Once again, Cd Brennan has pulled me in with her Love Where You Roam series. About a year or so ago I read and reviewed the first book in the series called Watershed and loved it. I was excited to get my hands on a copy of her latest release, A World Apart. What I liked about Watershed and the idea of this series in general, is that it blends people from many cultures together, binding them in love.
In A World Apart, the reader is introduced to Australian Lizzy (who actually made a cameo appearance in Watershed) and Scottish Hamish. Lizzy is currently working as a bar maid in a Scottish pub and researching her family tree. She is headstrong, fun loving, adventurous and unafraid of a challenge--which of course, makes her the exact opposite of serious Hamish. Hamish is the local hottie (his nickname is Hottie Hamish), but he is a shy guy who comes off as being a bit brusque and reserved. He may have the money and background that Lizzie doesn't, but he is seriously lacking in social skills.
He offers Lizzy a job as his house keeper which she accepts. Her first day on the job is not exactly a stellar one--she manages to take his dogs for a long walk and gets lost in the process. Hamish comes to her rescue, but ends up stranding them on the side of a mountain overnight. Well, this leads to some intimate cuddling, which leads to feelings of desire, which leads to...well, you get the picture.
Turns out Hamish is angling for a job at a university but when he interviews for the position, he discovers the university wants more than just a "by the books" teacher. They want someone who can relax, relate to the students, be a human being. Shy Hamish feels out of his league, and when the Dean invites him to a black tie affair, he definitely doesn't know how he will get through the event. However, it occurs to him to take Lizzy who is able to charm the pants off of anyone. Unfortunately, the dinner doesn't go exactly as planned and leads to a series of misconceptions and self doubt.
As usual, Cd Brennan brings her characters to life through great dialogue and accents. It is easy to hear Lizzy's Australian voice which is a contrast to the Scottish brogue of Hamish. These characters felt real to me, very believable. Her book is rich in description of the local scene, but it's the interplay between her characters that really makes this tale fun to read. I wished it hadn't ended so soon! I just wanted to go a little further down the road with these two characters.
While there is some sex in the book, it's nothing graphic. This is a sweetheart book where the romance is the focal point and shows the development of the characters relationship and growth as people. I would give it a low rating on the heat level, but high on the romance!
Here is the Amazon link for the book! Can't wait to see where this series roams next!
A World Apart
