Blog Tour and Giveaway: The Best Kind of Love: Kerri Carpenter

by Reviews by Tammy and Kim - Wednesday, December 10, 2014

The Best Kind of Love
Kerri Carpenter
Add to Goodreads
Buy Amazon/B&N

After twelve years away, organized consultant, Penelope Walker, doesn’t expect to return to Blue Lake, Virginia. But when her parents unexpectedly die, she returns to her hometown and finds out that general contractor and former love of her life, Ethan Callahan, is back too. Their relationship transcended the typical high school romance and his mere presence is enough to have all those feelings of passion return full force. Only she can’t forget that Ethan didn’t show up for their secret elopement and left her brokenhearted.

It doesn’t take long for Ethan to realize he wants Penelope back, but he knows she won’t let go of the past that easily. When she finds out what her parents asked him to do all those years ago, she’ll never let him back into her life. Even though he did all of it for her.

Penelope’s determined to unravel the mystery of their shared pasts, while Ethan wants nothing more than to move on to their future. If these two former lovers can learn to forgive and forget, will they be able to remember that they had the best kind of love?

The Best Kind of Love was a sweet second chance story for a couple who grew up next door to each other, and went their separate ways for college.

Ethan and Penelope have a second chance at the love they left behind 12 years before. When Penelope Walker returns to Blue Lake, she never imagines she will run in to Ethan Callahan, the boy she intended to marry all those years ago.

Ethan is protective, and head over heels in love with Penelope, even 12 years later. But he is hiding secrets that drove a wedge in them before, and fears that Penelope will never forgive him if she learns the truth.

Penelope is a workaholic who love organization and lists. Returning to Blue Lake under the circumstances that send her back was not something she predicted, and she has added stress in her life that has her feeling unbalanced as she returns to her childhood home for the first time in over 2 years. Learning that her old flame lives next door again is just the cherry on top of the pain Penelope finds herself wading through.

Together, Penelope and Ethan were natural and they quickly found themselves drawn to each other again. Though there was quite a bit of back and forth as they sorted through feelings and memories, they quickly returned to the overwhelming desire to be together, when Penelope wasn’t busy shutting Ethan out, that is.

Penelope’s sisters play a large role in the story and I quickly came to love the relationships between the four women. Each sister has a distinct personality and unique traits that when combined with the other sisters makes for a great family dynamic, those moments of humor and emotion that only come from siblings.

This is the type of book I often gravitate when I’m looking for light reading between reviews. It was entertaining, but without a lot of deep emotion or drama. There were moments where the drama level raised, but it was quickly resolved. As the author’s first work, this shows promise and I look forward to seeing more from her.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Penelope Walker always had her life planned out and organized. But one day it all came crashing down on her. Now she is back in her hometown of Blue Lake after a long absence and is facing the man from her past that broke her heart and also dealing with several big life changes. She is also reunited with her three sisters, Scarlett, Liza, and Chloe.

Ethan Callaghan returned to Blue Lake two years ago and has made a life for himself there, but he never forgot Penelope or how his choices changed their lives. But with so much left unsaid, so much hurt and misconceptions, and so many years lost, getting Penelope to consider anything more with him now will be a challenge. She put up walls when they ended and has no plans to let them come down.

"Why am I feeling things for someone I haven't seen in years? We wee so young. This wasn't supposed to happen again."

Ethan was completely likable and swoon-worthy. He was strong, determined, confident, and had a big heart. He tried to protect those he cared about, but sometimes had to make hard choices. The decisions he made in the past had serious repercussions for both of them. He had his reasons, but kept them hidden even to his own detriment.

"Pen, regrets will kill you. They eat you up inside Trust me."

Pen was closed off and controlled. But she also came home angry, overwhelmed, and upset. She had a fear of failure and letting people down. She strived to keep her life organized and in control. But Ethan has always brought out her more spontaneous emotional side. But she was locked down with fears, doubts, insecurities, and past pain.

Their reunion was volatile and then inconsistent with opposition, avoidance, reluctant attraction, and fight or flight tendencies. There was verbal sparring, flirting, resistance, advance, and retreat. But underlying it all were feelings and a true love that never really faded and a void left unfulfilled. She needed purpose in her life and suddenly she began to find inspiration in her small hometown and she in turn inspired him. As they spent more time together, it was easy to revert to old feelings. She also became more and more curious about some inconsistencies from their past. Ethan was as determined to wear her down as she was to not get hurt again.

The gentleman in him knew he needed to respect the walls she'd built between them. But damn if he didn't want to break them all down and remind her of what they used to share. Good thing he worked in construction because Ethan knew that making Penelope Walker love him again was going to be one hell of a project.

Can she forget the pain from their past? And forgive the secrets he's still keeping?

Her three sisters were delightful, They were fun, feisty, and totally intrusive. They were humorous and supportive, but also teased and taunted. They got right up in the middle of all of their business. They all had their own plans and dreams, but some were working out better than others. I imagine we will see books for the other three sisters and it seems that Chloe might be next since her story was teased a bit.

This was a sweet, second chance love story built on layers of secrets from the past. Coming home was full of challenges, opportunities, and a chance for a new start. But it also involved facing demons, dealing with the past, and moving forward. It was told in dual point of view allowing us to see their past pain and new confusion and wants. It had likable characters, humor, emotion, and secrets that were gradually revealed. I enjoyed the back drop of the town of Blue Lake and it became a character itself.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kerri Carpenter

Kerri Carpenter began writing in her grandmother's kitchen at the age of seven in a small town outside of Pittsburgh, PA. A life-long fan of reading, she got lost in the worlds of The Baby-sitters Club and Sweet Valley High. She also assumed that everyone had characters and plots forming in their heads at all times.

Once she turned to romance novels, she couldn't get enough of books with happy endings, so she started writing her own. Now, Kerri writes contemporary romances, usually set in small towns. She enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies, taking Zumba classes, rooting for Pittsburgh sports teams, and anything sparkly. Kerri lives in Northern Virginia with her adorable (and mischievous) poodle mix, Harry.