Always a Booklover: Darcy Flynn

Hey guys! Welcome to my stop of the tour Keeper of My Heart. Now, Keeper of My Heart was an amazing read. I really loved it and the romance was so sweet. Here's what I have to say about it.

"Keeper of My Heart was a great read. I waited for quite a while to read it, having wanted to read it ever since I heard about it. And I have to say, I definitely have to regrets. It's a great book with a great plot. The characters are also really good and well thought out. Definitely a recommended read. A sweet, easy read that is impossible to not like. Check out my full review here!"

Keeper of My Heart by Darcy Flynn

Katie McCullough doesn’t know it, but Max Sawyer, the over confident, irritatingly handsome hotel developer who outbid her for the lighthouse property, is none other, than her mystery lighthouse sailor. The one man who captured her heart five years earlier, the one man who has since been the plum line for every other unsuspecting male who has crossed her path. Unfortunately for Max, he doesn’t measure up either.

Still reeling from losing the property she’d planned to call home, sparks fly when Katie assumes Max is turning her beloved lighthouse compound into one of his ‘Serenity Spa Resorts.” Outraged, Katie sets out on a mission to dismantle the property…and his plans.

Except Max’s plans have absolutely nothing to do with hotels and everything to do with winning Katie’s heart.

Darcy Flynn

Darcy was born into the rich culture of New Orleans, La. As a city filled with colorful historical intrigue and broad creative energy, her natural bent to the arts coupled with her love for one of the most romantic cities in the world has been the inspiration and anchor of her artistic multi-dimension endeavors. Darcy was always compelled by the need to express herself and like her mother’s famous gumbo, her previous expressions included a little bit of everything - art, music, acting and dance.

Although, published in music, art and the Christian non-fiction market under another identity, it was the empty nest that turned Darcy to writing romantic fiction. A lover of lighthouses, Darcy’s first novel, Keeper Of My Heart, unfolds in a small Maryland fishing village on the Chesapeake Bay.

Darcy, a former Mrs. Tennessee, continues to be surrounded by all things creative in Music City and when not in writing in her London flat, lives on a beautiful horse farm in historic- Franklin, Tennessee with her husband, son, two English Setters and a calico cat. Darcy enjoys stargazing, raising rare breed chickens and gardening.

Check out her website!

And joining us with a character interview, we have Katie!

Welcome Katie. We’re so happy you could spend a few minutes with us today.

What’s your full name?

Katherine Clare McCullough

When and where were you born?

I was born almost twenty-two years ago in Paige Point, Maryland. It’s a tiny fishing village on the Chesapeake Bay.

Tell us more about yourself. How would you describe your personality?

Definitely fun loving. I enjoy life and my friends. Although sometimes, I can be a bit impulsive. My good friend Jill says that’s the artist in me.

Oh, so you’re an artist?

Yes, mainly watercolor. I specialize in landscapes.

Would you say you’re someone who can handle pressure?

Absolutely. I’ve never missed a deadline.

Do you get along with others?

Pretty much.

Do you have any enemies?

Only one.

That was quick. Care to elaborate?

Nope.

Okay… just a few more questions. I’m going to briefly remove the wall between you and your creator. Now don’t get upset. You’re actually a character in a book.

You’re kidding, right?

I’ve now completely removed the wall. Your response?

So she’s the cause of all of this misery. Thanks, lady.

This is your creator’s world. Look beyond her. What do you see?

Chickens. Lots of chickens. A barn…and horses. It’s a farm. Oh, and there’s a tall gorgeous dark headed guy…

Okay, let’s put the wall back.

Hey…

Now that wasn’t so bad was it?

Not unless, you enjoy living in the Twilight Zone.

Anything else you feel like sharing?

Just a big thank you for having me as your guest today!

Here's a short excerpt from the book.

Bits of oyster shell spewed out from under the tires of Katie’s Jeep as it screeched to a halt. Without knocking, she stomped into the keeper’s house to find Max working on an open windowsill on the bottom floor.

“So you’re in the hotel business.” Katie threw the sheaf of papers down on the table near where he was working.

“Yes and good afternoon to you, too.” Max stopped for a brief moment then continued to sand the windowsill. “I see you’ve been doing some research.” His firm lips twitched.

“If you think you are going to turn this,” she said, waving her arms through the air, “into one of your…Serenity Spa Inns, then you are dreaming Mister.”

“Is that so?” Max straightened and his eyes locked with hers.

“You bet. I’ll never let that happen.”

His tawny eyes gave her a once over. “And you think you’re big enough to stop me?”

“Yes,” she spat out, “Don’t think I can’t. I’ll rally the entire town if I have to. This is not what the council agreed to when they accepted your bid.”

Max’s brown eyes turned glacial. “Careful Angel. That sounds like a threat. If it is, you’ll come off the worse for it.”

Katie inhaled sharply. “You may have been master of all you commanded but you won’t master me.”

Max stopped working and turned toward her. Even in her anger, Katie noticed his shirt, unbuttoned and clinging to his muscular form with the sweat of his labor, his forearms glistening with perspiration mingled with tiny particles of wood shavings.

“Maybe we should put that to the test?” he drawled.

“There’s no maybe about it.” Inhaling sharply, Katie gathered up her papers and stormed out of the house.

And here's an awesome giveaway tour-wide! Fill up the form below to join! Have fun!

First Published: 8 February 2012
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Format: Ebook
Finished Date: 12 February 2012

Synopsis

Katie McCullough doesn’t know it, but Max Sawyer, the over confident, irritatingly handsome hotel developer who outbid her for the lighthouse property, is none other, than her mystery lighthouse sailor. The one man who captured her heart five years earlier, the one man who has since been the plum line for every other unsuspecting male who has crossed her path. Unfortunately for Max, he doesn’t measure up either.

Still reeling from losing the property she’d planned to call home, sparks fly when Katie assumes Max is turning her beloved lighthouse compound into one of his ‘Serenity Spa Resorts.” Outraged, Katie sets out on a mission to dismantle the property…and his plans.

Except Max’s plans have absolutely nothing to do with hotels and everything to do with winning Katie’s heart.

My Rating

My Review

I really enjoyed Keeper of My Heart. It was a really sweet romance. Nothing heavy, just a light, simple read that left me smiling at the end of it. The plot was good and the characters in the book were mostly likable and really enhanced the storyline.

Katie was a very strong character. Though everything seemed to be going wrong for her, she somehow managed to keep living on and didn’t give up through it all. She’s really ingenious heh. Her ideas throughout the book especially the stealing part left me laughing and totally in awe of her. Not about the act, but about her thought processes.

As for Max, he was a great character too. However, I felt myself unable to completely like him. It seemed as if I was waiting for him to do something but that never happened. I found him very high-handed. Though it isn’t that bad on its own, I just feel that he was extremely proud and kept looking down on Katie. Sure, she wasn’t the most sensible of people. I guess I just didn’t like the way he treated her and the way he felt. I was hoping that he would really get hit by his conscience but he never did. Alright, he did, but it wasn’t really emphasized.

The plot of the whole book was good. I remember that when I first saw the blurb a month ago, I just knew I had to read it. And when I finally did, I can only say that I have no regrets. The book is impossible to dislike because of the way it was written. So sweet and simple, but yet, it had so much meaning. The whole plot fell together really nicely and was well thought out. I felt that the pace of the book was perfect and the events flowed really smoothly.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. I guess the only reason why I didn’t give it 5 stars was because it lacked that spark in it. A spark of passion. Sure, it was talked about, but I never felt it. That was what was lacking. However, I still really enjoyed the book. The dialogues the characters had were rather witty and I found myself smiling along with them at different intervals in the book.

Now, there really isn’t much that I can say about this book. Firstly, its really short. Secondly, about everything was fine with the book. There were no real problems, but at the same time, there wasn’t any part that really stood out. Thirdly, I’m so tired I can’t think. Oh wait. I do remember some things that I enjoyed. I really liked it when Max finally got struck by his conscience. I was really annoyed with him throughout quite a bit of the book. He just expected Katie to fall into his arms and obey his every command right from the start. I couldn’t stand that, and hence, I was secretly delighted when he was put in his place. Everytime he discovered how much he had hurt Katie, I was just right there laughing at him.

Hmm, what else is there to say? Alright, just a short bit about the storyline. I found it rather interesting most of the time. I mean, I was addicted to it; I couldn’t put the book down. I guess it really did appeal to me and all I wanted was to see Katie and Max get their HEA. Though both had their own share of problems, especially Katie in the beginning, I’m glad to say that most of the problems were worked through and resolved. The character development in this book is really good. Though there wasn’t much space, Darcy managed to show how the characters matured over the course of the book. In the end, they both finally did grow up.

I really liked this book. Though there isn’t anything really special about it, I guess its unique in the sense that it’s a sweet, clean romance. I don’t read many of these type of genre and I must say, I’m glad that I read this book. Not because I have to read it for the blog tour, but because I really enjoyed it. Definitely a recommended read.