"Once Upon A Summertime"

(A New York City Romance #1)

by Melody Carlson
GIVEAWAY!

Description

She’s looking for her big break. She never imagined it would depend on a blast from her past.

Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it’s a safe choice for a young woman starting out her career.

Then, out of the blue, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to reinvent herself and reinvigorate her career by moving to New York City. She applies for a management position at the stylish new Rothsberg hotel. But the city is full of surprises—not the least of which is discovering that Sean O’Neil, a once-upon-a-time crush, has applied for the very same position.

This sweetly romantic tale of dreams come true takes you through the storied streets of New York City—and into the depths of the human heart.

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Biography

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

https://www.facebook.com/melodycarlsonauthor?fref=ts

My Thoughts ~

Anna Gordon is ready for a change. She spent two dead end years after receiving her degree managing the small-town Value Lodge, and sleeping on her grandmother's sofa. An opportunity to work for a high-end boutique hotel in New York City becomes available, and Anna is ready for the challenge. A childhood friend of sorts becomes her coworker, and the two are off to see the city and prepare to manage the best hotel in the Big Apple.

A sweet and ambitious tale of young people and new beginnings may appeal to the younger crowd, late teens, early 20s. I found it a bit overdone. Anna is an innocent character, and her counterpart, Sean O'Neil is rather imposing, yet in fictitious New York City anything is possible. Numerous characters are introduced into the story, but I was able to follow. 

The story was flowing along, and then suddenly dropped. Dead end. End of story. As I came closer to the end of the book I was concerned about which direction this story was going. In a word, nowhere. The book is descriptive, architectural detailing was well done, but the story just fell flat. This may be a good beach read for those who enjoy light reading, but be prepared for an abrupt ending. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Wynn-Wynn Media in exchange for my honest review. All expressed opinions are my own, and no monetary compensation was received for this review.

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