Found in the Lost by Tarina Deaton

I inhaled this story! Then had to go back and start all over and get all the goodness again. Loved Shane and Kinley's meeting and how things just connected and fit together between them. The sparks burned off the pages, and their adventure and the way they supported and cared for the other quickly became a adventure I didn't want to have end! This has the feel of one of those awesome summertime adventure escapes we crave every year. So much was jammed packed in a few pages and I didn't feel anything was left lacking.

Charlotte by Angela Rush

I loved it! ....and I didn't.

All the pieces were there to make this story be one of those special favorite reads for me: older characters, the instant connection/attraction, the jungle rescue, the uber protective alpha hero, the strong and vulnerable heroine, them-together-against-the-world vibe, the suspense plot line, the heroine who suffers from bad dreams/nightmares (something I can identify with strongly), the steamy times, the sweet kid (his), a brotherhood who has your back, nice/loving parents (why do so many parents have to be evil???). So much good!

But, there was still something missing or something that just didn't settle right with me with this story. Some of Hawk's actions I wish he chose differently (one of the shower scenes for example) or comments he made that I know were probably intended to be swoony-hot but to me lessened the attraction (ahem, think it don't say it, you're smarter than that). Charlotte's kids and friends gave me a bad taste (which, again, the intent for their characters was good, but how it was expressed didn't jive well for me). The drama of the suspense story line at the end felt a bit lackluster (I felt more of the terror in the jungle then the terror at the end, and I should have most definitely felt it at the end). I never really connected to Charlotte and found myself in her shoes (which while they did literally stink a good part of the story, I *wanted* to be in her shoes).

Technically, the flow of the story felt off sometimes, more like it was being told AT me, instead of me connecting to the characters and being a part of the story. I'm also all about giving grace for typos/mistakes in a story (they're always managing to sneak in there, it's genuinely okay), unfortunately, there was enough in this that it stood out in not the best of ways.

So really - it's a great story checking off so many of the romantic suspense puzzle pieces I enjoy, and I'm glad I kept pushing through to the end. But the connection I crave, the "something" that makes me want to remember the story and revisit it was lacking.