Summary:
The holiday season can’t be over soon enough for John Hall. His ex-boyfriend emptied the bank accounts and ran off with his personal trainer months earlier leaving John unable to pay his creditors. Now he’s forced to close the independent movie theater he runs, a bad end to a bad year. Gay, single and closer to fifty than forty, John doesn’t see a lot of hope in his future. In the dark of night he wonders if staying afloat is worth the effort.
Chance Allsop made a promise to his dying mother he hopes he doesn’t regret. Ten months after her death he’s finally in Skagit Washington, visiting the old movie theater where his parents met and fell in love decades ago. The whole thing seems like a lark until he lays eyes on the handsome owner. With his mother’s spirit at his back Chance fully intends to win John Hall’s heart.
Summary:
Beto Hernandez’s objective: Break the human trafficking ring plaguing Skagit once and for all. He’s not in Skagit to make friends—he's kicking ass first and taking names later. Maybe. He crosses paths with an intriguing and sexy man, the first in years to spark Beto’s interest. It’s ultimate bad timing, though; no one in Skagit can be trusted.
Who is Carsten Quinn, and where does he fit in Beto’s investigation? Beto tries to stay away from Carsten but their undeniable chemistry keeps him close.
Carsten Quinn survived years in hell to return to “normal life,” and he has his own mission in Skagit. The only problem is he’s hiding, not living anything like a normal life. When his closest friend is severely injured it’s up to Carsten to finish gathering evidence to put some very bad people behind bars and he knows all too well he can’t trust anyone, especially not the law.
Ironically, the law appears anyway, in the form of a sexy cop he can’t stop thinking about; when Carsten’s past comes back with a vengeance, he has no one else to turn to.
Is happiness too much to hope for? Are Beto and Carsten too different and too broken to trust anyone, much less each other?
I'm ashamed to admit that I lost track of this series after River Home(book 5) so when it was brought to my attention that there were more entries in Accidental Roots, I gobbled them up. When a series I love has a Christmas story well it's as welcomed as finding one more package under the tree on Christmas morning😉. The NorthStar is a delightfully fun Christmas tale of finding love when you least expect it.
Chance is fulfilling his mother's dying wish to visit the place where she met and fell in love with his father, what he didn't expect was John, the owner on the verge of closing the theater for good. John didn't exactly expect a whirlwind like Chance either. You can't help but love these two and root for them, sure its pretty much a case of insta-love which I understand isn't for everyone but when its written right then it works and these two are definitely written right. Chance's determination to prove to John how important the theater is to everyone may seem like a holiday cliche and I suppose in a way it is but just because something is cliche doesn't mean it won't work or that its not true.
As I live in a small-ish town with a theater that's been around since 1927 and has just recently added a second small screen, I know how important it can be to a community. Some might go 20 minutes to the next city with the multiplex with 8 screens, there are just as many who want to stay and go to the 92+ year theater that probably hasn't seen much in the way of renovations for decades. The NorthStar is not only a lovely holiday read but an emotionally charged story that helps to remind us that "local", "tradition", and "same old, same old" are more than just words and phrases, for some they give hope and strength for tomorrow.
The NorthStar may be a lighter read than the previous entries in the series but it is definitely worthy of the Accidental Roots stamp. There may be no mystery or angsty drama in this holiday story but Chance and John certainly belong in Skagit, Washington. The NorthStar can be read as a standalone but I personally hate reading a series out of order so I recommend doing so but you won't be lost by any means if you haven't read the previous entries.
When it Rains #8
I'm just going to jump out of the gate and say, When it Rains is probably the darkest entry in Elle Keaton's Accidental Roots series so read with caution. Now, by "caution" I don't mean with hesitation because of its darker elements, no I mean read with caution because you won't want to put it down once you start. I can't say I read this one in one sitting because outside forces interfered but I sure wanted to, I didn't want to stop once I started.
Beto and Carsten's journey will suck you in and make you love them, not that its a hard sell, oh no because you want to see them find happiness. You want to wrap Carsten up in bubblewrap then give him a huge mama-bear hug to let him know he's safe and loved. Sometimes people just have to experience the hardship to truly appreciate the goodness that so many take for granted.
There's really not much more I can say about When it Rains that I haven't already said about the other series entries. The simplest way to put it: When it Rains is thrilling, romantic, dark, but mostly it is filled with heart that makes you cheer for Chance and Beto from page one. The pair definitely deserve a place in Skagit, Washington, happiness may not come easy but you know its worth the battle. If you haven't been reading Accidental Roots, I highly recommend doing so, it is a series of love, mystery, romance, friendship, good times and bad, but most importantly it has heart that will make you smile, certainly cry at times, but mostly it makes you smile.
Saturday's Series Spotlight
Thanks for stopping by, I’m Elle Keaton and I hail from the northwest corner of the US where we are known for rain, rain and more rain. I write the Accidental Roots series, set here in the Pacific Northwest featuring hot mm romance and the guarantee of a happy ending for my men. They start out broken, and maybe they end up that way too, but they always find the other half of their hearts.
I started writing way back when but only began publishing about two and a half years ago and now have nine books out. Each features a couple in my little universe, sometimes there is added mystery and suspense.
Thank you for supporting this Indie Author,
Elle
Find me, follow me, friend me.
EMAIL: elle@ellekeaton.com
The Northstar #7.5
When It Rains #8
Storm Season #1
No Pressure #2
Spring Break #3
As Sure As The Sun #4
River Home #5
Unforgivable #6
His Best Man #7
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