Pulled by a Dream by Kathryn Greenway - Release Day Review

253 Pages

Buy links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Available through Kindle Unlimited

Blurb

Emily Darrow is ready for a change. She’s sold her interior design company, and is taking some time off to consider her options before starting a new life with new challenges. But when she inherits her Aunt Jane’s dilapidated farmhouse, along with all its memories, she realizes her future might not be exactly what she’d envisaged. Ignoring resistance from her family, Emily sets out to make her aunt’s dream a reality.

She abandons city life for the tranquillity of the quaint English village where she spent so many happy summers as a child, determined to make a success of her new venture. Emily is used to relying on no one but herself, and that’s just how she wants it. She certainly doesn’t need a man, especially one as stubborn as handsome carpenter Jake Matthews.

Jake’s dreams suffered an unexpected setback with the death of Jane Phelps, and when it becomes clear her niece has no intention of accepting his offer, he has to walk away. But when events take another turn and the pair have to work together, Jake can’t help but be attracted to her, despite her stubborn streak. A chance discovery, however, causes him to think that Emily is not all she seems. And if he’s right, there’s no way they could have a future together.

Review

Those who have been following my reviews may have noticed that I rarely, read MF romances these days. And there’s a reason for that. In traditional romance the M-F divide is mostly still as stark as it has ever been. As a result we almost inevitably end up with women who, even when they appear to be self-sufficient and strong, need a man to save the day. God forbid that the woman should be as strong as or, shock horror, stronger than, her male counterpart. Or, when the female lead is portrayed as strong, that almost always also means she is portrayed as bitchy and overbearing.

Thankfully, this is not the case in Pulled by a Dream. In Emily Darrow we meet a strong and independent woman who needs nobody else to save her, make her decisions for her, or show her the error of her ways. What is more, Emily’s strength doesn’t come at the expense of Jake Matthews’ image. Both characters are strong. Both of them know what they want. And both of them may be too quick to jump to conclusions on occasion.

As a result, Pulled by a Dream, is a delightful and fascinating read. And not ‘just’ that. The book is also very well written. The English countryside location jumps off the page, as do the various primary and secondary characters.

I found myself rooting for Emily and Jake from the moment they were introduced, even if the two of them don’t even come close to liking each other at that stage. Their journey from distrustful, to ‘forced’ to work together, through almost begrudging respect, to friendship, and ultimately love was as captivating as it was beautiful.

If you like your romances with well-rounded characters, well plotted, beautifully written, with a dash of mystery, and yummy sensuality, you really ought to try Kathryn Greenway’s first release. While she may be new to the MF romance genre, it will be clear to any discerning reader that this lady knows her art, and knows it well.

About the Author

Kathryn Greenway lives on the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of the UK, in a typical English village where there are few secrets, and everyone knows everyone else.

She writes romance in different genres, and under different pen names, but her goal is always the same - to reach that Happily Ever After.

Pulled by a Dream is Kathryn’s debut novel, although in a whole other life, she is a bestselling author of gay romance.