Lis’ Review: Blue-Eyed Soul by Fae Sutherland & Chelsea James

Fae Sutherland & Chelsea James

Blue-Eyed Soul

Amber Allure, January 8, 2012 | 225 pages

Fae Sutherland’s website | Chelsea James’ Tumblr | Goodreads | Buy book here

Backblurb:
International pop star Remey Dufresne just wants a break from it all. And the idyllic town of Haven, Massachusetts, seems to be the perfect spot to reconnect with his small-town roots and recharge. He doesn’t expect special treatment from the people who live there, he just wants a haven of his own. But what he doesn’t expect is to fall in love—with the town, with its people, and with the local high school music teacher and his precocious little girl.

Single father Aleksander Kelly is by no means impressed by Remey’s presence. In fact, he’s downright irritated. With the media frenzy invading his hometown and inconveniencing everyone, Aleks would rather Remey go back to La-La Land and leave them all alone. It’s a shame the guy’s so good-looking. And kind. And not at all the celebrity diva Aleks expected.
But the Hollywood machine never stops, and fame isn’t something from which you can easily escape. There’s more than just their hearts on the line when Remey’s obligations and Aleks’s reservations collide...

Genre & Keywords:
M/M Romance, Small Towns, Rockstars, Single Fathers, Hot Man Love, Music

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Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Heat level: 3 out of 3
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Reviewed by Lis:

Blue-Eyed Soul is a sweet, heartwarming story that is set in the small idyllic town of Haven that had me smiling all the way through.

The story revolves around Remey Dufresne, international rockstar and heartthrob, and Aleksander Kelly, music teacher and dad extraordinaire. They are both very different characters, but there is an undeniable attraction that neither can shake. Remey comes to the little town of Haven to just get away from it all. However, where he goes, the paparazzi follow, especially after a small mistake with certain social media. While Aleks can forgive him for being a rockstar, he can't forgive Remey so easily for disturbing the peace of the small town. But as it goes in small towns, it’s hard to avoid each other and it's even harder to deny the attraction sizzling between them.

You know how most rockstars seem way out of your league? Only to be had in your dreams? Remey is a very down to earth character. He knows who he is and what he does in life and what he wants. And he's set his eyes on Aleks. Remey is a very sweet character and I loved the interaction between him and his best friend Allison, who is not afraid to speak her mind about anything.

Aleks on the other hand, has one focus in life and that's raising his daughter Willow. A very cute and smart kid. His life revolves around his young daughter after her mother abandoned her and he is determined not to see her hurt. Even when Remey is very good with Willow and adores her almost as much as her dad. Just so that there is no misunderstanding, Aleks is neither bi-sexual or gay, that I gathered from the story. He just loves who he loves. In any case, this focus on his daughter makes him extremely wary of Remey and he tries to keep the rockstar at arm’s length. Remey is just going to leave anyway, right? However, love has his own way of getting what it wants.

The story focuses not only on the budding romance between Remey and Aleks and the obstacles they encounter, but also on the town's winter festival. A festival Aleks helps organize and Remey promises to sing at. But Remey also has obligations elsewhere, which might just cause a bump – make that one big pot hole – along the way.

The characters, both lead and secondary, and the story itself are likeable. It's engaging and draws you right in. You find yourself wishing you lived in a town like Haven (I sure would if it comes with hot man stuff like Aleks). The story itself is well written and thought out. While some of the arguments between Aleks and Remey revolve around Aleks’s resolve not to let Remey too close and can get a little tiring as a result, it still doesn't take from the story as a whole.

I definitely would recommend Blue-Eyed Soul. It's the perfect story to read curled up on the couch with a nice, warm blanket and a hot chocolate.
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