Review - - My Kind of You

My Kind of You

By Tracy Brogan

Publisher: Montlake

Release Date: April 18, 2017
Reviewed by Janga

       

 

Emily Chambers had enjoyed some success as a house flipper in San Antonio, Texas, but she and her business partner made one bad decision and ended up with a money pit that led to financial disaster. Divorced for eight years from her irresponsible ex who never makes his child support payments for their daughter, Chloe, Emily had few options when she ended up broke and in debt. Things were so bad that she was forced to borrow $10,000 from her grandmother, Gigi. To repay Gigi, Emily has committed herself to renovating one of her grandmother’s rental cottages. Said cottage is located in Trillium Bay, the tiny town on Wenniway Island in northern Michigan, the hometown Emily fled with Chloe’s father more than a dozen years earlier and to which she has rarely returned. Although Emily is close to her grandmother and her sisters, Brooke and Lilly, her relationship with her father is distant. That relationship is just one of the qualms Emily has about spending a summer in a place where everybody knows her as “Peach,” remembers her wild-child past, and has an incessant curiosity about her present. Chloe, in the throes of early adolescence, is not thrilled with the lengthy visit either.

Emily and Chloe are not the only reluctant visitors to Wenniway Island. Ryan Taggert is not happy about leaving his fast-paced life in California for the snail-pace of Trillium Bay, but he and his brothers are concerned that their fifty-nine-year-old father is talking about retiring as president and CEO of the family business, Taggert Property Management, a big name in the hospitality industry. They are equally concerned about the new woman in his life. The Taggert brothers are convinced the woman is a money-hungry bimbo from whose clutches their father needs to be rescued ASAP. The only good thing on the island in Ryan’s opinion is Emily Chambers, but any relationship with her is complicated by the fact that his father’s “bimbo” turns out to be Emily’s twenty-six-year-old sister, Lilly, and further jeopardized by Ryan’s business dealings on the island.

This first novel in Brogan’s new Trillium Bay series is filled with her trademark humor and engaging characters who prove that comedy and complexity are not mutually exclusive. Emily, with a middle-child’s need to assert herself, has made mistakes, but she cannot regret the choice that led to her daughter. She hopes that the summer will give her a chance to regroup and perhaps to heal some old wounds. Emily’s relationship with her family and her hometown is as significant as the central romance. Ryan, the youngest of three brothers, initially wonders how his father can tolerate the narrowness of small-town life, but ironically discovers that his Trillium Bay experience has enlarged his life.

Trillium Bay itself offers charm and a presence so vivid that the smell of fudge and lilacs almost permeates the pages. The secondary characters add color and interest to the story. Chloe is fully dimensional in her mood swings and in her mix of sweetness and self-absorption, and other family members, especially the much-married Gigi, add to the wit and addictive appeal of the book. The quirky locals are also a delight.

If you like small-town romances that make you laugh, warm your heart, and satisfy your need for context, I suggest you add this one to your TBR list. But be warned that My Kind of You is a most effective hook that will leave you eager to sign on for the series.

Today's Special - - Tracy Brogan

I'm delighted to welcome Tracy Brogan to The Romance Dish today! Tracy's newest novel, My Kind of You released yesterday and it's another keeper from this talented author whose books never fail to make me laugh, smile, and sigh. I began reading My Kind of You around 10:00 pm. At 2:30 am, I was still awake, reading and laughing so loud and hard I was sure I was going to wake up the people in the condo next door. I finally called it quits when I fell asleep while reading and my Kindle fell on my face and split my lip. That's the only reason! I went right back to reading as soon as I woke up the next morning and finished with a smile and a satisfied sigh. This funny, heartwarming, can't-put-it-down story is just what you need to brighten your day...as long as you don't fall asleep holding a Kindle. ;-) 

Hi Tracy! Welcome to The Romance Dish. It’s a pleasure to host you today.

I’m always happy to visit the Romance Dish! Thanks for inviting me.

My Kind of You, the first book in your new Trillium Bay series, released yesterday. Please tell us about this new series.

Trillium Bay is located on Wenniway Island, a place so small that

cars have been banned and everyone gets around by horse, bike, or on foot. Most of the 600 year-round inhabitants are from families who’ve lived on the island since the 1700’s. Naturally this gives the town a very distinct and unique personality. Everyone knows everyone’s business and secrets are a luxury. Tourism is their main source of income and during the summer there are as many as 15,000 visitors in one day. They’re called “fudgies” because they come for the famous Wenniway Island fudge.

What should readers expect from My Kind of You?

There are three Callaghan sisters and this book is Emily’s story. She’s the middle child, the wild child, who has returned to the island after a long absence to renovate her grandmother’s rental property and to mend fences with her father. Readers can expect lots of eccentric, colorful characters caught up in peculiar circumstances. There is romance, redemption, forgiveness, moments of personal growth, and lots of yummy romance.

Though Emily and Ryan have instant chemistry, the obstacles between them and a happy ending keep mounting. What is it about these two that convinced you they were right for one another even though all signs indicate the opposite?

Ryan is visiting the island for a few months while working on a building project with his father. Then he intends to return to Sacramento. Emily has been living in San Antonio, so distance is the first obstacle to their long-term prospects. The other obstacle is much more significant, and I don’t want to say what it is because that’s half the fun of the story! What I will say, though, is if that big obstacle was not present, Ryan and Emily could have easily have been together. They’re both single, with romance on their mind. Both hard workers, creative thinkers, and both very loyal to the people they love. And there is that instant chemistry, of course!

The setting of My Kind of You evokes fond memories of trips to Mackinac Island which I know was the model for your fictional Wenniway Island. What was it about Mackinac that inspired you to create a similar setting for your series?

Living in Michigan, Mackinac island continues to be one of my favorite vacation spots. It has a charm like no place else.  Seeing horses and buggies, people on bikes, and all the Victorian architecture, it all blends together to create this Brigadoon-like feeling. The chamber of commerce has worked hard to maintain the old-world ambiance. In June, the Lilac festival brings thousands of visitors to the island, and it’s the only place where you can find this unique aroma of lilacs, fudge, and… horse manure.

Ah, yes. I remember that aroma well! 

I lost track of the number of times I laughed out loud while reading this book. In fact, I was laughing so loud around 2:00 AM when I reached the horses-in-the-lake scene, that I was sure my poor condo neighbor would start pounding on the wall. Have you always had the ability to make others laugh? Do you crack yourself up while writing?

Thank you! That’s a great compliment! Sometimes when I’m writing, I’ll let myself go off on a tangent and that’s when the best jokes happen.  I love when characters do things I wasn’t expecting. In the Bell Harbor books, I had a character named Fontaine who always says the most inappropriate things. Things I personally would never say. But there he is on the page. A few characters in MY KIND OF YOU did the same thing. Dmitri Krushnic, the man who always wears his beekeeping hat even when he’s nowhere near his bees, comes to mind! He’ll definitely be back in the next book!

I'm glad we'll be seeing more of Dmitri and, hopefully, other quirky secondary characters from My Kind of You. I'm already eager for my next visit to Wenniway Island!

You have a May-December secondary romance in this book – a storyline not frequently seen in contemporary romance but one that struck a chord for me. What inspired you to create this relationship?

The May-December romance is a sweet secondary story element of MY KIND OF YOU. It’s between two people who decide to follow their hearts no matter what everyone else thinks. They are both at a place in their lives where they want to throw caution to the wind and just see where it leads without over-thinking it. In spite of their age difference, they communicate on a level that transcends the years. I’m not sure it’s a long-term relationship, though. You might want to read the third book in the series to find out about that!

Your books never fail to keep me flipping pages well beyond my normal bedtime. What’s the last book that kept you reading into the wee hours?

The Idiot’s Guide to Training a Puppy.

LOL! I've been there! This has nothing to do with your book but, because I’ve fallen in love with her via your Facebook photos and posts, will you tell us about Piper and the impact she’s had on your life?

See above!  Piper has had a huge impact on my life. Literally and

figuratively. She’s currently 8 months old and weighs nearly 90 pounds. She’ll top out at about 130 pounds, or so they say. Time will tell. In spite of her big-ness, she has all the attributes of a playful puppy and ohmygoodness, when she comes running at you at full speed and bulldozes into you? You feel it. I have bruises. But she’s also very snuggly and she wants to be with me all the time. One day I was in the shower and watched as she, very methodically, dragged every towel out of the bathroom.

What’s next?

I’m putting the finishing touches on the second Trillium Bay book. It’s Brooke’s story. In the first book, she’s thinking about running for mayor. Now she’s been elected and holding a public office in such a tiny, close-knit place turns out to be not quite what she was hoping for. And there’s a jewel thief. And a funeral for a guy who died ten years ago. And more secrets, and more reveals. And romance. There is always romance!

Where are the best places for readers to connect with you online?

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTracyBrogan/ and my website http://www.tracybrogan.com/ are the two best places. I’m rarely on Twitter or other platforms although I’m trying to broaden my scope! Readers can always feel free to send me at email at tracybrogan@att.net, too!

Will you be attending any events this year where readers will have the opportunity to meet you in person?

I’ll be at the Barbara Vey Reader Appreciation Weekend April 28-30^th. Then I’m speaking at the Huron Valley Council for the Arts Luncheon on May 16^th, and at the Mid-Michigan RWA Chapter on May 20^th. I’ll be rounding out my summer with a trip to Houston to be a guest speaker at the Starfish Conference of the Houston Bay Area RWA, September 22-23, 2017.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at Barbara Vey's Reader Appreciation Weekend in a couple weeks! 

Thank you for visiting with us today, Tracy. Would you like to ask our readers a question?

Thanks so much for having me, PJ! It’s an honor to share time with your readers today! As for my own question, I’d love to know what readers wish they saw more of in contemporary romance today. More steamy novels? More sweet romance with a PG-13 rating? More humor? Stories about circus folk or synchronized swimmers? What do readers wish we’d write more about?

One randomly chosen person leaving a comment before 11:00 PM (EST), April 20, 2017 will receive a set of Tracy's Bell Harbor books: Crazy Little Thing, The Best Medicine, and Love Me Sweet.  (U.S. only)

Emily Callaghan never expected to spend another summer on Wenniway Island. Yet here she is, back in her quaint northern Michigan hometown of Trillium Bay, divorced, flat broke, and dragging along her precocious twelve-year-old. It’s a simple arrangement: Emily, a house flipper, will renovate one of her grandmother’s rental properties in exchange for a much-needed loan. Once a wild child, the reformed Emily also hopes to remodel her reputation and show her family she’s all grown up.

But coming home is never simple. Emily’s dad is more distant than ever. Her younger sister is dating a much older man, and Emily’s worried it’s a mistake. The cottage remodel grows increasingly daunting. And then there’s handsome out-of-towner Ryan Taggert…

Ryan has his own family drama. A smart, ambitious land developer, he’s come to Wenniway to rescue his father from the grips of a new girlfriend and protect their family business. But he’s quickly distracted by gorgeous, witty Emily Callaghan.

There’s no denying the attraction between Emily and Ryan. But will their conflicting interests destroy any chance at love? Or will Emily finally get the chance to rebuild her life—and repair her heart?

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