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yaya0808's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
krixbee's review
4.0
ARC received by NetGalley for an honest review.
This is a title that I particularly enjoyed. I found that the characters were all likable and relatively realistic; moreover, I found myself wanting to escape to the river-rafting, fly-fishing, outdoorsy lifestyle of what's clearly the setting for the Golden Rule Outfitters series.
So to Jill and Tyler - This novel's opening is amazing. I just...it's been so long since I've read a story wherein the romantic leads already know each other at the time of their novel that I found it incredibly refreshing. These are the kinds of stories that *I* write and partly due to the fact that I can't stand the love-at-first-sight nonsense that is packed into NA and YA romances. Happy day for me when I read "Mending the Line." Very soon into the novel, Hayes creates a real solid foundation for Tyler - from his family to his ambitions to his character and personality and, quickly thereafter, is able to contrast Tyler's homelife with Jill's for some added insight into what might end up being their ultimate compatibility. I liked Jill quite a bit as well. I like that she was a long distance runner and that she's had setbacks. Unlike so many of these books, our lead is not the winner. She's not some extraordinary human being with which no one can realistically relate. Instead, Jill is a hardworking athlete who struggles with her ambition vs. her ability. She questions her life's choices and her goals because of her circumstance and because of her situation. She is at that age and it is portrayed in a very real way.
Anyway, I will HAPPILY read the rest of this series. In fact, I can hardly wait for it. I will follow Christy Hayes. I find this to be just my kind of escapism. I'm a big city girl who dreams of the outdoors. This is precisely the book that I like. Good job!
This is a title that I particularly enjoyed. I found that the characters were all likable and relatively realistic; moreover, I found myself wanting to escape to the river-rafting, fly-fishing, outdoorsy lifestyle of what's clearly the setting for the Golden Rule Outfitters series.
So to Jill and Tyler - This novel's opening is amazing. I just...it's been so long since I've read a story wherein the romantic leads already know each other at the time of their novel that I found it incredibly refreshing. These are the kinds of stories that *I* write and partly due to the fact that I can't stand the love-at-first-sight nonsense that is packed into NA and YA romances. Happy day for me when I read "Mending the Line." Very soon into the novel, Hayes creates a real solid foundation for Tyler - from his family to his ambitions to his character and personality and, quickly thereafter, is able to contrast Tyler's homelife with Jill's for some added insight into what might end up being their ultimate compatibility. I liked Jill quite a bit as well. I like that she was a long distance runner and that she's had setbacks. Unlike so many of these books, our lead is not the winner. She's not some extraordinary human being with which no one can realistically relate. Instead, Jill is a hardworking athlete who struggles with her ambition vs. her ability. She questions her life's choices and her goals because of her circumstance and because of her situation. She is at that age and it is portrayed in a very real way.
Anyway, I will HAPPILY read the rest of this series. In fact, I can hardly wait for it. I will follow Christy Hayes. I find this to be just my kind of escapism. I'm a big city girl who dreams of the outdoors. This is precisely the book that I like. Good job!
abookishaffair's review
3.0
Mending the Line is a romance novel about Tyler, a fisherman, and Jill, a woman who once dreamed of running in the Olympics. This is a mostly sweet romance about two people who just are happy to have found each other.
Overall, I liked the story. It was a nice romance. Tyler and Jill fall for each other very quickly. Really Tyler falls first and it's not until he comes back to town almost a year after Jill and him first meet and then they fall really quickly. Usually I don't go for the whole insta-love thing but I really liked Tyler and I really liked Jill and they seemed so good together and really good for each other that it bothered me a little bit less. You really want them to end up together because they are both such nice people.
I thought that both Tyler and Jill were great characters. We learn a lot about them from their own actions. I also really liked that we got to see a lot of both of their families because it really helped to flesh out why Tyler and Jill were the way they were and why they did what they did. The families also added a lot to the story line.
As far as romances go, this one is mostly in the vein of sweet romances. There are a couple sex scenes but they are not gratuitous and they are really tastefully done. This book would be a good choice for when you're looking for a book to relax with.
Bottom line: A sweet romance!
Overall, I liked the story. It was a nice romance. Tyler and Jill fall for each other very quickly. Really Tyler falls first and it's not until he comes back to town almost a year after Jill and him first meet and then they fall really quickly. Usually I don't go for the whole insta-love thing but I really liked Tyler and I really liked Jill and they seemed so good together and really good for each other that it bothered me a little bit less. You really want them to end up together because they are both such nice people.
I thought that both Tyler and Jill were great characters. We learn a lot about them from their own actions. I also really liked that we got to see a lot of both of their families because it really helped to flesh out why Tyler and Jill were the way they were and why they did what they did. The families also added a lot to the story line.
As far as romances go, this one is mostly in the vein of sweet romances. There are a couple sex scenes but they are not gratuitous and they are really tastefully done. This book would be a good choice for when you're looking for a book to relax with.
Bottom line: A sweet romance!
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