September Tango
by Scarlett Jade and Llerxt the 13th
Release Date: July 21, 2013
Summary: Loosely based on a true story. The town of Major is nothing more than a major disappointment for Zoe Parker. She is living in a gray world after the death of her beloved Mama, and can’t seem to shake the growing depression that threatens to consume her. Things only get worse when she discovers her longtime boyfriend is banging every chick in town.
Her daddy is gone most nights, and all she can think about is the boy who really caught her eye in high school more than five years ago… The one with gorgeous dark skin and smoldering eyes… Too bad he was dating her best friend. Now she floats around, moving through the daily routine with small dreams about getting away from the small town, and finding a real man to claim her heart…
Staff Sergeant Calvin Hall of the US Army is finally putting his boots back on American soil for some R&R. It’s been five years since he joined the military, and he hasn’t looked back since. After dealing with his own troubling past, he wants to lay back and enjoy some time to put it all behind him. But fate has other plans for him… A beautiful woman snags his attention the first day in town and the pull between them is too strong to resist. The problem? She is his ex-girlfriend’s best friend, she is just as broken as he is, and he has a war he has to get back to in two weeks.
Who says a summer romance ever has to end? What if thousands of miles and a war separated you? Would you keep dancing? Or would it simply be… a September Tango?
Source: I received a digital copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Review:
September Tango was a fun contemporary romance that was loosely based on a true story. I loved the true story aspect because I definitely believe in love at first sight –two people finding each other and knowing instantly that they belong together— and I know it happens (because it happened to me). I love that the two authors who co-wrote the book were writing their love story. I just think it’s sweet!
I absolutely loved the setting of September Tango. It was a small Alabama town in the middle of summer. I felt the stifling heat, the humidity, and the utter hopelessness that comes with living in a dead end town. I felt Zoe’s despair and frustration and the way it paralleled with the stifling heat really drove the point home.
Calvin returned home for R&R from Afghanistan and was instantly drawn to Zoe. Their connection was strong and their love story was great. Zoe had a ton of issues to deal with and get over due to her father, ex-boyfriend, and so-called friends treating her terribly, but Calvin really got through to her. I loved reading about their love story and seeing their journey from classmates to soul mates. I also loved the supporting characters, mainly Calvin’s wonderful family members and friends. They made me laugh and were exactly what Zoe needed in her life, aside from Calvin. Pops was definitely my favorite character.
I loved their love story and felt a kinship with Zoe and Calvin because I also fell for a military man myself (though not Army). When the two of them were getting set up with ID/Deers and enrolling in Tricare and having to deal with last minute changes in schedules and trying to make a new place home, I totally related. I loved being able to relate to the situation and, while most people might not understand having to wait for the man you love to get back from deployment or why on earth anyone would do such a thing, I get it and I understand all of the complicated emotions that come with it.
September Tango had a great plot, but I felt like a lot of the story was rushed and choppy. Even if the events unfolded that quickly in real life, I thought the story could have had a better flow in order to offset the rushed nature of their relationship. The story felt choppy both because of the events coming together in a rushed fashion and the choppiness of the narrative. Both Zoe and Calvin had points of view, but they weren’t separated by chapters, so occasionally it would switch back and forth. I enjoyed both points of view, but I would have preferred more of a distinct break before switching. Some portions of the book felt choppy because every sentence began with She. She did… She went… She .. and I would have preferred run on sentences or other ways of wording so that the paragraphs didn’t seem robotic. I only noticed it every once in awhile, but it pulled me out of the book for a moment whenever I did notice it.
I would recommend September Tango if you love contemporary romance or have an interest in reading mostly true love stories and seeing how two people met and fell in love. I love hearing about how my friends and family members met and fell in love and that was my favorite part of September Tango. Fans of the author will definitely love the book!
Where to Buy: Amazon Kindle . Paperback
