Carrie Anderson––truth seeker, storyteller, journalist-at-large––is bad at social media and great at getting herself into trouble.
When she’s fired from her dream job for an ill-advised tweet, she has no other choice but to return to the small town where she grew up with her head hung low.
It’s temporary after all. She can work at her family’s bed and breakfast, shore up her finances, and get … finances, and get back to her life and her home in Los Angeles.
There’s only one not-so-little problem…the grouchy ex-NHL star making her rethink what home means.
Jake Turner––great at hockey, bad at people––is not a happy man.
Haunted by his past, all he wants is to disappear into obscurity, to get away from the scrutiny of the press he’s been under since turning pro at nineteen. But when the press finds him, disappearing is no longer an option.
Worse yet, the same journalist he’s trying to avoid is making him reconsider whether being forgotten is what he really wants.
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Carried Away is a heart warming small town romance that held my interest until the end. This is a story about reevaluating and finding out what you want in life and finding happiness when you least expect it. This was a slow burn story with relatable characters, some angst, some laugh out loud moments and some steamy scenes.
Jake and Carrie were great together, with excellent chemistry and witty back and forth banter. I loved seeing their relationship evolve from strangers to so much more. The secondary characters provided them with great support and balance and there was never a dull moment in the story.
This was a light, easy read and I was able to finish it in one sitting. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to all lovers of contemporary romance.
Carrie’s life is going to H-E double hockey sticks in a hand basket and she ends up back home in a town she had no desire to return to, Lake Placid New York. Jake Turner, is hiding in Lake Placid and find Carrie.
There were many things I loved about this book.
Carrie addresses her insecurities with her awkward teenage years and acne and her struggle with self esteem. I loved that this was a part of the book. So often romance novels are about the girl who never felt pretty but was beautiful the whole time. But many women experience growing into their beauty and self esteem, trying to shed the bullying and baggage we carry around from middle school and high school.
Carrie goes through some amazing self discovery in figuring out what she wants out of her life and that was beautiful to read. Her Grandmother was a firecracker, and I loved all of her snark!
Lots of witty banter and smart dialogue.
Jake was broody and mysterious. The story is told from Carrie’s POV, so we only see broody Jake we don’t get any inner monologue. I love a broody hero, but Jake was almost bully-ish. This started out as an enemies to lovers, because of all the bickering and shade Jake threw her way, but I am not sure it actually was enemies to lovers. I wanted it to either get more argumentative and have more bickering banter or not have any. It just felt like they didn’t fully commit to their emotions when they started out as “enemies”.
I felt similarly with the storyline that involved Zelda, I really wanted to see more from Carrie in addressing the pain she was carrying from her relationship with her mother. Towards the end of the book there was a lot of twists and turns involving her family that I really wanted more time unpacking. It seemed like these big plot lines were introduces and then brushed aside.
There was also one sentence near the end of the book which used to COVID as part of a smilie. At no other point in the book was COVID or Corona Virus mentioned so this seemed incongruous with the plot. I read this book as if it existed in a pre-COVID world. COVID was never mentioned before the last chapter and neither was any social distancing or PPE. It’s really not a big deal, just interrupted my reading flow, I reread the paragraph several times to make sure I was following the storyline correctly.
Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were engaging and and enjoyable. They were just the right amount of damaged that makes me want to fix them. I read Waaay past my bedtime because I couldn’t put the book down. I hope there are more books with the supporting characters, because I definitely think there are more stories to tell
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily give my review.
Carried Away is my first read by P. Dangelico and it certainly won’t be my last!
From the first chapter, I got sucked into the story line–as in I didn’t want to put it down when I knew I needed to get some sleep. Jake and Carrie’s story was filled with lots of emotions, a slow-burn of sorts, and it almost felt more like a journey as the two of them worked through the troubles they’d both endured. Carrie was an instant-like for me, as a former reporter who is forced to move back home, and I found her character very easy to relate to. Jake, on the other hand, took a little bit to grow on me. He was a snarky kind of guy at first, but I did connect with him eventually, at least enough for me to enjoy him and Carrie together throughout the rest of the story. There were parts about him that I felt were missing, but not enough to leave you scratching your head. The two of them together had some really great moments and even had me laughing a time or two.
The story gives off that small-town vibe, and if you like these kinds of reads, then Carried Away is certainly one you’ll want to pick up. Overall, it was a genuine story, but if you’re looking for one with lots of highs and lows, this one was more right down the middle for me.
Hmmmmmm……..
I don’t know where to start. I may be in a little book slump. I may not be liking too much romance. Not sure. But…..
Carried Away was my first book by P. Dangelico. I fell in love with the cover because it’s absolutely stunning. And the blurb had potential.
Carrie and Jake are our main characters. Carrie is fired for doing what she thought she should do, but she also had inappropriate timing on her post to twitter. Once she is fired and has no job to support herself, she must return back to the small town she grew up in. The town and the people never treated her too well. She’s basically going back to make some money and get out of dodge as soon as she can to follow her dreams.
Jake is our grumpy Hero that has come to live in the town that Carrie grew up in. He’s an ex NHL player hiding from something, but he’s not opened up about his past. Grumpy men are some of my very favorite characters. They always have a heart of gold underneath. They just need to shed their cover and their truths for the right people/woman. For Jake, we are supposed to gather what we need from him by his looks or maybe his inner dialogue. Unfortunately, this book does not have his POV, so I really never felt I got to know him. Actually, I kind of felt like that for both characters. While I did get to know Carrie a bit, I felt like I was being told about her and whatever was happening between them as opposed to being shown. There was a disconnect throughout the story for them. I just didn’t feel their connection or their chemistry. It was too surface. I did enjoy their banter, but it seemed to be few and far between.
Overall, this small town romance felt like it had potential, but I just couldn’t get on board with them coupling up. So much potential that didn’t pan out for me. It was a quick read and fast paced and we definitely got an HEA, but there seemed to be a lot of details missing. Still an ok read if you’re looking for something quick set in a small town with small town drama.
A story about new beginnings and friendship, a new vision of the future and a great dialogue.
There’s enough angst, heartbreak and love to balance a story worth of your time.
Carrie is/was a reporter. She was fired within the first couple of paragraphs. She finds herself moving back home. For her it’s a temporary move. She is a someone that will grown on you. Her character does a lot of growing before the conclusion. As a reporter she was o my thinking of the story. The truth must be told no matter the cost. Jake saves her life when she gets caught in a snow storm. He is a retired hockey player with a gruff exterior but a soft heart. He had secrets that he keeps under lock and key. They do not get along and there is a lot of witty dialogue. Each meeting between the two knocks off a little bit of dislike and reveals a lot of attraction. They both have trust issues and easily fall into the hurts of the past. The story is told from Carrie’s point of view but we get a clear idea of James’s feelings as they grow. Fun story with some emotional scenes. Nice epilogue to close out.
Simply put, Carried Away made me happy. Carrie is a journalist and heading back to her home town after being fired from her job. Jake is a former professional hockey player hiding from the public in a resort on Lake Placid.
I loved the interactions between Carrie and Jake. They had such a fun banter. There’s a lot to be said for banter between the main characters, and not everyone can nail it like this author can. I just loved the two of them together. Jake, I loved him so much. There was so much more to him than just a former professional hockey player. Carrie on the other hand, she took some time to get used to but by the end I enjoyed her as a character.
Carried Away has drama, angst, heat, swoony moments a plenty and some moments that will make you laugh. It was also I super quick read. I received an advance copy from Valentine PR on behalf of the author. I volunteered to leave an unbiased review.
P. Dangelico is a slow burn and grumpy hero expert. She’s my go to when I need to roast in delicious tension and swoon over the grumpy hero who’s anything but that when the reader and heroine gets to know him. In Carried Away the grumpy hero Jake saves Carrie from freezing to death. Immediately there’s the tension but most definitely also awesome chemistry. These two feeds off of another which leads to some funny scenes and dialogue.
They slowly get to know each other. They both have experienced events that’s affected them tremendously and shaped them into the people they’re today. I just adored them both and together they were amazing.
Carried Away has some terrific secondary characters. Carrie’s grandmother Nan is the wise one and yet she delivers some laughs too. Doesn’t hold back and speaks her mind. Carrie’s sister Jackie who’s more than a sister. The teasing and love between them is obvious.
Carried Away is such a feel good, fabulous slow burn romance. Low on angst but filled with all the feels. I couldn’t help but smile and of course swoon. This group of characters provided the perfect escape I needed. Once again this author delivered and gave me the burn I expected.
4 All Consuming Love Stars
Carried Away is a fabulous read. You will laugh out loud and swoon over this one. As Carrie’s life is turned upside down and no where to go returning home wasn’t on her list of things she ever wanted. Sometimes going home is just what you need. You’ll feel everything Carrie goes through as she discovers where she really belongs and the life she wants can still happen. Then there is Jake. Man will he make your heart go pitter patter. I love the banter between Carrie and Jake. The chemistry is amazing yet you understand why both are guarded. Jake will steal your heart as you get to know him and the demons he is fighting. Seriously this book is one I couldn’t put down. I fell in love with Carrie and Jake from the start. I love a book that can put a huge smile on my face by the time I’m done reading.
Carried Away is a refreshing read for me. Carrie is a journalist and heading back to her home town after being fired from her job. Jake is a former professional hockey player hiding from the public in a resort on Lake Placid.
From the moment they met I loved the interactions between Carrie and Jake. They had such a fun banter going between them. There was some tension and you could feel the chemistry between them. I loved the two of them together. Jake, I loved him so much. There was so much more to him than just a former professional hockey player. He had a rough life growing up and experienced loss as an adult that sent him into hiding. He comes across as gruff, but there is a sweet side to them that you can’t help but love. Carrie on the other hand, she took some time to get used to. At the start of the book there was just something about her that kind of rubbed me the wrong way, however, as the story progressed, I enjoyed her as a character.
Carried Away has drama, angst, heat, sweet moments and some moments that will make you laugh.