were way too small. How was Cassie supposed to know what an entire room would look like from a small little swatch? There were too many choices. Nylon or polyester? Plush, frieze, textured, or cut? Not to mention all the color options. And then there was the tile for the bathroom and the complicated dance flooring, with its subfloor and all of its choices.

She felt a headache coming on.

“How will I ever make up my mind?” Cassie whispered to Noah.

“It’s called trusting your instincts.”

“Instincts? I’m supposed to have an instinct about carpet samples?”

“Doesn’t everyone?” Noah grinned. “Isn’t one calling out to you? Telling you that it’s the one you’ll be able to coexist with for the next ten to fifteen years?”

Ten to fifteen years? Noah wasn’t helping at all. Cassie frowned at the samples, willing one to shake or glow or whatever carpet samples did to call out to a person.

“Which one would you choose?” she finally said.

“Uh-uh. This is your house, your carpet, your choice. I’m just here as a friend, remember?”

A friend who was sitting way too close for comfort, Cassie thought as the touch of his shoulder sent a bunch of tingles down her arm. “Friends are allowed to give opinions.”

“No. Only dates are allowed to do that,” said Noah. “If you really want my opinion, you know what you have to do.”

Despite her distress about all the decisions facing her, Cassie couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, fine. It’s a date. Now if you were me, what would you choose?”

Noah blinked as he shook his head. “Wow, that was easy. I should have gone for more. Like a kiss or boyfriend status or—”

She nudged him. “Stop it. I need you to help me, not tease me.”

“I wasn’t teasing,” he murmured, pulling the samples toward him.


Purchase Your Copy from Amazon.com

Author Rachael Anderson

USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.













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1 comments:

Rachael Anderson said...

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and review it! I hope you have a fabulous holiday!

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