Marine Erik Storm intends to keep the promise he made to a dying mother. Protect her two young children, survivors of the bombing that left him barely able to walk. He moves into his grandparents’ house in coastal Maine next door to a childhood friend.Tessa Porter is no longer the shy little girl from his youth, but a life in foster care has left her leery of people. When his custody of the … children is questioned she offers to enter into a marriage of convenience to boost his case.They don’t expect the sparks that fly or their growing desire. When their marriage becomes real they have to find ways to heal together or risk losing their perfectly imperfect family for good.
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A HEARTWARMING STORY OF THE HEALING POWER OF LOVE. FIVE SPARKLING STARS!
WOW! I devoured this sweet, sexy, heartwarming story of two wounded people who find healing and love in what begins as a marriage of convenience. I’m so glad I found this “unputdownable” book!
Here’s a bit of the plot. (WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD!) Marine Captain Erik Storm rescues two small children from a bombed-out cellar in Afghanistan despite his own severe injuries. He brings them home to Maine and wants to adopt them, but he soon realizes he can’t take care of them by himself. Enter Tessa, a reclusive next-door neighbor with deep emotional scars from her childhood in foster homes. She soon becomes attached to the little boy (Matty) and his baby sister (Kiki), so she agrees to marry Erik–in name only–for the children’s sake.
It’s a delicious slow-burn romance between a physically scarred man (who thinks he’s impotent) and a woman so emotionally traumatized that she can’t bear to be touched. Tessa and Erik develop a bond as they care for the children together, and it’s not long before a few “therapeutic” kisses and touches lead to something more intense, as “No-touch Tessa” discovers she’s not frigid after all, and Erik finds he’s able to perform quite well despite his injuries. They gradually fall in love but hesitate to admit it, because Tessa believes she’s an unlovable “freak” and Erik regards himself as a scarred, crippled man no woman could possibly love.
While their love story is the plot’s central theme, there’s also an intriguing mystery, nail-biting suspense, a couple of tearful scenes (tissues required), and a perfect Happily Ever After ending. The children are absolutely adorable (and smart little Matty becomes a hero!).
This first book in the new series introduces us to Erik’s family, including his parents, grandparents. sister (Sara), and brothers (Alex and Luke). Sara’s story comes next, and I’m looking forward to Alex’s and Luke’s as well. Will any woman manage to tame wild Luke?
The author writes beautifully, drawing the reader into the hearts and minds of the characters. Kudos also for perfect editing and proofreading (rare these days) and for limited use of profanity. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
A wonderful book about second chances and family is an important part of the story.
A Marine hero in a marriage of convenience—what more can you ask for in a heartwarming romance?
An emotional, gut-wrenching roller-coaster of love’s triumph for two wounded people.
I’ve eagerly been anticipating the arrival of Kari Lemor’s newest book, Elusive Dreams, from the Wild Rose press.
I just finished it and want to turn right around and read it again! This book had so many emotional highs and lows for me that I feel like I’ve been run through the dryer like a wet rag!
Eric Storm’s promise to raise two orphaned Afghani children as his own after their mother dies in battle is no empty promise. But there is one huge stumbling block for him and that’s that he’s been severely wounded in the same gunfire that killed the children’s mother. Emotionally raw and physically bereft, Eric moves into his grandparents Maine home with a thought to keep the children safe and by his side while they all get used to the idea of this new kind of family. He doesn’t realize how much help he truly needs until the day he moves into the house. After falling flat on his ass in the driveway and unable to carry groceries into the house due to his need for walking appliances, Eric knows the road ahead of him will be long and tortuous.
When Eric’s neighbor, Tessa Porter, finds him on the ground, she is the essence of kindness and help. She’s always had a little crush on her older neighbor and now here he is in the flash, although that flash is damaged, and he admits he needs her help. When she meets the two children that he has sworn to raise as his own, her heart swells. Through no fault of their own, they’ve lost the one person who means the most to them. Tessa knows a little something about that.
This modern day marriage of convenience story is filled with emotional highs and lows. Tessa has never believed she had a purpose or that anyone could love her. Eric has always been the alpha male and now he has to rely on others, something he simply has a hard time with. As the two of them care for the children they grow to not only love them but realize they need each other for more than just support.
Told in revolving person point of view between Eric and Tessa, Elusive Dreams is the first book in MMs Lemor’s new Storms of New England series. And it’s an amazing first book to what promises to be an exceptional series.
Get your hankies ready, folks. You’re gonna need them.
The only problem I have now is that I need to wait until book 2 is released! Five well deserved and emotionally driven stars from me for a story that will have you crying, smiling, and finally cheering these two damaged yet completely whole wonderful characters. Brava
I loved everything about this story! As usual, Kari Lemor’s writing is excellent–full of complex, realistic characters who come to life on the page.
Erik is a wounded vet who’s returned from war with an injury that’s not nearly healed and two very young children who he adopted from overseas following events that happened in the war. He’s completely devoted to the children but is in way over his head and must swallow his pride to accept help from Tessa, his new neighbor and a grown-up version of the girl he’s known all his life.
As Erik comes to terms with his own recent trauma, his own feelings of brokenness, and his own struggles to assimilate to life back home, he feels a new kinship with Tessa, who has always had a mysterious sadness about her, who has never seemed to fit in, and who he has always suspected had a traumatic past of her own.
Tessa, meanwhile, feels a kinship to Erik’s children. She, too, was adopted and feels protective of them, even though Erik (unlike Tessa’s series of foster parents) is a responsible dad. The fact that she cares about the kids, is drawn to Erik (the object of many a crush in their town), and has few attachments as a result of her own problems leads to an utterly credible marriage of convenience.
I won’t give spoilers, but I will say the evolution of the love story is satisfying, as is the resolution of the problems in their lives. Tessa and Erik are one of those couples who are perfect for one another in their flaws and imperfection. Add to all of it the seaside setting of a town in Maine, the cuteness of babies, and the warmth of found family and it’s pretty much a perfect read. I highly recommend this book!
Elusive Dreams is a warm, engaging, and satisfying kick off to Kari Lemor’s Storms of New England romance series.
A marriage of convenience, friends to lovers, sweet and steamy romance between two wounded characters. Lemor builds this story one building block at a time to bring two unlikely partners together. From one person, physically challenged who hates the thought of admitting he needs help to keep a promise, to another person compelled to keep to herself, but also desperate to be part of a real family. Lemor takes the tragedies of these two characters, builds upon them, allowing each character to slowly open up and admit their failures, flaws, and frailties, all the while growing to love themselves and the one they are meant to be with for life. Add in the beautiful Maine setting, two sweet children, and a loving, caring set of family and friends, and you have small-town romance at its best.
Elusive Dreams by Kari Lemor is the first book released in her Storms of New England series. This series will be following the Storm family and begins with Erik Storm. Erik is a wounded vet who finds himself responsible for raising two young orphans per their dying mom’s wishes. His next door neighbor is Tessa Porter who he knew growing up as the shy girl from foster care. The readers are introduced to these two complex characters, both dealing with their own securities and never thinking they can ever be the perfect mate for anyone. While working as a team to care for the children, they are also dealing with their own physical, mental and social scars. The depth Lemor takes Erik and Tessa to left me crying many times as they mastered raising a family with love, but at the same time felt so completely broken that they themselves questioned who could ever love their flaws.
Lemor does a fabulous job dealing with PTSD as well as abandonment. I am now in love with the Storm family and can’t wait for the next book to be released!
5 star as always. I loved this book and got so wrapped up in the story line. I only put it down when I had to. Looking forward to the next book in the new series.