Rose's Food & Book Blog: Heat Wave Blog Tour - Review: Under the Sun by Jude Ouvrard

Tracey Howard has put her life on hold for years to care for her grandmother. Now that her grandmother is gone, Tracey decides to spend summer at the beach and reflect on where she wants life to take her next. Jackson Phillips is her new neighbor, and he dazzles her from the first moment they meet. Will Jackson be able to show Tracey how to let go of old pain and embrace future happiness?

It might have been my imagination, but when our eyes met, I felt something stirring inside me. I stared at her, wondering what had just happened, and I could still feel the tingling warmth on my skin. There was something between us, but I didn’t know quite what. Everything felt right, like we were supposed to be together.

Tracey looked away, breaking our connection. “Do you need help with anything?”

“Nope. Everything's ready.” Even though I could have stared at her all night, I didn’t want to ruin the evening. So I turned my attention to our dinner and got the bruschetta and the garlic bread on the table.

“Mmm, it looks delicious, chef.” Tracey laughed. She had quite the spirit, and unlike so many women, she didn’t appear to be complicated. When I placed the shrimp Alfredo linguini on the table, Tracey literally licked her lips. “I think I might join you for dinner every night. It smells so good.”

“I would love that,” I replied. “The company would be nice.”

***This is part of a series of three books, Under the Sun is the second story***

The thing I love about the Beach Reads series is that the stories in them are all lighthearted and good for an afternoon short read. They're good for at home on the sofa for a lazy afternoon or out at the beach where you can lounge in the sun and imagine you are on the beach with all the characters.

In Under the Sun, Tracey is returning to her grandmother's cabin. She only has plans to stay for a couple of months, but she decided she needed a break from the apartment they had been sharing. After the passing of her grandmother she thought it would be best to go and clean up the cabin and stay there for a while. The cabin isn't in the best shape when she arrives so she decides to fix it up as her own. While unloading the car, she notices that her neighbor's cabin now looks like someone lives there. That's when she meets Jackson. Jackson is a handsome man who bought the cabin after he fell in love with the place and the lady that brought him muffins who just so happened to be her grandmother.

Tracey and Jackson hit it off right away when he invites her over for dinner that night. They continue to grow close, a lot closer than they ever thought they would be able to. Both Tracey and Jackson have a lot of pain in their pasts. Jackson with the loss of his family and Tracey with her grandmother. Can they both learn to let go of their past and move forward together?

I loved the easy relationship between Tracey and Jackson. It was a cute short read that I really enjoyed. I would however have liked to see a little bit more of their future at the end. Can't say what exactly cause that ruins the story, but just that added little bit at the end would have made this read a 5 instead of a 4 for me. Overall cute read.

***ARC provided in exchange for a honest review***

Jude lives in Montreal, Canada. She is the proud mother of a beautiful four year old son, and has spent the last twelve years with her partner, Cedric. French is her native language, but she prefers to write in her second language, English. Besides working full time for a title insurance company and being a mother, Jude has a passion for books, both reading and writing them.