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lifeinthebooklane's review against another edition
4.0
If you love second-chance romances then you will enjoy this amazing read. However it does have potential triggers regarding abuse.
It's all open spaces and heat and horses and heart.
Whilst this falls into that cliche of the man having 'wronged' the woman, because he thought this was the best for both of them, it then developed into its own story and was very much not cliched after that. I loved that once the truth was out it wasn't immediately all roses and rainbows, that Rachel struggled to give up 6 years of hate. This felt so much more genuine and believable as a response. I loved Rachel's thoughts as she stood in the thunderstorm.
Spoiler
I loved that clarity came without the need for a catastrophe or tragedy.Shane's thoughts, prayers and longings slew me. The more I got to know him the more I loved him, he truly is a hero in every sense of the word.
I see the ravens again. Omens of luck. I'm a man who wishes on broken bones.
I'm a man who has a second chance to make things right.
Some might find Rachel's wavering and indecision irritating but for me it reflected her broken spirit, her lack of belief in herself and how damaged she was. The chemistry between Rachel and Shane was smoking hot and their connection pulled me into this riveting story. Both main characters are fully rounded, fleshed out and perfect in their imperfection, whilst the story is strengthened further by some wonderful supporting characters.
The book is well written, it has a plot that flows smoothly and is easy to follow and a relaxed writing style. I like that each chapter told us who's POV it was, and that when it was a 'flashback', to fill in some of the backstory, we got told how old the person was, rather than how many years ago it was. The pace of the book was good, holding my attention and I really didn't want to put this book down - if I could have managed to keep my eyes open at 1 am it would have been a one sitting read!
This is the first book I have read by this author but it won't be the last. I can't wait to read both Mav and Fox's stories either. As a Brit I also loved that one of the horses was named Sybil after the Fawlty Tower's character.
shawniebooks's review against another edition
4.0
I'm never disappointed with a Karina Halle read. I love books set on a mountain ranch in a small town.
suzysuzy34's review
4.0
Nice easy read, not quite 5 stars though, found Rachel slightly annoying at times, okay read.
caseroo7's review
4.0
Find this review and more at Ramblings From This Chick
I really enjoyed Wild Card by Karina Halle. It was a great start to her new series and I didn't want to put it down. I love this world that she has created, and the characters were fantastic. This book was different from what she normally writes, but it was so refreshing and just as well written. I love her books, and if you haven't read anything from her before this is a great one to start with!
Wild Card is a second chance romance featuring Shane and Rachel. They met as kids and their friendship turned into more with their connection being undeniable. Shane promised Rachel that he would run away with her leaving their small town behind, but then he broke up with her leaving her broken and with no choice but to leave on her own. Now years later she has returned home to help her mother, and she quickly learns that while she thought she had moved on her heart never did. But while Shane had his reasons for doing what he did, can he convince Rachel that they belong together?
I loved these two. They were perfect for one another and their connection was so strong. The love between them was obvious and my heart broke for all that they had been through at such a young age. They fit so well together and I loved getting to see their past and how things started as well as the present and how they were trying to put things back together. I also really loved the secondary characters here, and thought that they added so much to this story.
Overall, this was a really great start to Karina's North Ridge series and I honestly can't wait to get to know Shane's brothers better. Mav and Fox were fantastic and I am really excited to see more of each of them. I did feel like there were a few things here that were a bit unresolved and kind of came up and were dropped and that is the only reason this wasn't a five star read for me. But it was still really good, and I am anxious for more in this world.
**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**
I really enjoyed Wild Card by Karina Halle. It was a great start to her new series and I didn't want to put it down. I love this world that she has created, and the characters were fantastic. This book was different from what she normally writes, but it was so refreshing and just as well written. I love her books, and if you haven't read anything from her before this is a great one to start with!
Wild Card is a second chance romance featuring Shane and Rachel. They met as kids and their friendship turned into more with their connection being undeniable. Shane promised Rachel that he would run away with her leaving their small town behind, but then he broke up with her leaving her broken and with no choice but to leave on her own. Now years later she has returned home to help her mother, and she quickly learns that while she thought she had moved on her heart never did. But while Shane had his reasons for doing what he did, can he convince Rachel that they belong together?
I loved these two. They were perfect for one another and their connection was so strong. The love between them was obvious and my heart broke for all that they had been through at such a young age. They fit so well together and I loved getting to see their past and how things started as well as the present and how they were trying to put things back together. I also really loved the secondary characters here, and thought that they added so much to this story.
Overall, this was a really great start to Karina's North Ridge series and I honestly can't wait to get to know Shane's brothers better. Mav and Fox were fantastic and I am really excited to see more of each of them. I did feel like there were a few things here that were a bit unresolved and kind of came up and were dropped and that is the only reason this wasn't a five star read for me. But it was still really good, and I am anxious for more in this world.
**ARC Provided by Social Butterfly PR**
kymreads's review
5.0
A wonderfully touching, sometimes emotionally raw story! Shane and Rachel share a heartbreaking past - can they find love again?
Both characters have suffered so much due to circumstances that occurred 6 years ago. Both had their hearts broken, but for Rachel, it was particularly tragic. Estranged from her mother, she must now return to her hometown and with that comes facing Shane.
This is a truly a story of forgiveness and redemption. There are many very insightful passages that depict just how devastating love lost can be and how it effects who we are as individuals.
Can Rachel find it in herself to forgive Shane for his actions one night 6 years ago? Can she put her heart on the line again?
Although this is the first story I've read by Karina Halle, it won't be my last.
Both characters have suffered so much due to circumstances that occurred 6 years ago. Both had their hearts broken, but for Rachel, it was particularly tragic. Estranged from her mother, she must now return to her hometown and with that comes facing Shane.
This is a truly a story of forgiveness and redemption. There are many very insightful passages that depict just how devastating love lost can be and how it effects who we are as individuals.
Can Rachel find it in herself to forgive Shane for his actions one night 6 years ago? Can she put her heart on the line again?
Although this is the first story I've read by Karina Halle, it won't be my last.
simplyxkate's review
2.0
I didn't hate this one but I didn't particularly enjoy it either. I'm a big fan of second chance romances but I've read better ones than this. The writing was also overly cheesy in places and I didn't care for either of the characters. Their relationship wasn't believable to me.
laughlinesandliterature's review
4.0
*I received this book from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review*
Wild Card is a difficult book for me to review because I really enjoyed it, but it just felt that there was something missing from it. I can't really describe it but Karina Halle's books usually have a little spark of something that sets them apart from the standard contemporary romance novel, and while I have to agree that this is a top of the line novel its just missing that little something. And the more I think about it, the more I feel like the characters emotions didn't run as deep as they usually do in her novels. Rachel went through some really really horrific things, and it just felt like it didn't really phase her at all. The worst thing that she got out of the whole thing was it was hard for her to trust people. It didn't really seem to get to her too much, and I just can't help but feel that the anguish and rage should have ran alot deeper than it did.
That being said I did really enjoy this book, this is a fun, lighthearted read and Shane and Rachel are sizzling on the pages of the book. Karina Halle's writing is absolutely flawless, and I seriously want to go take a vacation in the Canadian wilderness now. The scenes between Rachel and Shane in the past are beautiful, and I really liked getting to see them as young kids. It really made me feel their history and how they were tethered to each other by years and years of shared history and friendship. I also really loved the way that the two held each other up during all of things that were happening. They took turns being each others strength, and I always love seeing a well balanced relationship.
Overall, I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars, and I highly recommend this book to any romance readers out there. It's beautifully written and these characters are burning up the pages of this book.
Wild Card is a difficult book for me to review because I really enjoyed it, but it just felt that there was something missing from it. I can't really describe it but Karina Halle's books usually have a little spark of something that sets them apart from the standard contemporary romance novel, and while I have to agree that this is a top of the line novel its just missing that little something. And the more I think about it, the more I feel like the characters emotions didn't run as deep as they usually do in her novels. Rachel went through some really really horrific things, and it just felt like it didn't really phase her at all. The worst thing that she got out of the whole thing was it was hard for her to trust people. It didn't really seem to get to her too much, and I just can't help but feel that the anguish and rage should have ran alot deeper than it did.
That being said I did really enjoy this book, this is a fun, lighthearted read and Shane and Rachel are sizzling on the pages of the book. Karina Halle's writing is absolutely flawless, and I seriously want to go take a vacation in the Canadian wilderness now. The scenes between Rachel and Shane in the past are beautiful, and I really liked getting to see them as young kids. It really made me feel their history and how they were tethered to each other by years and years of shared history and friendship. I also really loved the way that the two held each other up during all of things that were happening. They took turns being each others strength, and I always love seeing a well balanced relationship.
Overall, I would give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars, and I highly recommend this book to any romance readers out there. It's beautifully written and these characters are burning up the pages of this book.