Always On My Mind

ALWAYS ON MY MIND is the tenth instalment in Samantha Chase’s contemporary, adult MAGNOLIA SOUND romance series. This is college professor Ethan Harlow, and Parker Bishop’s story line. ALWAYS ON MY MIND can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Told from dual third person perspectives (Ethan and Parker) ALWAYS ON MY MIND sees another Coleman-Bishop heir find their own happily ever after. Months earlier Parker’s great grandfather Coleman died, leaving a little part of himself, and Magnolia Sound to his great grandchildren, grandchildren and heirs. As one of the founding families of Magnolia Sound, the Coleman-Bishop clan owned a large number of properties and business, business that apparently skipped over our story line heroine. Parker Bishop, always the proverbial nomad, was gifted money, and a letter asking her to enjoy her life travelling the world but Parker would soon discover that her best friend was getting married, and she would be homeless in a matter of days. Returning to Magnolia Sound, our heroine was not easily accepted by her family and friends, and once again, homelessness was but a matter of hours on the horizon. Enter college professor Ethan Harlow, and the man with whom Parker would fall in love. Ethan has a room available for rent but Parker is not the type of person Ethan is looking for. What ensues is the roommates to friends to lovers relationship between Ethan and Parker, and the potential fall-out as Ethan reaches his own professional crossroad, a crossroad that could pull Ethan out of Parker’s life. Parker Bishop has always been unsettled and a little erratic; a person who struggled in school, having no direction in life, including no direction for her immediate future. Parker’s siblings and family never understood our story line heroine, and Parker felt she was always on the outside looking in, without benefit of support or love. Renting a room from Ethan Harlow, meant the possibility of putting down roots in Magnolia Sound, but our heroine’s inability to settle, to remain in one place, pushes at our story line hero who struggles with the roommate he never wanted. Ethan Harlow remembers Parker Bishop from their days in high school but never expected to find a roommate and lover in our story line heroine. When Ethan is offered the opportunity of a lifetime, Ethan must chose between Parker or going it alone. The relationship between Parker and Ethan begins acrimoniously as Ethan struggles to accept the over the top nuances of our story line heroine. Parker battles with issues of low self-worth and low self-esteem such that she finds the negativity in everything including her small chances at success.Having lived her life fighting for acceptance, it is only a matter of time before she begins to think that she is not worthy of friendship or love.Battling between head and heart Parker has plans for a future, a future that may not include the man that she loves. There are no $ex scenes, everything is implied. There is a large ensemble cast of colorful and familiar secondary and supporting characters including Parker’s judgemental and stifling siblings, none of whom support our story line heroine. From her mother to siblings, cousins and friends, Parker constantly fights for a place in the family, a family that sees Parker as nothing more than a loose end. ALWAYS ON MY MIND is a story of family, friendships and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is heart breaking and emotional; the romance is passionate; the characters are struggling to move on with their lives.

I love visiting Magnolia Sound and this was no exception. Parker and Ethan are polar opposites but soon find that they have a sizzling chemistry. Parker has returned home to Magnolia Sound, feeling a true failure to her family and is need of a place to live when she meets nerdy, science professor Ethan. She actually talks Ethan into renting a room from him. Soon roommates become much more. They will soon find out where their hearts belong. I had a hard time putting down this book, full of heart warming emotion, finding love, family and friends. Plus with the added mentions of chocolate chip cookies, ice cream and a dog named Ollie makes for a perfect read. I did love the mention the my previous book boyfriend, Owen. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.

Always On My Mind, book ten in Samantha Chase’s Magnolia Sound series, is an emotional and heartwarming tale featuring Parker Bishop and Ethan Harlow; hooking me in from the first chapter. Parker is the youngest of the Bishop siblings and her inheritance was money to enable her need to travel and explore the world; not one of the various business around Magnolia Sound like the others. Never expecting to return to Magnolia Sound she has tired of traveling and is back, trying to find a purpose ins her life. Ethan is a professor at the local community college, looking for a housemate. While putting up a flyer at the library he encounters Parker who takes him up on the room. Not what he was expecting but these two were made for each other; fate works in mysterious ways. Ethan is very nerdy and shy while Parker is high-spirited and insecure and together they are perfection; two pieces of a puzzle that fit together or yin and yang. Parker barrels into his life like a train and giving him glimpses of a life that he never thought he could have. These two had a strong magnetism that only grew from their days in high school and sizzling, off-the-chart chemistry exploding into an amazing relationship. Watching Parker help Ethan come out of his shell with his teaching style and when he taking on her family, defending her, added another layer of good feels to this story. Ms. Chase wrote a wonderful, heartwarming, feel good, small town story that is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with visualization of the town, sizzling chemistry, clever banter, and endearing secondary characters giving Parker and Ethan a chance at love, happiness, and a forever together. I highly recommend Always On My Mind to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.