Review: The One Real Thing ((Hart’s Boardwalk, #1) by Samantha Young

The New York Times bestselling author of On Dublin Street is back with the first in a sexy new romance series set in a small town on the Delaware coastline.  

Welcome to Hartwell, a quiet seaside escape where uncovering old secrets could lead one woman to discover the meaning of a love that lasts…  

While Doctor Jessica Huntington engages with the inmates at the women’s correctional facility where she works, she’s always careful to avoid emotional attachments in her personal life.  Loss and betrayal taught her that lesson long ago. But when she comes across a set of old love letters in the prison’s library and visits the picturesque town of Hartwell to deliver them to their intended recipient, she finds herself unable to resist the town’s charm—and her attraction to the sexy owner of a local bar proves equally hard to deny.

Since his divorce from his unfaithful ex-wife, Cooper Lawson has focused on what really matters: his family and the boardwalk pub they’ve owned for generations. But the first time Jessica steps into his bar, Cooper is beyond tempted to risk his heart on her.

Yet as their attraction grows hotter and Jessica remains stubbornly closed off, he begins to realize it will take more than just passion to convince her there’s only one real thing in life worth fighting for….

Crista’s Review

3 Stars!

I honestly can’t believe that I am rating a book written by the talented Samantha Young anything less than 5 stars.  Her, On Dublin Street series, is one of my all-time favorites, and I was thrilled to learn that she was beginning a brand new series called Hart’s Boardwalk.

I found myself bored by this book.  The characters just weren’t that compelling or interesting.  Jessica Huntington is a physician who works for a women’s correctional facility.  She comes across love letters written by a former inmate who is now deceased and makes it her mission to deliver the letters to their intended recipient.

This mission takes her to the community of Hartwell where she meets the handsome and sexy, Cooper Lawson, owner of the town’s bar.  Despite the sexy dialogue and Cooper’s fabulous looks, even that could not save this book for me.  The purpose of her visit to Hartwell is quickly forgotten and in my opinion, the book looses focus.

There were barriers and hang-ups that Jessica has that prevent her from succumbing to her obvious attraction to Cooper.  At first, I was intrigued to learn more about her past and what made her so leery of love.  When at last her secrets are revealed, I found myself thinking, “that’s it?!”  The big reveal didn’t explain her lack of self- esteem or hesitancy to commit to Cooper.

There is a secondary couple that is introduced, and I am VERY excited to read their story.  The tension between them is wonderful and I can just feel the sparks whenever they find themselves crossing paths.  Their book is next, and I certainly will be reading that one!

Maybe this book falls victim to the “first book in a series” curse.  There are just too many characters introduced, to much going on, and the main couple often takes a back seat.  Cooper and Jessica are forgettable at best, and I didn’t find myself caring too much about them as a couple (or as individuals).

I will say that this book is a must read, because as I said before, it sets the stage for what hopefully will be one of the greatest books in this series