Starred review from June 3, 2019
An unlikely pair take on their pasts together in this endearing contemporary tale of love through emotional hardship. Andra Lawler is stuck on her family’s horse ranch, beset by constant sense memories of being assaulted in college. When the ranch hires LJ Delisle, a New Orleans–born cowboy, he makes his way into Andra’s kitchen and begins to teach her to cook, setting them up for a straightforward story of a kindhearted man helping a battered woman heal. Then LJ is called back to his family home, where Hurricane Katrina’s destruction is still very much in evidence, to help his ailing mother and confront his own memories of discrimination and loss. The two survivors are ready to fight for their future together, but they find that closing the wounds of the past is not as easy as falling in love. Hazen writes with grace and compassion about life after trauma, smoothly addressing racism, sexual assault, and large-scale disasters without pat answers or platitudes. This is a sure tear-jerker for any romance fan. Agent: Naomi Davis, BookEnds Literary.
August 1, 2019
A love of horses and a desire to pursue his own goals brings LJ Delisle to the Lawler horse farm in Montana for an interview. Andra Lawler is looking for a trainer for her horses, not for someone to burst the very defined and isolated bubble in which she lives. However, when LJ insists on teaching Andra to cook, the chemistry begins to sizzle even as they both try to deny it. Andra is recovering from a sexual assault and kidnapping, while LJ is trying to be okay with moving away to pursue his dreams even as his family and neighborhood are still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. As the pair continues to grow closer, personal traumas, racial tensions, and family obligations make it seem as if a happy ever after might never be possible. VERDICT Featuring a slow-burn, tender romance punctuated with steamy scenes, LJ and Andra's story is grounded in real-world issues but wraps up a little too neatly, making the ending feel overly simplified. However, in her first outing with a major publisher, Hazen (Sex, Love and Rock & Roll) produces solid writing that will win over readers and leave them ready for more.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash
Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Starred review from July 1, 2019
Two trauma survivors find love and acceptance in Hazen's warm and thoughtful contemporary multicultural romance. Andra Lawler has lived like a hermit on her family's Montana horse ranch for years while recovering from a terrible sexual assault, solitude that is disturbed when a new horse trainer arrives. LJ Delisle of New Orleans does not fit into this mostly white Montana enclave, but he's determined to try because Lawler Ranch is his best chance at doing what he loves. As Andra gets to know LJ, he gently coaxes her out of her lonely shell, just like he would with a skittish colt. When a family emergency forces LJ to return to his Katrina-ravaged neighborhood in New Orleans, Andra follows him there and sees firsthand the trauma he experienced from the deadly floodwaters. Always aware of their cultural differences, Andra and LJ find a way to build a bridge that connects their worlds and convinces their families that they belong together. Hazen's well-developed characters, soft and steamy love scenes, and exquisitely detailed settings make this a winning love story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)