Blog Tour / Book Review

Blog Tour: Photographing Kate by Elle Sweet

Welcome to my first blog tour! I’m very excited to be sharing my review with you. Thank you to Emma at Damp Pebbles for giving me the chance to review Photographing Kate by Elle Sweet. Please make sure you visit all the other amazing blogs on this tour and give them some love. <3

About the Author

Elle Sweet is the pen name of mystery author Laina Turner. I started writing ten years ago, and it was always my intent and desire to write romance. However, in my first book, someone died. It just happened and turned the romance into a mystery.

Twenty-some books later, and I decided enough was enough. I was going to do what I’d initially set out to do at the start of my writing journey. Write a book where no one died (It’s not as easy as you think).

I can’t tell you how much fun I had writing Finding Rachel and the three others set in the small town of Moonshire Bay. Finding Rachel is out now and Ari’s Adventure will release in spring of 2020 with the third book set to follow in the early summer of 2020.

How did I come up with my pen name? Elle for the “L” in Laina and Sweet was my grandfather’s last name. I wanted something that had a story. I originally wanted to call myself LuluBell after a pet cow I once had, but the family shot that one down.

Born and raised in the midwest, I live in Indiana with my husband, three amazing children, and our dogs Duke and Macy.

Synopsis

After Kate’s husband of over twenty years is sentenced for embezzling and fraud, she loses everything and needs to start over. She decides to visit Moonshire Bay to regroup at the urging of her friend, Claire, who owns the diner there.

Knowing she needs a way to support herself, she rekindles her passion for photography and starts to think maybe staying in Moonshire Bay is her best chance at happiness.
Zach is the town attorney and a confirmed bachelor. After a scarring experience with love and almost married in his younger days, he vowed never to get any closer to a woman than a casual relationship. 
When Zach meets Kate, the wounded look that lingers behind her smile grabs him and he wants to know her better, but Kate was burned by her lawyer ex-husband. Even if she wanted a relationship it wouldn’t be with a member of that profession.
Zach tricks Kate in order to get to know her better. When she finds out, will she understand and forgive him or will it push her father away?

Review
Why I Love This Book

“Kate lifted her camera from where it was hanging around her neck to take a picture of what she assumed was a private moment.”

As soon as I started reading ‘Photographing Kate’, I couldn’t put it down. It’s definitely more than just a cute romance novel which is what I initially thought based on the cover and synopsis. It’s about Kate’s journey trying to escape her old life and find out what she truly wants to do. The romance between Kate and Zach doesn’t feel forced, it was so nice to read and follow the love interest between them!

 

The Story

“She walked through the empty house, trying not to feel despair at what she lost, but it wasn’t easy.”

Kate is used to living in the big city, New York City, close to her kids and husband, Todd, who is currently on trial for fraud. So when Todd is sentenced to prison, she quickly has to decide how she wants to carry on with her life.

She doesn’t have it easy. I can’t even begin to imagine what Kate must be going through. Losing her own possessions because of her husband’s actions, resulting in her being judged because of this. In her vulnerable state, Kate becomes very impulsive which sometimes leads to bad decisions. However, this is an amazing way for Kate to decide what she really wants to do. Visiting her friend Claire in Moonshire Bay seems like the perfect thing for her to start with and clear her head. Then she meets Zach.

I really enjoyed seeing Kate’s and Zach’s relationship blossom. It’s clear to see that Kate doesn’t want to jump straight into another relationship due to her current situation. But there is something about Zach that she seems to be drawn to. I also love the way the chapters switch POV between Kate and Zach. It gives the reader a chance to connect with both characters as we truly know how they feel.

The Characters

“It had been a long time since Todd had made her feel that way.”

We begin to see Kate settle into this new small-town girl, but with her past catching up on her and her new struggles with Zach, she doesn’t know if Moonshire Bay is the perfect fit for her. Now, we all love a strong female character and Kate is definitely that. As her old life continues to crumble around her, she continues to stay strong and figure out her next career and relationship moves. Can she really trust Zach help her be the woman she wants to be?

Moving on to Zach. He is an attractive lawyer, who always seems to be the talk of the town. When he meets Kate, maybe not in the best circumstances, he is immediately attracted to her. With his charm and money, he tries to make sure Kate settles in Moonshire Bay as best and as quickly as she can. However, Zach has some secrets of his own. Is secrecy the best way to avoid the past?

Overall Thoughts

“She realised that life was scary, and if there was one thing she learnt in her fifty years on this planet, it was that no matter how much control, you thought you had over your own life, there were still going to be times where you got hurt. ”

Overall, I enjoyed ‘Photographing Kate’ so much and would definitely read it again, along with the other Moonshire Bay Romance Novels. If your a big lover of romance then this book is perfect for you. I found myself rooting for the characters to get together. I even enjoyed getting to know the supporting characters like Claire and Rhoda.

Rating: 4/5

Rating: 4 out of 5.
Where To Buy The Book

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2Bv8zzR
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3e42yqO

 

Author

clarkellie08@gmail.com
Manchester blogger with a passion for reading, writing and travelling. I always have a book or a cup of tea in my hand.

Comments

20 July 2020 at 1:08 pm

Thanks so much. So pleased to be your first ever blog tour ❤



21 July 2020 at 10:13 am

Congratulations on your first blog tour! I’m not really into romance novels but this sounds like a good book for people who are!



21 July 2020 at 12:08 pm

Great review! Congrats on the book tour! This sounds like a really good book!



7 August 2020 at 1:32 pm

I love it when a book makes you read it again. You read it and yet there is something making want to re-read it as if you missed something or you are expecting for more to added to the story. I think those are the one that make for movie sequels.Thank you for sharing



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