Book Review: The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone

Title: The Summer He Came Home
Series: Bad Boys of Crystal Lake, Book 1
Author: Juliana Stone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Published: April 2013 by Sourcebooks

Sometimes the best place to find love is right back where you started…

Falling asleep in a different bed every night has made it easy for Cain Black to forget his past. It’s been ten years since he packed his guitar and left Crystal Lake to chase his dreams. Now tragedy has forced him home again. And though Cain relishes the freedom of the road, one stolen moment with Maggie O’Rourke makes him wonder if he’s missing out on something bigger than fame.

For Maggie—single mother and newly settled in Crystal Lake—love is a luxury she just can’t afford. Sure, she appreciates the tall, dark and handsome looks of prodigal son Cain Black. But how long can she expect the notorious hellion to stay?

The last thing either of them wants is something complicated. But sometimes love has its own plans.

Why I Read this Book: I hadn’t read anything by this author yet and The Summer He Came Home sounded like a good book to start with. I also have a thing for celebrity/commoner love stories and small town romance.

What I Liked: The Summer He Came Home had a well-rounded group of characters. Cain Black, the frontman for an up and coming rock band, returns back home due to unfortunate circumstances. Maggie had moved to Crystal Lake for a fresh start with her son. I was a little hesitant about Maggie being a single mother, as I’m not a fan of kids being in my romance novels, but Michael was a great character. I didn’t feel like he was used as a plot moppet in any way and he wasn’t the least bit annoying.

Jake and Raine stole a bit of the spotlight from Cain and Maggie but I welcomed it. Theirs (Jake and Raine) seems to be a strained relationship. There is a lot of tension between them;  I think there is so much more going on between these two than what we see on the surface. This will be an interesting, and different, romance if it works out between them.

There were some hilarious, laugh out loud moments that made The Summer He Came Home a fun and enjoyable read.

What I Didn’t Like: There was something that didn’t make sense to me, something I can’t elaborate on because I don’t want to give too much away. I will say that Maggie lets her son do something that contradicted her feelings/fears, and at a pivotal moment in the book. And Maggie’s cell phone doesn’t have caller ID. Whose cell phone doesn’t have caller ID these days?

Memorable Moment:

“What’s that?” Her voice was throaty, seductive.

His grin was wicked. “It’s a condom ring thing. A vibrating condom ring.”

Okay, she wasn’t expecting that. “Oh, I’ve never…”

He peeled the wrapper back and winked. “Me neither” – he leaned toward her – “but I’m thinking we’re going to like it.”

Overall Impression: The Summer He Came Home was an enjoyable celebrity/commoner love story with a dash of suspense and danger. I look forward to reading the next book in this series, The Christmas He Loved Her, which is Jake’s book. I can’t wait to see how his story is going to pan out.

Brianna’s Rating: