In Redwood, einer Kleinstadt im US-Staat Oregon, betreibt Cade O’Grady, Ende 20, mit seinen Brüdern eine Tierarztpraxis. Als die attraktive Avery Stowe nach einer desaströsen Ehe mit ihrer autistischen Tochter Hailey aus dem sonnigen Kalifornien in die Stadt zieht, um in der Nähe ihrer Mutter Justine Berry zu sein, und einen Job am Empfang der Tierklinik beginnt, stellt sie sowohl die Praxis als auch sein Gefühlsleben ganz schön auf den Kopf…

 „Redwood Love – Es beginnt mit einem Blick“ ist der erste Band der Redwood-Love-Trilogie von Kelly Moran.

Meine Meinung:
Der Roman besteht aus 26 Kapiteln mit einer angenehmen Länge. Erzählt wird chronologisch abwechselnd aus der Perspektive von Avery und Cade. Die Übergänge sind gelungen. Der Aufbau funktioniert gut.

Der Schreibstil ist locker, flüssig und anschaulich. Als störend empfand ich nur einige Wortwiederholungen. Der Einstieg in die Geschichte fiel mir leicht.

Die Protagonisten waren mir auf Anhieb sympathisch. Vor allem Hailey, die nicht spricht, konnte mich mit ihrer liebenswerten Art bezaubern. Auch das Tierarzt-Trio bietet in Hinsicht auf die Charaktere eine interessante Grundlage. In Bezug auf die Authentizität weist der Roman jedoch ein paar kleinere Schwächen auf. Cade wirkt an vielen Stellen einfach zu perfekt, sodass ich den Charakter nicht als sehr realitätsnah empfunden habe. Auch viele der Kleinstadtbewohner sind für meinen Geschmack zu stark idealisiert dargestellt.

Die Idee, eine alleinerziehende Mutter mit autistischer Tochter in den Mittelpunkt zu stellen, finde ich originell und schön. Gut gefallen hat mir, dass das Thema Autismus in der Geschichte viel Aufmerksamkeit bekommt, denn das trägt dazu bei, dass Barrieren abgebaut werden. Dadurch unterscheidet sich der Roman auf erfrischende Art von anderen Büchern des Genres. Nicht nur wegen dieses Aspektes, sondern auch wegen anderer ernster Thematiken regt die Geschichte zum Nachdenken an. Dabei wird das Buch aber nicht zu deprimierend, denn auch humorvolle Momente sind immer wieder eingestreut. Insgesamt konnte mich die Geschichte emotional berühren.

Trotz der eher hohen Seitenzahl kommt beim Lesen keine Langeweile auf, denn der Roman hält die eine oder andere Überraschung parat.

Das Cover ist ansprechend und modern gestaltet. Es gefällt mir bei Weitem besser als das amerikanische Original, das sehr kitschig und altbacken wirkt. Auch der deutsche Titel ist treffender gewählt als die US-Version („Puppy Love. Redwood Ridge“).

Mein Fazit:
Wer eine unterhaltsame Wohlfühlgeschichte mit liebenswerten Charakteren sucht, der ist beim Roman „Redwood Love – Es beginnt mit einem Blick“ von Kelly Moran an der richtigen Adresse. Das Buch hat mir schöne Lesestunden beschert. Vermutlich werde ich mir auch noch die beiden anderen Bände der Reihe genauer anschauen.

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Kelly Jackson hates that she is taking over for a dead man, but her company has sent her to run the Redwood Cove Bed & Breakfast. Not long after she gets there she gets wrapped up in what happened to Bob, the man who died. The Silver Sentinels, a group of older individuals who fancy themselves and crime solvers is on the case and fill her in on how they think he was murdered.

 

Before she knows her curiosity has gotten the better of her and she starts looking into Bob’s last days. Then one of the kids of an employee is almost harmed and she starts thinking they are some how related but what would Tommy have seen to have someone try and kill him. Now she is really on the hunt because she adores Tommy and nobody should want to harm a kid.

 

Finally after what happen to Tommy the local police start taking what she and the Silver Sentinels have to say about Bob being murder and they soon find out the reason. Now they just have to try and decipher some clues to figure out who it is.

 

I really like Kelly, she is a blackbelt in taekwondo and even though her parents would rather her be working with them she is determined to make it on her own. She has been cheated on so she is slow to warm up to men, but she is kind of crushing on a co-worker from her company. I really love the Silver Sentinels, they are so adorable. They are the protectors of the town and I thought it was so sweet how they took turns watching out for Tommy. Just a great cast of characters.

 

It has a great mystery too because I really didn’t figure it being who it was and I like it when I don’t figure it out.

 

This is a great one for all cozy lovers!

This was one of my least favorite books in the series. A male and female lead that were lame together and a male lead that sucked. I think Carr was going for a reformed rake story-line taking place in contemporary times, but honestly it didn’t work. And I loathe contemporary romances where the male lead is all I am only here to get laid and am not interested in a relationship and the woman is maybe I can change him. Stop it!

I wish an author would have the woman saying okay I can do that, and having her go merrily on her way after the hook-up. Have that guy chase after her and have her honestly not be interested and not acting as if she is not interested in order to get him to be interested. Did you all follow that?

Dylan sucks. I think that if Katie had been single with no kids I wouldn’t have cared. But she did have kids and I think that it was in Jerry Maguire that Cuba Gooding Jr. said to Tom Cruise’s character, you do not mess with single mothers unless you plan on being there. And I kind of want to know what Katie is thinking since she doesn’t seem smart at all.

Katie has left behind what she thought was a promising relationship with a dentist (poor dentists, the romance world hates you all) and takes her two twin boys to be with her brother Conner for the summer. Katie is also a widow (Virgin River, you strike again) and you would think she would be cautious about introducing her kids to men unless she’s dating them. I try not to get judgey with fictional characters too much (total lie, I am super judgey, I love books but certain things drive me up the wall while reading) but I honestly wanted to tell Katie to find a vibrator and just leave Dylan alone.

Dylan’s plot was laughably bad. He is a former child actor who is trying to keep his flight business in Montana afloat. It’s not doing well so he goes back to acting. After like a 10 year or 20 year break. I can’t even remember because I just rolled my eyes. He’s terrible towards his mother and half brother and sister because he sees them as only being there to just suck him dry and use him to get their own careers back on the track. Besides a few paragraphs here and there that was all you get there dealing with them.

Dylan sticks around Virgin River a bit (even though his business is failing) to get laid. Seriously. He decides he is attracted to Katie though he is not interested in a relationship and based on his dialogue cannot really stand her kids.

I know there were other people in this book, I just can’t recall them besides Conner and Leslie from the last book. Most of this book really dealt with Katie weeping over Dylan and trying not to show him she missed him and then a curveball is thrown in that had me vibrating with the urge to dropkick my Kindle. I did not do that since I had a brand new Kindle Fire HD for Christmas from my brothers, and I don’t treat gifts from family like soccer balls. Back to the book, it was a terrible idea to introduce, and I think the only reason why was in order to have this couple be together because even Carr I felt like was not too enthused about them.