Speakeasy (True North #5)
by Sarina Bowen
Release – May 29, 2018

 Blurb

Sometimes you fall for Mr. Right. And sometimes for Mr. Right Now…

May
Did you hear the one about the girl who walks into a bar and catches her live-in lover kissing someone else? No? You’re the only one in town who missed it.

Luckily Alec is there to wrap me up in strong arms and carry me out the door before things get too ugly. And that’s not all Alec is good at. Our unexpected chemistry makes him the perfect rebound guy.

Alec
I should know better than to hook up with my rival’s little sister, but the fiery look in May’s eyes really turns my crank. She needs cheering up, and I’m just the guy for the job.

It’s not like I’ll fall in love. Not even after a string of scorching hot trysts, and the realization that we’re good at the same things: wild nights and familial disappointment. I don’t do love, never have, never will. So this is the perfect arrangement, for both of us.

Nobody would approve, but nobody has to know…

Review

Let’s get the basics out of the way.  This is a standalone book.  This series has interconnected characters, but each book can be read as a standalone.  But let me warn you, if this is your first book of the series you will definitely want to read the rest.  So get your one-click fingers ready!  The True North series is one of my top 5 favorite series, so I was very excited to be heading back to Vermont and this family.  I’m a big fan of this author, but there is just something about this series that is so amazing.  I think that it’s because this book and this series has so much heart and so many different emotions.  She also tackles some difficult topics in a realistic way, which I appreciated.

Both May and Alec are struggling in their lives.  May just got out of a bad relationship, and is trying to find her way with her career.  Alec is faced with the challenges of running his own business.  They both have family issues and are hit with bouts of self-doubt and uncertainty.  Neither have time nor want a real relationship, but both need a friendship.  I really like how the story makes you think about how some of the best friendships happen in unlikely places.   May’s alcoholism is an underlying theme of the book.  The way this is interwoven into the book seems so authentic to me.  It’s always there and something to deal with, but it doesn’t consume the story.  I also appreciate how her illness affects those around her, and how they have to learn to deal with it just as much as May does.

This book definitely takes you on a different path than you would expect.  But I think that’s one of the reasons I love this book so much.   Things in this book may be unconventional and messy, but isn’t that the way life is?  It’s just another example of how life can take you down a long, winding, confusing road, but you end up right where you are supposed to be.  Definitely check out this book, this series and this author!

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Bio

Sarina Bowen is the RITA® Award winning author of over two dozen contemporary and LGTB romance novels. She most recently hit the USA Today bestseller’s list in February, with Brooklynaire. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina holds a BA in economics from Yale University.

Sarina Bowen is a New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country since the 1760s. Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. On a few wooded acres, she lives with her husband, two boys, and an ungodly amount of ski and hockey gear.

Sarina’s books are published in a dozen languages on four continents. In 2016, The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with a RITA award for Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.