Nettie Reviews: The Summer He Came Home by Juliana Stone

Title:  The Summer He Came Home
Series:  The Bad Boys of Crystal Lake
Author:  Juliana Stone
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Heat Level:  Moderate (3 flames)

Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

The Summer He Came Home was my first read written by Juliana Stone and I AB-SO-LUTE-LY LOVED IT!!!!  It was a heart felt love story between a home-town hero and the damsel in distress.  Maggie had locked herself up so tight in an attempt to keep her heart and her loveable son protected from a past that could destroy them both.  Cain, up and coming rock star only came home to pay his respect to his long-time childhood friend's family after his death.  He wasn't looking to stick around, much less to fall in love with the elusive beauty of Maggie.

Maggie's son Micheal really stole the story for me and his scenes with Cain were so cute.  I knew from the very first chapter in the book that Micheal would steal the show and I wasn't disappointed.  The other secondary characters, Jake, Mac, and Raine lent depth to the story and I'm looking forward to reading their stories in future books.  Oh and the tension between Jake and Raine was so thick you could cut it with a knife.  Stone gives readers just enough info on these two to make you REALLY want to know their back story.  Raine is the widow to Jake's twin brother Jessie and boy I get the feeling there's loads to their back story.

I think at the heart, I'm really a country girl that lives in a big city.  Books like The Summer He Came Home with a hometown feel where everybody knows your name just really pull at my heartstrings.  I was so taken aback by how much I enjoyed this read.  I even found myself up at 2:00 in the morning reading and then had to make myself stop so that I could get some sleep for work the next day.  I'm giving this one 4 Notes and 3 Flames!