Recently dumped by the man she’d planned to marry, no-nonsense attorney Thea Dunn has returned home to Magnolia Bay to mend her broken heart. But when she learns her new neighbor is Calder Frye, the bad boy who sets the pulse of every good girl at Magnolia Bay High racing, Thea’s verdict to swear off men is in danger of being overturned…
Fourteen years after graduation, Calder has traded his rebel lifestyle to become an ER doctor—but his sex appeal is every bit as powerful as Thea remembers. Could her short-term residence be the perfect chance to live out a teenage fantasy? Or could their reunion be a chance for something more?
The story was cute. It was light. There was a little personal drama with the characters. There was no angst. Plus, it’s short, so I got to finish it in one sitting.
This book is a companion book to Magnolia Bay Series, and this time it’s Thea Dunn’s turn to have her own love story.
Thea Dunn is a lawyer in a firm, who despite all her plans coming true, she felt like she hasn’t achieved anything to be proud of. Yes, she has won many cases. She works for a firm. She earns a lot, but she feels like she hasn’t done anything valuable. When her boyfriend of three years suddenly needed a space to think about their relationship, and the termites flocked in her house, she decided that maybe it was time to go home to Magnolia Bay for a much needed vacation.
Willa helped her find a condo in their town and to her surprise, Calder Frye was just a fence away from her door. What a pleasant way to spend the holiday.
Calder Frye is a doctor who works in a nearby Emergency Hospital in their town. He’s the hot doctor who rides the motorcycle. He had been to previous places before to do some missionary works. He often volunteered to give render his services for free to the poor people. He decided to come back to Magnolia to help his brother deal with their alcoholic father.
Thea and Calder have shared a past although it had only been for a night. She never shared that evening with anyone, other than her siblings. She felt like it was their own little secret. She can’t seem to put it past her mind that the hottest and most unattainable man on campus is finally sharing a night with her.
On the other hand, Calder was having the same thought. He’s finally got a chance to talk with the hottest girl on the campus. And she’s riding with him on his motorcycle. Who knew the night would turn out much much better?
After that night, they never crossed paths again. They succeeded in the paths they have chosen. But something is still missing. 8 years of not seeing each other has brought feelings and realizations. It gave Thea a new perspective into things she failed to grasp while she was busy achieving her goals. She thinks she failed to do the things she should have done and she feels so ashamed knowing that Calder has used his profession to seek the helpless.
Pick Me is a story that tells us that it’s never too late to pursue what we really want in life. Do not just go with the flow. Believe in your dreams. As they say, if there’s a will, there’s a way. In time, everything will fall into its rightful place. In addition, if two people are meant to be together, whatever circumstances that may separate them apart, they will eventually end up together. It also tells us that, sometimes looks can be deceiving. We have to stop stereotyping people because, more often than not, these people are the opposite of how we pegged them to be.
This book had me hooked from the prologue alone, so that’s something. I liked it. It was a light read which gave me a breather from the angsty books I’ve read prior to this. 4 stars for this book.
Erika Marks is a women's fiction writer and the author of LITTLE GALE GUMBO, THE MERMAID COLLECTOR, THE GUEST HOUSE and IT COMES IN WAVES (July, 2014). On the long and winding road to becoming published, she worked many different jobs, including carpenter, cake decorator, art director, and illustrator. But if pressed, she might say it was her brief tenure with a match-making service in Los Angeles after college that set her on the path to writing love stories (not that there isn't romance in frosting or power tools!) A native New Englander, she now makes her home in Charlotte, NC, with her husband, a native New Orleanian who has taught her to make a wicked gumbo, and their two little mermaids. For more on Erika’s books, visit her website at
http://www.erikamarksauthor.com
Forty-year-old Tara Jordan’s first book, The Perfect Marriage in 30 Days, is at the top of the bestseller lists, and her publisher wants her on a book tour ASAP. Tara’s about to live her dream only there’s one problem. Her husband of 15 years has just walked out, leaving Tara on the brink of financial ruin with no choice but to promote a self-help book about marriage when hers is secretly in ruins.
Enter publicist Jake Randall, 30, who’s had it with hand holding newbie authors channeling their inner divas on their first book tours, until he meets Tara. Their instant attraction blossoms quickly into love. Tara thinks she has achieved her dreams and earned her license to thrive until her husband, Jim returns determined to win her back.
Tara Jordan is a 40 year old author who wrote the book, Thirty Days to The Perfect Marriage, which had recently hit the market bigtime. Problem was, after her husband read the book, he just disappeared without a trace and she was left with nothing but her dog, Lilly.
With all the turmoil she feels inside, how would she deal with the fans who were apparently amazed by her self-help book because it helped them in overcoming whatever problems they were experiencing in their marriage lives?
When she accidentally dropped her luggage on her publicist’s foot, she had no other choice but to accept the new publicist assigned to her.
Enter Jake Randall, a 30 year old publicist who’s sick of dealing with the issues of the diva actors assigned to him. He wants to experience what the seasoned publicists deal with. So when his friend, Erin, needed a replacement because she was undergoing an operation, he accepted her offer even though he thinks that Tara will be a pain in the ass.
Turned out, she wasn’t. She was the most down-to-earth author he’d met. All the theaters she was scheduled to appear were always fully packed. He saw firsthand how she dealt with the audience. She was full of passion despite her personal problems she doesn’t want to share with him. And as they go through the motions of the tour, he can’t help but fall for her.
Tara, on the other hand, cannot figure out why Jake would like her. She’s 10 years his senior for God’s sake. Her insecurity is making her vulnerable and making her question Jake’s intention.
Would Tara get over their age difference or will she let it dictate how her future will play out? Will Jake pursue her or will he opt out of what he truly wanted?
Flirting With Me is a story of getting a second chance with life. A chance to do all the things Tara neglected to do because she was so focused on pleasing her husband. A chance to chase a dream she hadn’t believed she could achieved. A chance to feel loved again. It tells us that there is no age limit when it comes to achieving our dreams. If we want it that bad, we can do it.
Overall, the story was cute and it was short which makes it more fun to read.
Kim Boykin is a women's fiction author with a sassy Southern streak. She is the author of The Wisdom of Hair, Steal Me, Cowboy, and Palmetto Moon (Summer 2014.) While her heart is always in South Carolina, she lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband, 3 dogs, and 126 rose bushes. For more on Kim’s books, visit her website at
http://kimboykin.com
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