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Sunday, July 7, 2013

ARC Mini-Review: Making It Last

Making It Last (Camelot #4)

by Ruthie Knox

Blurb:

 RITA finalist Ruthie Knox returns with a brand-new eBook original novella, the finale of her delightfully sexy Camelot series!
A hotel bar. A sexy stranger. A night of passion. There’s a part of Amber Mazzara that wants those things, wants to have a moment — just one — where life isn’t a complicated tangle of house and husband and kids and careers. Then, after a long, exhausting “vacation” with her family, her husband surprises her with a gift: a few days on the beach . . . alone.
Only she won’t be alone long, because a handsome man just bought her a drink. He’s cool, he’s confident, and he wants to take Amber to bed and keep her there for days. Lucky for them both, he’s her husband. He’s only got a few days in Jamaica to make her wildest desires come true, but if he can pull it off, there’s reason to believe that this fantasy can last a lifetime.

Review:

Wow, what a strange but intriguing take on a finale for a series.  Though I haven’t read any of the full length novels that come before this novella in the series, I will say this story was interesting and a unique take on the romance genre.  The series seems to be very fascinating and I would like to go back and read the previous novels, but even without reading them I can say this author has grabbed my attention.
Making It Last is a follow-up about the couple that came together in the first story in the series, set 14 years later.  Amber and Tony have built a life, including raising three rambunctious boys, building their dream home and trying to find their niches in their lives. But as their children have grown and Amber has watched those around her also find love, she has lost herself.  She loves her husband and is happy with her family, but lately she has found herself feeling overwhelmed and adrift.  When her husband gives her the chance for her own mini vacation, trying to ease her unhappiness, Amber finds herself at a crossroads, trying to decide how she’ll deal with finding herself in her marriage.
Tony is scared he is losing his wife, the love of his life, mother of his children, and the only reason he has for everything he’s worked so hard to achieve for his family.  Determined to give everything he has to rebuilding their relationship and bringing back the pieces of Amber that have disappeared from her eyes, Tony crashes her vacation, working to rekindle their passions.  But as they both handle the changes in their lives and try to find the lust that lead to their love so long again, things become extremely emotional as they break down the walls the lives have built between them over the years.
Though I’m not used to reading these types of follow-up stories, ones so full of dysfunction and family issues after the ending of my romance novels, I will say I liked the story.  There was of course the requisite passion and sexiness, but oh man there was a huge amount of emotional angst, fear, and stark sadness as they worked through their fears.  I found myself crying a lot but in the end, I was left with the feeling that everything will be happy for Tony and Amber in the end, even if they have to tear down and rebuild, their foundation is solid and I can see their love will last forever.
If you haven’t read the rest of the novels in this series, I recommend you do that before you read this novella.  I certainly plan to go back and read Tony and Amber’s love story.  However, even if you just happen to grab this novella you will not be disappointed.  There is plenty of back-story and you don’t feel lost at all.  Overall a great ending to a series that I imagine was wonderful to read.  I am definitely going to read more by Ruthie Knox.

Rating: 3.5 stars

Rose Rating:  

*eARC provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided. 



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