Title: Rose Garden
Author: Ilena Holder
Published in October 2007 by Awe-Struck Ebooks
Genre: Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1-58749-557-1, ebook
She came to California to forget a broken engagement. Working at the horse stable keeps her from noticing a sorely lacking sex life. However, when a handsome actor requests horseback riding lessons, her carnal deficiency becomes a thing of the past.
Autumn is a scorned woman, catching her fiancée and best friend in a compromising situation. Moving from Michigan to California to start life anew, she fills in at a horse ranch owned by a girlfriend’s mother. Autumn is content giving riding instruction, while keeping her own horse in shape for dressage. All is going well until a handsome actor requests lessons for an upcoming movie. His virile presence sparks a craving she thought long dead.
Soap opera star, Logan Graham is polite and courteous, never adopting the self-absorbed attitude like so many tinsel-town residents. Upon arriving for his first lesson, Logan immediately feels the pull of attraction towards Autumn, mostly due to her natural beauty that lacks the common Hollywood glamour. He has never felt so drawn to a woman before so courts her carefully, hoping she may be the marrying kind.
A natural contemporary romance, Rose Garden is a pleasant love story with enjoyable characters that support a simple though genuine plot. Autumn’s boss, at the stable, encourages her to seek Logan out as a lover and possibly marriage material; fearing she is too young to give up on romance. What she doesn’t expect is a man that is quite chaste – sexually a virgin. Autumn arouses Logan with tales of a stallion’s earthy wooing of his mare, and then concludes her dialogue by physically showing him the fine art of loving a woman. A deliciously illustrated sexual tension that is masterfully satisfying, for both story characters and readers!
Then instead of Autumn’s post coitus reminiscing, Ms. Holder instead gives incite into Logan’s post orgasmic feelings; pondering why his fellow man never spoke of the romantic beauty when making loving. From this reader’s perspective, it’s a nice change from the norm. As their unions scorch the pages the blossoming romance is endearing. Since its Logan’s first time falling in love he pretty much follows Autumn’s lead. His blind trust boosts her self-confidence while fostering trust, again, in another man. Making this a more pleasant read is the characters’ gentle relationship with little turmoil.
A puzzling piece from Rose Garden is Logan’s reoccurring dream. Since his teens Logan is constantly visited by a dream set in the old English countryside where he toils as a peasant farming the land. All the while senses the dream man’s frustration at the poorly producing crop. Later, once he and Autumn’s romance gets under way, his dream changes to a more erotic theme. This new dream opens as he touches an over ripe peach swollen with juices that his gentle touch frees. Now riding inside a buggy and dressed more elegantly, he passes the fields he laboriously toiled in before. Except now he has others who share is burden and prosperity; and everyone is joyous. Enjoying a mystery, this reader cannot help but view these strategically placed tidbits as links into Logan’s romantic nature, including his career goals. It is clear that he must first labor intensely before reaping the rewards. Then through Autumn’s tutelage he will grow as a lover, and hopefully fate blesses him with a successful acting career.
Rose Garden, published through Awe-Struck Ebooks, is Ms Holder’s first book. A Navy veteran, Ms. Holder is a member of several local writers groups; “…Heart of Dixie writers group, the Romance Writers of America, and ROMVETS, a group composed of woman veterans of the armed services who write romances.” Whether this author has other works in the making only she knows… but fans can keep tabs by book marking her web site and personal blog.
A Dedicated Reader,
Pamela Jenewein
Ilena Holder Buy Rose Garden from Awe-Struck
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