At Last in Laguna by Claire Marti

The delightful Claire Marti is my guest on Episode 72 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast. Claire joined me to talk about her Finding Forever in Laguna series, specifically book two of that series, At Last in Laguna. This book can be read as a stand alone novel, but does have characters that also appeared in the first book, so if you want to start from the beginning you should definitely read Second Chance in Laguna first. That book features the story of Nick and Sophie, while At Last in Laguna tells the story of Alyssa and Brandt, Nick's sister and best friend.

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Alyssa Morgan has secretly been in love with her older brother Nick’s best friend, Brandt Dempsey, since she was an awkward, lonely teenager. When she catches the bouquet at Nick’s wedding, she throws caution to the wind and propositions Brandt to a two-week fling. He’s tried to ignore how Alyssa has blossomed into a strong, talented, gorgeous woman because as his best friend’s baby sister, she’s off limits.

After they share a mind-blowing kiss, Brandt struggles to fight their undeniable chemistry. His tragic childhood scarred him, but he pushes it deep inside, only allowing the world to see a wealthy, carefree entrepreneur. Forced to work together on Brandt’s latest charitable venture, Brandt and Alyssa’s passion cannot be denied. Alyssa knows he’s the one. Can she convince him they belong together? (Source)

At first glance it would seem that  Alyssa and Brandt do not get along, maybe can't even stand each other, but that is not the case. Both are attracted to the other but both have issues from their past that they have been allowing to affect not only a potential relationship with each other, but other relationships as well. Throw in Nick as an insanely over-protective big brother, and this couple seems doomed before they even get started.

At Last in Laguna is a contemporary romance, and could be classified as a beach read (that takes place at the beach!). It is a sweet story and has an overall light-hearted feel to it, but it has a deeper undercurrent as well. That undercurrent doesn't take away the light-heartedness of the story, it simply reminds us that everyone's lives and stories are multi-layered and multi-dimensional. The relationship between Brandt and Alyssa is front and center in this book, but relationships of all kinds are important and highlighted throughout, and Claire does a beautiful job of showing how our relationships help us and affect us in every aspect of our lives.

Genres:

• Contemporary Romance
• Women's Fiction

What I enjoyed:

• The relationships throughout. As I said at one point in the interview, I frequently wanted to smack Nick in his role as over-protective big brother, but his relationship with Alyssa is affected by their parents' deaths. Claire does a great job at showing how relationships are affected by our pasts and present as well as how those relationships can help us to learn and grow into the future.
• Alyssa's inner monologues. Maybe you could call it talking to herself, but it reminded me of my own inner voice and it made Alyssa that much more human and likeable. Especially since her inner voice is funny and often snarky.
• The fact that this is part of a trilogy of interconnected characters which means I will have more opportunities to get to know those characters.

Quotes:

• "No more tequila shots--liquor transformed into truth serum. Rather inconvenient at the moment."
• "First, Tad--who the hell was named Tad?--had invited her to a strip club where his sister, yes, his sister, worked. That way they could get discounted drinks and watch the show. Um, no, thank you very much."
• "A giggle bubbled up her throat as she realized she'd have to open all of them and hit all the sticks in one fell swoop. Or stream. What a ridiculous situation. Sneaking out of town to pee on sticks in a coffeehouse. Could be a country music song."

Where you can find Claire online:

Website: https://www.clairemarti.com/

Facebook: @ClaireMartiAuthor

Twitter: @clairepmarti

Instagram: @clairepmarti

Amazon Author Page: Claire Marti

GoodReads: Claire Marti

BookBub: @ClaireMartiAuthor

Yoga Break for Writer's Block

Author Bio:

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Claire Marti started writing stories as soon as she was old enough to pick up pencil and paper. After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BA in English Literature, Claire was sidetracked by other careers, including practicing law, selling software for legal publishers, and managing a non-profit animal rescue for a Hollywood actress.

Her award winning debut novel, Second Chance in Laguna, won best unpublished contemporary romance in the Heart of the Molly and third place in the Maggie. Second Chance in Laguna is available now in print, ebook and audiobook at all major retailers.

Check out a teaser here: Second Chance in Laguna. Book two in the Finding Forever in Laguna series, At Last in Laguna, released on October 18, 2017 and is available everywhere. Book three, Sunset in Laguna, ​will be available Spring 2018.

When Claire's not writing, she's teaching yoga. You can find her teaching at studios in sunny San Diego or enjoy forty-three online classes on the international website www.yogadownload.com. A breast cancer survivor, Claire is a sought-after speaker on the power of yoga and meditation for cancer. She's been published in numerous magazines with articles on wellness and is the author of a memoir on her experience beating breast cancer.  

Claire is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the San Diego Romance Writers. (Source)

Does At Last in Laguna sound like a book you'd like to read? Excellent news: I have 3 SIGNED copies to give away! All you have to do is go to either our Facebook or Twitter pages and share the episode with Claire's interview, or go to Instagram and comment on that post. Simple as that: just comment on, share, or retweet episode 72 and you'll automatically be entered to win this wonderful book! 

To hear the interview with Claire please click here.