Tiffinie Helmer

I think my biggest issue with this book was the inconsistency in tone.

Sometimes it reads very much like a comedy but at other times it's dead serious and deals out really heavy emotions. This caused bad emotional whiplash and a kind of cognitive dissonance for me.

The entire plot is executed in a fundamentally silly way which undermines all the seriousness. As a consequence, I disliked reading the serious stuff because the surrounding goofy atmosphere invalidated it all somehow. I felt like the book disrespected the heavy feelings of its own cast and my own emotional investment with it.
I was so on board with the more serious tone that the realization of how much it would be subverted by the humor just made me lose the drive to continue.
That is not to say the humor is bad or anything. I actually enjoyed most of it a lot. It was cheeky and cute. I just couldn't handle both at the same time.

I think this is mostly a "me" problem.… (mer)

Skip Ozhuwan and Wren Terni grew up together in a small Alaskan town. They were childhood sweethearts. But that all went south when Wren's mother committed suicide and Wren blamed her abusive father. Not wanting to face the pain Wren turned to a life of drugs and Skip had to arrest her and send her away. This was also after she shot him.

Five years later Wren is coming back to Egegik for Skip's sister wedding which she is the Maid of Honor. She has to get there on a puddle jumper with Skip to make it to the small town, something she is not looking forward to since Skip had thrown her in jail five years ago. She wants nothing to do with him and Skip wants to start up where they left off.

Not long after taking off the plane crashes when the pilot suddenly dies. During there fight for survival Wren and Skip work through there issues.

I have to say this is just a 50 page book but you dont feel cheated about it being so short. Alot happens in those 50 pages.… (mer)

An intriguing start to a new series based the wilds of Alaska.

Twenty years ago Amelia Bennett was kidnapped by a cult leader for 9 months. She should have died but managed to survive physically but it took a toll on her emotionally where she eventually wanted to check out of life.

Mel Bennett is now part owner of the Edge of Reason Lodge in Alaska. It’s remote and cut off from the real world. Problem is the real world is about to descend on her.

Cashe Calder made his photojournalist career on taking a picture of a little girl that survived a nightmare. Twenty years later he is struggling with injuries sustained from a suicide bombing that killed two co-workers. He is struggling with depression and what he wants to do with his life when his editor suggests he do a follow up article on Amelia. The two embark on the trek to Alaska under the disguise of vacationers.

Mel’s sister, who she has been estranged from, suddenly sends a letter that she and her 2 children are coming to stay for the summer with Mel. Nicole is at a crossroads after her divorce and doesn’t have a place to live or a job.

Mel does her best to keep her tight control over her life and emotions with all the unwanted visitors along with running the Lodge that has a great cast of characters helping her run it. Along with not wanting to deal with her sister and the past history between them she also finds herself attracted to Cashe and suddenly seeing things that have to do with her past abduction.

The author was very descriptive of the Alaskan scenery and also of all the hazards of living in the wilds. The multiple POV and relationships also provided a well rounded story of survival of tragedies and starting over.
… (mer)