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This is an Official Review by an Eye On Romance Official Reviewer Review
for That Thing Called Love
Author:
Susan Andersen
Date of Review: 06/07/12
Reviewed by:
Official Reviewer for Eye On Romance Reviewer Comments:
Susan Andersen’s newest book is the start of a trilogy. If the first book is any indication, this trilogy is sure to be a success! From the first page which takes place at a funeral, we are captivated by the characters. I wanted to know more about who they were and how they go to this place. The story only gets better from there as the readers take a journey with the characters on the way to finding love and understanding.
Jake Bradshaw hated living in a small town as a boy and as a teenager. He spent his entire childhood planning how to leave Razor Bayou. When he became a teenage father, he thought his life was over and that he was stuck in his small town. Being given the opportunity to leave and pursue a degree while having his in-laws raise his son sounded like a chance of a lifetime. Now, as a successful photojournalist, Jake has to return after the death of his in-laws and take over the responsibility of raising his son, Austin. He knows that it won’t be easy, but he didn’t expect to find a dragon guarding his son.
Jenny Salazar manages the Brothers Inn. She loves her job and is so grateful to have it. Austin Bradshaw is like her younger brother and when his grandparents took a chance on her when she was sixteen, they became like family. She is appointed temporary guardian of Austin until his father can be notified of his in-laws’ deaths. Jenny hopes that Jake will stay gone. After all, she and Austin have a great relationship—better than any relationship he could possibly have with an absentee father. When Jake shows up on her doorstep, Jenny doesn’t know how to respond especially when she realizes just how attractive he is.
I loved every minute of this story. The characters are compelling and had a lot to say. They both have baggage. Jake knows that he left his son as an infant and hasn’t been back since. He has a lot to make up for and doesn’t know if Austin will forgive him or if they can have a relationship. Jenny loves Austin and wants the best for him, but she also has some issues surrounding her own childhood that make it hard for her to trust. Jake has a job and a life in New York City while Jenny loves Razor Bayou and can’t picture herself living anywhere else. These are not simple people, but ones with depth and real issues to work out.
The story makes sense. Susan Andersen doesn’t try to make all their problems go away in just a few short pages, but rather shows the hard work that they both have to do in order to make a relationship work. They want to be together, but it won’t be easy. We see the pitfalls and the triumphs as they try to work things out. As a reader, I really bought into their story and empathized with them and their struggles.
I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trilogy has in store for the other characters and how the story of Jake and Jenny continues to grow. This is a definite must-read!
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