Release Blitz: Travis: Mia Sheridan
TRAVIS
(Pelion Lake #1)
(Pelion Lake #1)
Mia Sheridan
The follow-up to ARCHER'S VOICE!
Travis Hale has it all. An important role as the sheriff of the idyllic town of Pelion, Maine. Looks that regularly and consistently make women fall at his feet. Two nephews and a niece he adores, and a family who’s mostly forgiven him after a series of unfortunate decisions years before. Perhaps his past is riddled with regrets and misguided choices, but his future looks bright and limitless.
Until the new guy in town crosses him in a way both shocking and indefensible.
A guy who, as it turns out, has a sister who may be equally as disastrous to Travis’s well-ordered plans, though in an altogether different manner. Not that there’s any real risk of him falling for the smoothie-making, birdseed-eating wild woman. She’s not even his type. A plant lady from California with a head of unruly curls and an equally messy past. More than that, she’s only in town for the summer, busy mooning over perfect-in-every-way Gage Buchanan.
And if Travis knows anything, it’s that he refuses to be second best. Ever again.
Haven Torres’s life fell apart. Or more to the point, it burned to the ground. At the time, it seemed like a solid idea to jump in her car, her brother a mostly-willing co-pilot, and embark on a cross-country adventure.
When they land jobs at an exclusive tennis and golf club in a picturesque lake town in Maine, Haven’s hopeful it might prove a summer to remember. Especially if she can catch the attention of the most eligible bachelor in town and her current crush. Even the kindest, most upstanding, perfect of men aren’t opposed to summer flings, right?
But when she meets the local sheriff—all swagger and arrogance—and learns of her brother’s scandalous misdeed, she knows that Pelion is just another town where their stay is best . . . short-lived. Still, she and Travis strike up an unlikely friendship and Haven sees that the gorgeous lawman isn’t only easy on the eyes, but he has . . . layers. Not that she’s going to peel any of them. He’s only her friend. A friend willing to scratch her back, if she scratches his.
It seems simple enough. She’ll help him make her brother sweat a little. And he’ll help her win over Gage. But before either Travis or Haven knows it, simple turns complicated, friendship gets flipped on its ear, passion faces down perfection, and they both discover that sometimes you have to lose it all to find exactly what you need.
I was totally surprised at some of the events later in this book. Like gasping out loud and yelling out! These characters are put through the wringer and exposed, but it is also beautiful to see their inner strength, hearts, and what they might be willing to do to grasp a chance for love. This is a poignant story of forgiveness, redemption, reinvention, healing, and home. And Travis Hale completely surprised me and fully redeemed himself in ways I never expected. And more Archer and Bree is also a very good thing!
It is not all serious, and there is witty banter, sexy times, quirky characters, and humor mixed in with the emotional undercurrents and growth of two broken and lost people trying to decide what they can live with and without. I am a sucker for an anti-hero turning into a swoony hero. I hope that we might see books for a couple of the side characters from this one.
When I heard Travis was getting his own book, I decided it was time for a re-read of Archer’s Voice to remind myself about who Travis was during that time. I would say this is not necessary, as the important aspects of the backstory are included in this book, but I am so glad I reminded myself of the steps that Travis had taken before the end of Archer’s book. I had remembered he was awful to Archer, but couldn’t remember the circumstances or reasons, as Archer understood them. This is, in a way, Travis’s chance to redeem himself in readers’ eyes, and a chance for him to continue to work on the issues caused by his past.
Travis Hale has everything he could need. Serving as the chief of police is his life long goal, and though things are still a little strained between him and his family, he has a niece and nephews he adores. He didn’t always make the best decisions in his past, but he has worked to make up for his mistakes in the past few years. He has a plan and can almost picture it, until he discovers something that has his whole plan derailing.
Haven Torres is only in Pelion Lake for the summer. After tragedy chased her out of LA, she and her brother bounced from town to town, only staying long enough to earn enough money to get to the next stop. But there is something about this small lake town that has caught her, and it doesn’t hurt that there is an absolutely perfect man in the next town over, Gage Buchanan. But her brother’s mischief finds her in the crosshairs of the police chief and as she spends more time with Travis, trying to make her brother recognize his misdeeds, she finds herself questioning if the friendship she feels for the easy-going man could be more than simple.
I loved this story from the beginning. Travis knows he made mistakes and isn’t proud of some of his decisions. He doesn’t try to ignore his past, but also wants to move beyond it (no small feat in a small town!). Haven is his opposite. Where he is steady and committed to Pelion, though a little aloof and cold at times, she is warm and caring, and only here for the short term.
They repeatedly challenge each other in unexpected ways, and though they think they can keep things casual, it becomes clear that things are not as easy as they expected.
This was a fantastic redemption story, with so much going on. I loved the new side characters that were introduced and became central to the Crew that formed the core of Haven and Travis’s daily lives. I also loved the way the past was addressed and finally laid to rest in a way that it won’t keep coming back to haunt Travis or Archer. I was surprised by several twists in this story, and though Haven started out thinking she was interested in Gage, I found myself intrigued by this man who has been passed up for a Hale man twice now! (Can’t the guy get a break and win the girl at some point?!)
Archer's Voice has been a longtime favorite of mine. I worried a bit about not being able to embrace Travis Hale a hero for all the wrong he did. But I found myself really drawn to the damaged soul with abandonment and trust issues. His world was upended as a child and suffered hit and after hit. The poor little boy and grown man could never get over being judged second best. And that singular judgment stuck with him throughout adulthood and relationships. He has a history of being manipulative, hurtful, and hateful. He is now the Sheriff in Pelion and has made some amends, and is living a decent life, but is still not truly happy. And things are about to get more complicated.
Haven Torres and her younger brother are just passing through Pelion. They are nomads never staying long in one place and not forging long-lasting relationships. She is sarcastic, fiery, challenging, and nurturing. She has trust and abandonment issues as well and usually leaves before she can get close enough to get hurt.
Neither thinks they are looking for anything long-term. Friends are fun. Friends with benefits even more so. But when feelings start to build, it can cause fight or flight responses.
Travis has always turned his anger outward and done things he is not proud of. Haven managed to channel hers into caring for things that needed it. These two will find themselves at a crossroads. They will either have to lay their secrets bare, make themselves vulnerable, and take a big risk if there is a chance. But sometimes the damage can be too great to repair.
"There are one of two paths for you. Either lose it all. Or lose it all."
Travis has always turned his anger outward and done things he is not proud of. Haven managed to channel hers into caring for things that needed it. These two will find themselves at a crossroads. They will either have to lay their secrets bare, make themselves vulnerable, and take a big risk if there is a chance. But sometimes the damage can be too great to repair.
"There are one of two paths for you. Either lose it all. Or lose it all."
I was totally surprised at some of the events later in this book. Like gasping out loud and yelling out! These characters are put through the wringer and exposed, but it is also beautiful to see their inner strength, hearts, and what they might be willing to do to grasp a chance for love. This is a poignant story of forgiveness, redemption, reinvention, healing, and home. And Travis Hale completely surprised me and fully redeemed himself in ways I never expected. And more Archer and Bree is also a very good thing!
It is not all serious, and there is witty banter, sexy times, quirky characters, and humor mixed in with the emotional undercurrents and growth of two broken and lost people trying to decide what they can live with and without. I am a sucker for an anti-hero turning into a swoony hero. I hope that we might see books for a couple of the side characters from this one.
Travis Hale has everything he could need. Serving as the chief of police is his life long goal, and though things are still a little strained between him and his family, he has a niece and nephews he adores. He didn’t always make the best decisions in his past, but he has worked to make up for his mistakes in the past few years. He has a plan and can almost picture it, until he discovers something that has his whole plan derailing.
Haven Torres is only in Pelion Lake for the summer. After tragedy chased her out of LA, she and her brother bounced from town to town, only staying long enough to earn enough money to get to the next stop. But there is something about this small lake town that has caught her, and it doesn’t hurt that there is an absolutely perfect man in the next town over, Gage Buchanan. But her brother’s mischief finds her in the crosshairs of the police chief and as she spends more time with Travis, trying to make her brother recognize his misdeeds, she finds herself questioning if the friendship she feels for the easy-going man could be more than simple.
I loved this story from the beginning. Travis knows he made mistakes and isn’t proud of some of his decisions. He doesn’t try to ignore his past, but also wants to move beyond it (no small feat in a small town!). Haven is his opposite. Where he is steady and committed to Pelion, though a little aloof and cold at times, she is warm and caring, and only here for the short term.
They repeatedly challenge each other in unexpected ways, and though they think they can keep things casual, it becomes clear that things are not as easy as they expected.
This was a fantastic redemption story, with so much going on. I loved the new side characters that were introduced and became central to the Crew that formed the core of Haven and Travis’s daily lives. I also loved the way the past was addressed and finally laid to rest in a way that it won’t keep coming back to haunt Travis or Archer. I was surprised by several twists in this story, and though Haven started out thinking she was interested in Gage, I found myself intrigued by this man who has been passed up for a Hale man twice now! (Can’t the guy get a break and win the girl at some point?!)
Travis is a follow-up novel to Archer's Voice
Mia Sheridan is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author. Her passion is weaving true love stories about people destined to be together. Mia lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband. They have four children here on earth and one in heaven.
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