Summer of Love

I absolutely adored Summer Lovin' by Carly Phillips. It is the second book in the Costas Sisters series but reads pretty well as a stand-alone story. I had to laugh at how Zoe and Ryan first met and how they had a misunderstanding about his identity. When you hear the term opposites attract, Zoe Costas and Ryan Baldwin fit the statement perfectly. Zoe is way more of a free spirit than Ryan and while she can handle some rules, she goes more with her feelings than too many rules. Ryan is a Boston Baldwin and while he pretty much always follows the rules, he can tell as soon as he meets his niece Sam, that she is a free spirit like her mom. I loved there was an attraction between Zoe and Ryan from pretty much the moment they met. I also loved they both worried so much about Sam and what was best for her, all while trying to figure out what had really happened with Ryan's sister. Zoe and Ryan had to find a way to get their two very different families to work together for Sam's best interest. I liked the bit of mystery that Zoe and Ryan had to figure out when it came to Sam's mom. I also have to say I adored how the Baldwin family started to bend and be so much more understanding when it came to their granddaughter. The Costas family is such an accepting group that you just knew they would do anything for Sam just like they would for any other member of their family. I really liked Zoe and Ryan as a couple. Again, there was an attraction between them from the very beginning, and it got stronger the more time they spent together. I hated that Zoe was so hesitant in admitting her feelings to others, her family included. However, I felt like her feelings for Ryan were too strong for her to fight. Summer Lovin' had me experiencing so many different emotions as I read it. I laughed at all the antics of the Costas clan and Sam, smiled and sighed as I saw Zoe and Ryan fall in love, and even experienced both anger and sadness as we learned the truth about Ryan's sister and her past. I love a story that makes me feel so many different emotions as I read it and highly recommend Summer Lovin'. Rating: 5 Stars (A)

It sure has been fun, re-reading these older books of Carly Phillips. I had forgotten how crazy and funny the Costas clan was! This is the second book in the Costas Sisters series and Zoe Costas' story. Having recently left the Secret Service, Zoe has now started up a security specialist company along with Quinn and Connor. She is also living at her parents home since they now are fostering Sam, with the hopes of adopting her. When a strange guy shows up at Sam's party, they all assume he is the temporary social worker on Sam's case but in reality he is actually Sam's Uncle Ryan. When Zoe finds out that Ryan is not a social worker, she calls him on it and he tells her that he is Sam's uncle. Both of them decide not to let the family know who Ryan really is until they get to know more about each other....which neither of them seem to mind because there is definite chemistry going on there! It is pretty funny how completely opposite these two are! When someone is threatening Sam, Zoe and Ryan work together to try and figure out what is going on and end up taking Sam to Boston where Ryan's family lives. The Baldwin's way of life is night and day different from the Costas way of life. This was such a fun comparison! While working together, things are definitely heating up between Zoe and Ryan and have both of them feeling things that they have never felt before. The mystery behind the threats was fun and entertaining. I really enjoyed how everything played out in the end and really loved Zoe and Ryan's happy ending. Overall, this was a fun and entertaining story with some great, colorful characters!

4.5 star review Summer Lovin (Costas Sisters #2) by Carly Phillips Zoe is Ariana (Ari) Costas’s sister who we met in the first book in this re released series from Carly Phillips. There is more to her than meets the eye; a security specialist she is not afraid to take on what needs to be done and is fiercely protective of those she cares for. Her crazy Greek family are quirky and I love how all in your face they get. Summer Lovin is a romantic suspense story that ticked the boxes for me. There were times that I was on the edge of my seat as well as times that I needed to fan myself with the heat that sizzled between Zoe and Ryan Baldwin. I enjoy Ms.Phillips style of writing, it is strong and she writes characters that you cannot help but become invested in their story. I really liked Zoe and Ryan, both separately and together. Whilst her family is in the middle of adopting a 14 year old girl named Sam, they are shocked when Ryan turns up, mistakenly believing he is a social worker. Zoe doesn't trust easily and is suspicious of Ryan,not believing he is a social worker. It turns out she is right as Ryan claims to be Sam’s uncle and when she learns that he really is, they decide to keep it between them until he gets to know his niece better. When danger rears it’s head and Sam is threatened the Costas family, Zoe in particular and Ryan will do whatever it takes to protect her. Can they find out who is after Sam and keep her safe? What will happen when long buried secrets are revealed? One click and find out.