Book Blurb:
Parks & Recreation meets The Blue Collar Comedy Tour in this third ebook in Molly Harper’s Bluegrass series of contemporary romances: A love triangle of colleagues heats up the winter lodge where they get snowed in for a week.
Kentucky Tourism Commission employee and executive assistant extraordinaire Kelsey is known around the office for having everything under control. So it’s not surprising that she and her boss, Sadie, have everything planned to the second for the office winter retreat. But there are things even Kelsey can’t micromanage.
An unprecedented snowstorm smothers half of Kentucky and knocks out the power, closes the roads, and generally shuts down the state. Luckily, the lodge has working fireplaces and enough food to keep the staff from turning on each other like something out of The Shining. Kelsey wouldn’t mind being stuck inside if it wasn’t for the tension with her not-so-secret crush, Charlie, the office’s statistician. But handsome Ranger Luke, the lodge’s only employee on hand, is there to take Kelsey’s mind off her discomfort.
Even though this weekend is supposed to be a planning session for KTC, Kelsey can’t help her mind from wandering and finds herself conflicted over Luke and Charlie. Someone’s love will keep her warm, but whose will it be?
Review (unabridged audiobook):
Snow Falling on
Bluegrass was the first Molly Harper book I read (well, listened to), and
let me say, it was an entertaining experience. As I listened, I found myself snowed
in at the lodge along with Kelsey, Charlie, Sadie, and the rest of the Kentucky
Tourism Commission.
After Kelsey finally gets the nerve to once and for all
break up with her douchebag boyfriend, Darrell, she decides to finally take a
chance with her long-term office crush, Charlie. She even goes as far as
packing those naughty panties for the retreat. While Kelsey may have the KTC retreat planned down
to the minute, she doesn’t plan for a fierce, power-outing snowstorm or for the
handsome ranger, Luke, who is more than willing to keep her warm on these cold
nights.
The longer the team finds themselves stranded at the lodge,
the more Kelsey finds herself battling her libido and keeping the office pot
stirrer, Gina, and other discontented employees in check.
There are several plotting devices that I fancy in a story.
One element I love in a story is a jealous hero. When competition for Kelsey’s
affection seems to rise between Charlie and Luke, I couldn’t help but laugh at
Charlie and his acts of jealousy. The other I enjoy is just desserts. Gina, office mean
girl, and Darrell, deadbeat ex-boyfriend, get quite the apropos ending. That is
all I can say without spoilers. *insert evil laugh*
Harper does a commendable job creating true-to-life
characters. Kelsey is a perfect combination of snarky, sardonic wit mixed with
benevolence. She relieves the tension, lightening the mood, with her macabre
survival humor while simultaneously putting her colleagues at ease. Luke,
Charlie, Gina, Sadie, and the rest of the cast are people with whom any reader
may work, be friends, or have past relationships. I found it quite easy to
suspend my disbelief with how long the snow storm lasted because I was consumed
with each character’s story.
Amanda Ronconi, the narrator, did an exceptional job with
her inflection. I loved hearing Kelsey’s sarcasm coming through Ronconi’s
voice. It truly made the story even more enjoyable. My two minor complaints
about the narration were the pace and character voices. At times, I felt
Ronconi’s reading was a bit fast, making it easy to miss parts. I also found
that the characters’ voices were too similar. If I was not listening carefully,
I would not know which character was speaking unless “replied Kelsey” or
“Charlie said” were spoken.
It was Harper’s detailed imagery that made listening to the
story a true pleasure. It was easy for me to picture the scenery and imagine
the story playing out as I listened. If it were not for such excellent imagery,
I feel Snow Falling on Bluegrass would definitely be a book better to read than
listen to.
Snow Falling on Bluegrass will be a book I listen to each holiday season.
Snow Falling on Bluegrass will be a book I listen to each holiday season.
FTC disclaimer: I received a review copy from the publicist in exchange for my unbiased review.
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