REVIEW: Seaside Hearts (Love in Bloom #22; Seaside Summer #2) By, Melissa Foster

Jenna Ward is vivacious, spontaneous, and confident—except when she’s around the man who stole her heart years earlier, strikingly handsome, quiet, and reliable Pete Lacroux. After years of trying to get his attention and overwhelmed from dealing with her mother’s new cougar lifestyle, Jenna’s giving up on Peter—and is ready to explore other men.

As the eldest of five siblings, with an alcoholic father to care for, boat craftsman Pete Lacroux always does the right thing and has no time for a real relationship. He’s looking forward to seeing his friend Jenna, a welcome distraction who’s so damn sexy and so painfully shy that she equally entertains and confuses him.

When Jenna picks up a hard-bodied construction worker, jealousy ignites Pete’s true feelings, and he’s powerless to ignore the desires for Jenna he never realized he had. But Pete’s not the quiet guy he appears to be, and his life is anything but conducive to a relationship. Can Jenna handle the real Pete Lacroux—the sexiest, most passionate alpha male she’s ever seen—or will she crack under pressure? And can Pete reclaim the life he once had without tearing apart his family?

When I started this new Melissa Foster subseries I immediately fell in love with the people of the cape. Don’t get me wrong I loved Bella and Caden but I was dying for Jenna and Amy’s story. I was so excited when I learned that I didn’t have to wait long for Jenna’s story. This was another amazing addition to Melissa Foster’s Love in Bloom series. I fell in love with Jenna and Pete from the first page.

“You know that moment when you mind falls to pieces, and it’s all you can do to remember to breathe?”

Unfortunately for Jenna that happens every time she tries to talk to Pete Lacroux. Jenna has been in love with Pete for years and now this is the summer that she is going to move on. Every summer she waits for Pete to notice her. For him to look past the stuttering mess she becomes. When Jenna can’t take the rejection anymore she makes a pact with herself to move on. She asks out the first hot guy she sees. Which so happens to be a construction worker right at the moment Pete sits down at her table in a restaurant.

“Her heart had been soaking in thoughts of Pete for so many years that she thought she might drown.”

Jenna is probably one of my favorite female characters of Melissa’s. She is smart, hilarious, and when it doesn’t come to Pete she is really confident. She isn’t shy and she is able to love her body. I think it’s hilarious that she can’t talk to Pete. It’s admirable that she knew when to walk away. Nobody wants to be in love with someone who doesn’t love them back and even though it was hard she took the step to move on.

“Because during all those get-togethers, the only thing that interested me was you. I might look like I’m a million miles away, but my mind has always been on you, Jenna. Just you.”

Pete Lacroux has been hiding a secret. His father is a functioning alcoholic and he is the only one that can take care of him. He has also been falling in love with Jenna Ward for years even though he never noticed. He knows they are friends and for some reason she gets nervous and doesn’t talk to him. But he’s left his attraction alone because he wants confident women in his bed. When Jenna shows just how confident she is when she asks a construction worker out, it was the kick in the ass he needed. He wants her more than he ever thought.

“I love you, Jenna. I love you so damn much.” A whisper in her ear, a promise, a confession.”

I was really mad at Pete for letting his mind talk him out of falling for Jenna those first couple of years. But he finally got his head on straight and fought for her. He redeemed himself. He was sweet, romantic, and freakin’ sexy as hell. Pete didn’t let his embarrassment of having an alcoholic father keep him from falling in love. He accepted Jenna and the support she brought with her. He also owned up for being stupid in not noticing Jenna before that summer.

“It’s you. It’s always been you.”

There is something magical about realizing that your soul mate has been in your life the entire time and you have been falling in love for years. That is what Jenna and Pete have been doing. Slowly falling in love, building a foundation of friendship and trust that makes their love real. Never mind the scorching sexual chemistry they have. Those were some steamy scenes. Melissa created a couple that felt real with very little drama.

“I can’t even begin to conceive of a single night without you in my arms.”

Melissa also created a group of friends that you can’t help but want to be a part of. They love and support each other no matter what. They are funny and each of them are different. Each personality brings something to the friendship that makes them inseparable. It’s crazy that Melissa created friends that when together makes them better people.

“It was such a powerful feeling, as if they’d each had half of a soul embedded deep inside them that finally found its match.”

This is the story of two people who have loved eachother for years. Two people who didn’t realize what they had until they were about to let it go. This story was beautiful, sexy, and hilarious. I loved every minute and I would recommend it to everyone! I can’t wait for the next one but I really can’t wait for Amy’s book. I am dying for it!

        

           

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