Somebody to Love (Gideon's Cove Book 3)

***** My review: 5 breathtaking stars *****

I've never read a book by Kristan Higgins that I didn't like. I simply LOVE this one. SOMEBODY TO LOVE made me get all teary eyed at the end and by the time I read the epilogue I had a few tears running down my cheeks. I'm such a sucker for a great romance. This is definitely one. This book is pretty long. It's about 425 pages or so. It's every bit worth the read. Ms. Higgins does a fabulous job letting you get to know the characters and how they interact with each other. I found myself laughing so much at what would come out of their mouths. Here are some of my favorite quotes in the book: .................................................................... Parker ripped off the jeans, dimly hearing herself shrieking, and ran out of the house, through the grass and right up onto the hood of her car. "Bugger! Bugger! Jeesh!" she yelped. Her jeans were clutched in her hand. What if there were more in there? What if a whole family of rodents was in her jeans right now? She whipped the pants against the car, cracking them against the hood again and again and again, shrieking at the remembered feeling of tiny claws. On her leg. Her skin. On her ass! "Hey, Parker" came a voice. She kept cracking. "Parker?" She looked up, her breath stuttering in and out of her chest. Thing One. Thing One was here. "Hi," he said, as if she wasn't murdering her jeans against the hood. "How's it going?" "There was a mouse in my pants." He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Lucky mouse." .................................................... "So you got this? You can hold down the fort and all?" "Sure, Vin. You go. Have a great time," Parker smiled at her cousin. She couldn't wait till Vin was gone so she could start cleaning. The shop was filthy. "Thanks. 'Cause I haven't been laid in God knows how long." She sighed. "That's where I'm going. A sex date. And I cannot wait." "Thanks for sharing." "This guy? Knows what he's doing," her cousin continued, squinting appreciatively as she took a long drag on her cigarette, her face contouring into a sea of wrinkles. "Some men, it's just in and out, right? Nawt him." "That's... that's great." "Does this little circly thing. Makes me crazy." Lavinia stubbed the cigarette out on her palm, then fished her bra strap from where it had slid down her crepey, mole-encrusted arm. "He might be hairy, God knows, but once you get used to the friction, it's all good." Parker had never thought of herself as a purde, nope, but damn if she didn't throw up in her mouth a little bit. "Well, then. Maybe you should get going. Um, traffic and all that." Yes. That fabled traffic of Gideon's Cove, Maine, where once in a while you had to wait four or five seconds to make a left-hand turn onto Elm Street. "Good point, kid." Lavinia punched Parker on the arm fondly. "Have a good day. And thanks. I'm off to have my orgasms."

........................................................

She went blithely into the house. James continued jamming the crowbar under the shingles, relishing the screech as they tore off. Then her words sank in. She couldn't swim in Maine water. It was practically ice-cold. Fifty-two, fifty-five degrees? Maybe? It was high tide, too, so it'd be even colder. he tossed down the pry bar and stomped inside, folded his arms across his sweaty T-shirt and stood outside her door, ready to lecture her. The the door opened, and he forgot what he was there for. She was wearing a bikini. "You want to come?" she asked. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Skin. There was a lot of skin. And...curves. Breasts. Shoulder. Legs. His mouth went dry. She gave him an odd look, the scooped up her hair and secured it with an elastic, and his eyes slid down to her rack, because my God, that was a fantastic- "I know. Cellulite. I've gained eleven pounds this past year." She stared down at her torso, then sighed. "Oh, well. Maybe I can swim some off. Come on, Beauty." She grabbed a towel and headed through the kitchen. Her ass was...well, he was unable to summon actual words at the moment, as there was no blood flowing upward. And that scrap of fabric-red fabric- thank you, Jesus. Hard to believe she'd kissed him once, and speaking of hard, she was so beautiful and perfect and luscious, bad enough that he'd had to listen to her shower every morning, and- But wait, wait, wait. She couldn't swim in that water. .................................................... Lucy looked at her hand for a minute, and twisted her wedding ring. "It's just that sometimes, the right guy seems really wrong. And sometimes, it's easier to grab hold of an excuse, because really going for it, putting yourself out there... that's hard. You know that. You saw me through that last year." Parker conceded the point with a nod. "So, welcome to the world, Parker. Loving someone can be terrifying." She set her glass down gently. "And it's worth it." ....................................................

Please, please give this a read if you like Contemporary Romance. You'll find yourself smiling and laughing throughout the story. Really. It's that good.

Brava, Ms. Higgins! And thank you for making my heart smile with this story. It is such delight.

I just finished an amazing read.....a classy romance and it was Delicious! Folks, this was what romance is meant to be!!

Parker Welles is a daughter of wealth, an only child. She has been brought up prim and proper, had a trust fund to support herself, is a single mother of a five and a half year old and life is good until her cagey father pulls the rug from under her feet. He managed that trust fund on her behalf, and the trust fund of her son Nicky, until the feds abscounded with everything daddy owned due to securities fraud. That also included the mansion she and her son lived in.

Homeless, with eleven grand in her personal checking account, and no trust fund any longer to fall back upon, she takes a three week hiatus to a property left to her in Maine by an aunt while Nicky spends three weeks with his father and stepmother in Yosemite. Her father's lawyer, James Cahill, has always cared for Parker and joins her in Maine to prepare the house for a "flip"......coat of paint here, a re-roof there...what could be easier! But of course there are obstacles!!

The challenge is set for Parker and James and the virtual shack she has inherited. Can they get it ready for sale in three short weeks? Can Parker and James have more than a summer fling? Can they even get that far? And can Parker resolve her issues with the parents that really needed a handbook on parenting? Can James find peace for his past sins?

Ms Higgins characters were more believable than most you read about. I loved Parker and I loved James. Supporting characters were just as awesome as main characters and their motives were very well developed and believable. The storyline was believable and moved smoothly. And true to life there were lots of trials and tribulations along the way to understanding and acceptance and that one true love. It was a story that you could relax and enjoy from start to finish.

I can't say I found anything objectionable or disappointing in this read. Yes, the main characters had sex, but it wasn't depicted in a graphic or unseemly manner. This was a classy romance novel and I enjoyed it immensely.

Kristan Higgins is back and for those of us who enjoy her books, will not be disappointed. This book can be read as a stand alone, but a lot of the characters are from her previous books Catch of the Day and The Next Best thing. This is the story about Parker. Parker, was the daughter of the famous Wallstreet investor Harry Welles. She grew up with money her entire life, so she never really needed to work. She was a children books' author, but all her proceeds were donated to charity since she never needed money. She is a single parent to an adorable boy Nicky. Parker finds out that all her family's wealth is down the tubes and for the first time, she has to fend for herself and her son. Her father is going to prison for insider trading. Parker's relationship with her dad has been very distant so she doesn't know how to cope with everything that is happening to her.

James has worked for Harry many, many years and was sad to have to tell Parker, AKA Princess, that her father had spent all her and her boy's money. James has been secretly crushing after Parker since the first time he saw her at the hospital. He never attempted anything because she always treated him with disdain. When Parker has nothing, he offers to help her salvage what little she has left, a house in Maine. Parker and James head out to Maine to try to sell the house and make some money. Little did they know that after a few weeks together in Maine, their lives would be changed forever.

This book was written in a third person's point of view, which is different from what Higgins normally does. I found that it worked well. As usual, dialogue was sharp and witty. There were plenty of secondary characters that were simply great. Book had humor, contemporary references and presence of an adorable dog. Loved the banter among the characters, even character's internal dialogue. It was also great to catch up with characters from her previous books. Nice and fun read!

Single mom Parker Welles is flat broke thanks to her father's insider trading debacle. The only thing left to her name is a cottage on the coast of Maine that she inherited from an Aunt that she barely remembers. Visions of cashing in on some ocean front real estate are soon dashed though. The cottage is a ramshackle affair more accurately described as a shack. A shack that's filthy and packed to the rafters with junk, junk and more junk.

Enter James Cahill, her father's flunky/attorney. Turns out James is quite the handyman, and he's offered to help Parker fix up the dump (er, cottage) so she can sell it and hopefully turn a profit. But there's a catch...Parker doesn't trust James and is excruciatingly uncomfortable around the man. The old saying "beggars can't be choosers" comes to mind, and Parker finds herself sharing a house (and maybe more) with the handsome lawyer. Will the process of flipping a house end up turning Parker's life around as well?

Kristan Higgins really does write some of the best feel-good, humorous contemporary romances out there. Parker and James are very appealing characters, and we learn their history in small doses, almost like piecing together a mystery. The supporting characters, especially Parker's cousin Lavinia, really add a lot to the story. The third person point of view allows some good insight into James's personality and what motivates him.

A "typical" Higgins heroine is often desperately searching for love, a little needy and often pining after someone unattainable while ignoring the great guy that's standing right in front of her. Parker was a nice change of pace from all that. She's self-confident and while meeting "Mr. Right" would be nice, it's not a huge priority in her life.

Now I wouldn't be totally honest if I didn't say that one of the reasons I loved this story was a chance to revisit Maggie and Malone from

So I love Kristan Higgins' books. I love them so much that I push them on my students (the girls ... the boys could not care less), encouraging them to read my girl crush. Every time I read a new one, though, I find myself a little nervous. Will she disappoint? Will I still love her?

I can report that my adoration continues unabated.

Somebody to Love reunites us with Parker Welles, whom we met in The Next Best Thing. We also get to check in on Ethan and Lucy, as well as Maggie and Malone from Catch of the Day. Malone, by the way, has some things to say, which may surprise those of you who recall him from his previous outing.

A children's book author with writer's block, Parker discovers she has bigger issues at stake. Her father, reminiscent of Bernie Madoff, has been convicted for insider trading and is headed off to jail, leaving Parker virtually penniless. All of those book royalties? She donated those to charity. Daddy Welles did leave his daughter one bit of help: his attorney James Cahill, or Thing One as Parker thinks of him. James has some handyman skills, so when he shows up to help Parker rehabilitate a seaside shack she was bequeathed by a deceased aunt, Parker reluctantly accepts his help.

She also accepts his kisses. Which, really, she should, because he is totally adorable.

As happens in Higgins' books, there is no clear path to true love. Parker has trust issues. Big ones, thanks to her father. She also doesn't quite trust herself, and given that a child is involved, she is all the more reluctant to embark on a romance with James. For his part, James is a bit too enamored of Parker, but he sees through her bluster to the woman who's really there.

Parker is a bit different from Higgins' typical heroines, though. She's prickly, snobby, and not always entirely likable. Even when Lucy bumbled, you liked her. But Parker occasionally is so bitchy as to turn us off. I liked that, though. She's flawed, and she knows she's flawed. She wants to be a better person, but she doesn't know how.

It's a cute story, one that entertains and that you will enjoy. If you're a fan of Higgins' books, you need to read this.

Thanks to edelweiss for the preview. Published on cupcake's book cupboard @VivaAmaRisata

I enjoyed the story, but felt it dragged a bit much for me. There were plenty of characters to read about and I did happen to have a few issues on how the story played out, but all in all... I managed to like it well enough. While this story was about patience, second chances, forgiveness and self-discovery, I had more issues with the relationships that were portrayed. Ethan and Lucy's marriage was too sickly sweet and their friendship with Parker (having given birth to Ethan's son, Nick), just seemed a little too cordial for me. I also had issues with how Parker and her father managed to mend a seriously huge divide between them without much being said. Parker's mother was more of a nuisance than an anything else. When it came to the relationship that Parker had with James... I could understand (to a point) how it could be strained, but when it came to the reunion at the end... I felt it was breezed over. Of course, the relationship James had with his family was really not explored nor truly resolved and even in the ending... there was no real conclusion to other topics that were shared in the book... like James' continual support for caring for his sister and the financial security for his new family when the proceeds from the latest book that was reconsidered and published was being given yet again to a charity. A person would think that regardless of the selfless gesture... they would consider keeping some of the royalties since Parker went from wealthy to destitute in the blink of an eye even if it was to benefit the growing family that Parker and James would most likely have. I don't know.... Maybe my observations made this book less believable regardless that it is only a work of fiction. Beyond those few issues, I did feel that the story dragged a bit, thus landing this book as a 4-star rated novel.

I have now read six of KH books and love her style, she really lets you get into her characters head and allows you to relate to all the ups and downs. Even though it says you don't need to read KH books in any particular order, I had read Catch of the Day so recognised Maggie and Malone - however I hadn't read The Next Best Thing, to be honest I wish I had as I now know what is happening in Lucy and Ethan's life two years down the track which spoils things a little as they are a large part of this book due to Ethan and Parker sharing custody of their son Nicky. Parker is a credible heroine for the most part, you can connect with her reasoning and why she is not close to her Dad and therefore her dislike of his employee James aka Thing One. James was an appealing hero with his many layers and the side story with his family was interesting, I wonder if his brothers will appear in another KH book... The secondary characters, the various residents of Gideons Cove are very entertaining and I found myself waiting for them to appear as I really wanted to know what they were up to. Another great read from Kristan Higgins

I really enjoy Kristan Higgins books. They are always a pick-me-up kind of book for me. Somebody to love is no different.

Parker is a single mother who learns that her father has lost all of the family money taking Parker and her son's trust funds as well. So having to start over with next to nothing she moves to a little town in Maine for the summer to rehab an old family home left to her years before. When she gets to main she finds that "home" is being generous when it comes to the place, but she needs to fix it up in order to sell it for the money. Luckily for her, her father's now jobless attourney has volunteered to help with the repairs. Little does Parker know that James has had true feelings for her for years.

I liked Parker. She wasn't the typical rich girl who learns how to be humble character. Even though she had known money her whole life it wasn't all that was important to her. She was very down to earth.

James being our hero in the story was a bit of a surprise. I liked that the book was told from both of their points of view. I think it gave more depth to his character. Parker regarded him as only a minion of her father's. It takes a while for her to trust him as an individual so it was good to get his point of view.

I liked that they'd known each other for a few years and that James had always secretly liked Parker (a nice change from the woman having the years long crush). In many ways this book reminded me of Higgins' book Until There Was You which is my favorite by the author, so I didn't mind the similarities at all.

I recommend Kristan Higgins to anyone who wants something lighter to read with a nice HEA at the end.

I’m surprised by all the reviewers who think Parker treated James badly. Bear in mind that while Parker had long been neglected by her father (Harry), he treated James, his attorney, like a surrogate son. Harry delegated to James a lot of gestures Harry should’ve made towards Parker himself, like visiting the hospital when Parker gave birth. James may not have enjoyed these tasks, but he did them. The first time Parker and James made a connection, James failed to follow up on it as he’d promised, instead devoting the time to Harry – which made James’ priorities clear. While there were explanations for James’ behavior, Parker’s resentment towards him felt real; maybe not rational, but emotions often aren't. I enjoyed – or at least admired – the interpersonal dynamics in the book, but felt that Parker adjusted unrealistically effortlessly to her reduction in financial status, not to mention the unusual nature of her son’s parenting arrangement. And I skimmed a lot of the internal dialogue, which was made unnecessary by the well-structured story. Editing should’ve pared that down.