Welcome to the small island town of Cloud Bay, where it’s never the wrong time to find a love that’s oh-so-right in Need You Now by Emma Douglas. . . Caleb White knows what he wants out of life–and being a star tennis player is not it. After speaking to the press about his plans to retire, Caleb decides that a trip to quaint, beautiful Cloud Bay for its legendary music festival is exactly what … festival is exactly what he needs. There will be time to figure out what to do with his life without a racket in his hand soon enough. Until then, Caleb is content to be stuck on an island with CloudFest’s gorgeous director Faith Harper. . .
The daughter of a famous rock star, Faith knows all about fame, fortune, and hot flings that aren’t meant to last longer than a few good songs. Gorgeous, built Caleb is a temptation she can’t resist, but she’s not prepared for the way he makes her feel. . .and the dreams that they both share. What begins as a carefree distraction deepens into something real. But is Caleb ready to put his celebrity behind him and give life in the slow lane with Faith a chance?
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3.5 stars rounded up. Faith Harper is the daughter of a former rock star. After he died, she has taken over running Harper Inc & planning the week long music festival on Cloud Bay called CloudFest. She’s determined she’ll never be left behind again. Her father left her, her brother left her. She’ll do flings but only with guys off island. It’s too hard to have any privacy on island. She didn’t anticipate meeting a man that would challenge her stance on relationships.
Caleb White has shocked the tennis world by announcing his retirement just after reaching the Wimbledon semifinals. He hadn’t expected the media frenzy it had created. When a friend asked him to accompany him to CloudFest, he thought it was an opportunity to hole up & relax for a while, maybe have a fling. He didn’t anticipate meeting someone like Faith.
I enjoyed the build up to this story & Faith’s background. The chemistry between Faith & Caleb kept off the page & the reader can feel the intensity buildup. I was unable to establish an emotional connection with Caleb. Other than his tennis career, we weren’t privy to much of his background or POV. The writer did manage to use this book to set the stage for the series & I am interested to read the next & see if it’s more evenly balanced.
Need You Now by Emma Douglas
Cloud Bay #1
An island off the California coast is home to Faith Harper, daughter of legendary Rock Star Gray Harper. She is one week from putting on a huge music festival – Cloud Fest – when she meets recently retired tennis pro, Caleb White. The two are drawn to one another from the beginning but neither is really in the market for more than just a summer fling… But, as with many such stories, more than a fling is definitely a possibility.
This is the introduction to a new series that has a cozy small town feel to it with wonderful characters filling the pages. Each and every one of them deserves to eventually meet their mate and have their HEA as the series progresses. I was drawn in, enjoyed the interactions between Faith and Caleb and was glad that there was not a cliffhanger ending. I found Faith smart, strong, open minded, caring and eventually willing to do the work necessary to reach the deserved HEA. Caleb was a great match for Faith – warm, caring, great lover, strong and emotionally open – he, too, had a few things to work through before the HEA he deserved could happen.
I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series and just found out that at this moment in time there are two more books in the series that will deal with Faith’s her half siblings Mina and Zach. That means there is room for a spin-off series OR further books in the series as there are more than just Mina and Zach that caught my eye while reading Need You Now.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.
4 Stars