ABOUT THE BOOK:
From the winner of the XOXO Connects flash fiction contest comes a story about an uber-focused executive knocked off her stride by a riding accident and then swept off her feet when she least expects it!
Alejandra Barros doesn’t know the meaning of failure until fate pulls the rug right out from under her Louboutin stilettos.
Board of Directors’ meetings, corporate takeovers, and jet setting around the globe don’t allow for much of a personal life—and even Ali’s limited free time is dedicated to her beloved horses, show jumping at a championship level. When a freak riding accident shatters her wrist and messes with her confidence at work, her boss mandates a month-long hiatus. If she wants to save her career, she has no choice but to go.
Pebble Creek Lodge is not far from Denver, but the high-end retreat might as well be a world away from the frenzied pace of Manhattan. From the moment she arrives, Ali feels so out of place she’s practically ready to skip the whole “required recovery” nonsense and hop on the next plane back to New York. The only thing stopping her is the ranch hand Hank Mathis and his perfectly chiseled abs, which are intriguing and delicious enough to make her linger.
By the time Ali admits she’s in a bit of a funk, not even the moral and physical support of a gorgeous cowboy is enough to bring her back to her old self—especially when the object of her desires is secretly battling his own demons. To get her life back on track, Ali will have to decide what it is she’s really fighting to regain and what it will take to find it—or she’ll risk losing the one thing that could truly make her happy.
READ AN EXCERPT:
MY REVIEW:
The Last Resort by R.S. KovachThe Last Resort by R.S. Kovach is a 2017 Pocket Star publication.
At first glance, Ali Barros has it all. She has a high-powered career, is successful, smart and confident- until for some reason, after a horse riding accident embarrasses her, leaving her with a broken wrist, she suddenly finds her confidence shaken to the point where she’s unable to focus on her job. Finally, her bosses insist she take a sabbatical, or else, which is how she ended up at the Pebble Creek Lodge, hoping the resort will help her regain her mojo.
Hank, a sexy cowboy, working at the resort, seems to hit it off with Ali and the two start up a fun and flirty banter, which is something Ali really needs, because she tends to take herself a bit too seriously.
But, as time passes, the couple takes one step forward and two steps back until they finally reach a kind of sorta understanding. Maybe now they can now lay the groundwork for what will hopefully be a long and happy life together.
First of all, Congratulations to R.S. Kovach for winning the XOXO After Dark flash fiction contest! Obviously, this author shows much promise, and this book certainly gave me a glimpse of her talent.
The story has an interesting premise, but it was a little buggy here and there. Nothing terrible, just a few kinks that kept it from reaching its full potential.
Ali’s overreaction to her accident is puzzling. I’m thinking it was more the humiliation than the broken wrist that bothered her, but why she dwelled on it to the point of distraction, didn’t really jibe with her projected image. Underneath all that ‘confidence’ was a girl who needed to work on her insecurities and had a lot of growing up to do.
Hank was the perfect guy to guide Ali on that journey, especially since he’s had to cope with issues considerably more serious than Ali’s, by comparison. He’s sweet and patient, but as Ali remarked, he’s not exactly verbose, and therein lies the rub.
There was a serious communication breakdown with this couple, something that could have been avoided had they been a little more mature. After a good deal of hemming and hawing they realize they have something that’s worth making a few sacrifices for, to see where things might lead.
This is not exactly a swoon worthy ending with tearful declarations of love, but considering the emotional growth that still needs some work, this may be the best place to leave this couple, realistically. I think the outlook is a positive one for Hank and Ali and I did enjoy their journey, even it was a bit unorthodox.
Overall, this one was a little wobbly and unsteady at times, but it is a light, easy, and enjoyable read from an up and coming author, that contemporary romance lovers might want to take a look at.
* I received a copy of this book as an XOXpert, the official street team of XOXO After Dark.
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Last-Resort-R-S-Kovach-ebook/dp/B01JGQAHPQ/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-last-resort-rs-kovach/1124230249
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
R.S. Kovach is slightly obsessed with Pachelbel’s Canon, but not so much with splitting infinitives. An art historian by training and a senior financial administrator by trade, she has worked at universities across three continents. Her native language of Hungarian has been only slightly more useful than her other obscure skill of quoting THE PRINCESS BRIDE, but being a Wattpad Featured author with over 3 million combined reads across various genres has given her the opportunity to write commissioned shorts for both THE GALLOWS and CRIMSON PEAK movie promotional campaigns.
After winning the inaugural XOXOAfterDark.com flash-fiction contest, Pocket Star Books will publish her debut contemporary romance, THE LAST RESORT, in March 2017. She is also a featured author in the Gallery Books fairy-tale retelling anthology ONCE UPON NOW, out in October 2016.
She lives with her husband and three boys in the greater Washington, D.C. area, and is currently seeking representation. You can also find many of her books on Wattpad or Radish Fiction.
