13 October 2011

REVIEW: All That Remains by Janice Jay Johnson

Posted by Lynette

all that remains
Janice Jay Johnson
978-0-373-71736-1
Harlequin Enterprises
Harlequin Super Romance
October 2011
Contemporary Romance



BACK COVER BLURB:

Wren Fraser can think of better times to go into labor. Say, when she's not on the run, or when there's a hospital nearby. Better yet, when there's not a major flood trapping her in an abandoned house. She needs a rescue…now!

It arrives in one Alec Harper. Strong, competent and good-looking, the detective keeps her safe and doesn't leave her side. He even takes in Wren and the baby when they have no place to go.

For a woman wanting her independence, it's shocking how quickly she settles in with Alec. The situation seems a bit too domestic. And the sizzling attraction between them is making things worse. She keeps telling herself to walk away, yet she can't. Or should that be, she doesn't want to?

COVER SNARK:
The attic is really well done. However, I pictured Alec a little more rugged and Wren not as pretty. The come hither look they're giving each other isn't working for me given the situation they found themselves in the book.


FIRST LINES:

Gripping the steering wheel with white-knuckled hands, Wren Fraser struggled to see the narrow country road ahead through sheets of rain. She'd lived in Seattle, for goodness' sake, and had never seen rain come down like this.



LYNETTE'S TWO CENTS:

ALL THAT REMAINS is an intelligent, emotionally satisfying romance that I zipped through. I have habit of starting books, putting them down and picking something else up and then not picking up the original book for a good long while. I never put down ALL THAT REMAINS, it captured my attention and held it.

ALL THAT REMAINS takes place in Arkansas (pretty sure it was Arkansas, but don't quote me) during one of the worst floods in a century. Wren, who comes to the state to meet up with her college roommate after running from an abusive partner, gets caught unaware by the flood. She abandons her rental car and takes shelter in an abandoned home. The water is rising quickly and she takes refuge in the attic of the home. Alec is a detective with the Sherriff's Department who is during rescue. He comes across Wren and when he tries to get her into his boat an accident happens and he ends up in the attic with her. The only problem is that Wren is in labor.

Wren and Alec bond because of their experience of being stranded together and Alec delivering her daughter. When they are rescued and Alec discovers that Wren doesn't have a place to stay he invites her and her newborn to stay with him.

I really don't have anything to say. Wren and Alec were three-dimensional characters. I understood Wren's shame at being caught up in her relationship and the feeling that she couldn't really turn to anyone. I understood Alec's withdraw and despair because of the failure of his marriage and despair of not being able to see and be a part of his kids life like he wanted to. I applauded that Ms. Johnson didn't make this an easy fix (that they make each other and all their problems magically disappeared). I loved that Wren and Alec realized that they needed some time to figure out if they could stand on their own two feet before embarking in a new relationship. That was very, very, very well done.

ALL THAT REMAINS isn't about larger than life characters or relationships that don't exist in real life. The writing, the plot, the characters were so real, that I was satisfied and I would definitely read this author again.


WHERE PURCHASED:
Received copy from publisher for review.


RATING:










(Only because despite how well written it was, I doubt that I would pick it up again and re-read it)



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