Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Sylvan by Jan Irving


Return to small-town Sylvan in Jan Irving’s bestselling series—reimagined and re-edited with an all-new bonus novella.

The small Western town of Sylvan is a place for new beginnings for those who won’t settle for anything less than true love. These sweet tales of slow-simmering romance and the old-fashioned values of commitment and pulling together when times get tough prove that sometimes the best matches are also the most unexpected.

With the help of a storm, a washed-up Olympic swimmer and a carpenter cracking under the strain of caring for his Alzheimer’s-affected father learn that opposites sometimes really do attract.

A likable cowboy called Happy Nate is determined to help a mute boy speak again—and to help his father move beyond the repression of the Mennonite community to find the love he deserves.

When a hard-partying cowboy is suddenly saddled with a surprise baby, he’s at his wit’s end. Luckily the local doctor is available to help, and if the two men can find the courage to accept themselves and step into a new life, they might just make a real family. They’ll need to lend each other strength when an unspeakable tragedy strikes—and when it’s time to pick up the pieces.

Add to Goodreads


Books 1 – 4
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
Dreamspinner Press



Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah☆☆☆☆
This is a collection of three very sweet, small town romances and one slightly darker follow-on story. Each story is a short novella, allowing for strong character and relationship development without too much added angst.

Personally, my favourite of the four stories was Luke and Morgan’s book. There is something special about the connection between the young single father and the kind doctor. The vulnerable, exhausted cowboy and the lonely older man make for a beautiful pairing. There isn’t much realism to this story, but the gay-for-you fantasy made me go all warm and tingly.

In the first book in the collection, I loved Leif as he struggled to care for his father and Mal at the same time. He is solid, placid, and pragmatic, and I really enjoyed the way he was challenged by Mal, a younger, wilder man. My reservations with this story lay with Mal – a man who felt even younger than his twenty-three years and often came across as slightly spoiled and sulky. Together these two make a great pair and I really enjoyed the slow build romance.

Happy Nathaniel and Aaron’s relationship in the third book was completely unexpected. The promiscuous cowboy and the traditional Mennonite are an unlikely pair, but the chemistry between them is very hot. Nate’s beard fetish was a first for me, but I enjoyed the couple and Aaron’s young son, Sam.

The final story is darker, returning to Luke and Morgan several years in the future as they face a family tragedy together. Rather than a simple romance, this is a heavier story of a couple struggling with the complexities of their long-term partnership. Even more implausible fantasy elements have been added to this story and I found it a less satisfying read.

Together, this is a collection of sweet romantic stories. These are gentle, feel-good stories and as long as readers expect escapism rather than realism, they will enjoy the colourful men of Sylvan.



Writer and artist, I'm happiest living in both worlds. I paint, weave, quilt, create ceramics--recently replaced all my every day ware with my own handmade dishes--now that was a project! I love writing romance. I try to bring in all the drama and color I love to play with in fiber or paint into my books. You can follow the tales of my art projects and upcoming books on my Facebook. Jan Irving has worked in all kinds of creative fields, from painting silk to making porcelain ceramics, to interior design, but writing was always her passion. She feels you can’t fully understand characters until you follow their journey through a story world. Many kinds of worlds interest her, fantasy, historical, science fiction and suspense—but all have one thing in common, people finding a way to live together—in the most emotional and erotic fashion possible, of course!

Connect with Jan

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads


https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com


Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Sylvan by Jan Irving to read and review.

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