Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Review: If Not for a Bee


On tour with Prism Book Tours.


If Not for a BeeIf Not for a Bee
(Seasons of Alaska #3)
by Carol Ross
Adult Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 206 Pages
October 1st 2015 by Harlequin Heartwarming


You can't always play it safe

With four sons dependent on her, Janie Everett needs to keep her life uncomplicated. Now famous scientist Aidan Hollings is disrupting her orderly world, starting with the rescue of a...bumblebee.

Aidan is only passing through her Alaska wilderness town, and wasn't planning to bond with her two older boys. Or become so attracted to the widowed journalist. His globe-trotting days may be be over if he's able to show Janie that they can share the adventure of a lifetime--together.



My thoughts

I initially chose to review this book because I wanted to support the Heartwarming (clean) romance line published by Harlequin, and discovered a very enjoyable story by Carol Ross in the process. If Not for a Bee – the title alone grabbed my attention – is set in one of my favorite locations, the rugged Alaskan wilderness. Although this is book #3 in the series and previous characters make appearances, it easily stands alone.

There’s a surprising amount of character depth in this story, which added richness to the narrative – and we also learn about bees through Aidan’s native-bee-population study.  All of the main characters faced adversity in some form, physical or emotional, and this is something to which any reader can relate.

Aidan and Janie are strong, empathetic characters and the chemistry between them felt real. But it was Janie’s two boys who captured my emotions. Reagan had a high intelligence, accompanied by a lack of social skills, and Gareth, still grieving for his father, was weighed down by the responsibility to protect Reagan from bullying. Aidan’s background made it easy for him to connect with the boys and I loved watching the growth of their relationship and mutual respect. There’s a good lesson in that adversity and fears are a part of life, and how we choose to handle them is all important. I loved this thought of Janie’s that is so true:  “Funny how much an opinion could change when you were presented with a bigger picture.”

If Not for a Bee is a very satisfying romance and I look forward to more from Carol Ross. Recommended.

Thank you to Prism Book Tours for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


Also in the Series



Mountains Apart
(Seasons of Alaska #1)
A Case for Forgiveness
(Seasons of Alaska #2)


Carol Ross lives with her husband and one loveable miscreant of a dachshund in a small town in Washington close to both the ocean and the mountains. She adores the Pacific Northwest because it provides her with endless opportunities for the activities she loves—hiking, running, skiing, and spending time outdoors. Although she enjoys reading in many genres, she writes what she loves the most—romance, especially light-hearted stories about the fun, flirty, and often-tumultuous path toward a happily ever after. For a complete list of her books, social media links, giveaways, and other fun stuff stop by and visit her new website: carolrossauthor.com.


- Grand Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card & copy of If Not for a Bee (open internationally, print book to US winner, ebook to international winner)
- US Prize Pack: bee coffee mug, bee charm necklace, 17.6 ounce jar of honey, honey dipper, box of organic tea, and signed copy of If Not for a Bee (US only)
- Ends October 23rd


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4 comments:

  1. Another new author for me. Looking forward to reading this book. :-)

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  2. Bumblebees are docile ~ especially when they are in the sweet wisteria blooms!
    You are a new author to me ~ thank you to Power of Words for your review and acquainting us with this story! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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  3. I enjoyed your review, Carole. I'd love to read 'If Not For a Bee', thanks for introducing me to a new (to me) author!!

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  4. I love books with depth and realistic characters, which from reading your review, this one has. Great review, Carole.

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