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Review

“We’re on two different roads, TC. Crossing paths was an accident, but it’s not meant to be.”
… “Can’t we make our own road, choose our own path”

4 ‘Hell yes, you can!’ stars

Jane Harvey-Berrick takes us back to the magically exciting world of the carnival in this follow up to the The Traveling Man / The Traveling Woman duet with the story of Kes’ newly-discovered sister, Tera (TC) and his fellow stunt rider, Tucker.

Roustabout-turned-stunt motorcycle ryder, Tucker loves his wild and free life. Travelling from town to town, riding his bike, living amongst his carnie family with a different woman every night – life is good. But his world is turned upside down when his best friend’s younger sister propositions him for a night together.

“Tucker, I like you, and I can tell you like me. We’re both single. I’m not asking you for a commitment – let’s just see how this goes.”

Tera is a good girl. Living the life expected of a Senator’s daughter, she has followed the path that her parents want for her, except for one area of her life – the time she spends with brother and his carnie lifestyle. She is enthralled by her older brother, who she only recently learned about, and the excitement of his lifestyle, and she’s even more excited by his best friend and daredevil partner. Tera wants Tucker, and after missing an opportunity with him once, she’s determined not to let him get away again so she starts her pursuit, even though is hesitant to get involved with her, knowing that anything between them would lead to a whole heap of trouble. But the woman is determined to get her man, and you’ve gotta respect that!

“I’ve met a lot of right men … but it seems as if it’s the wrong man that I’m attracted to.”

At first it’s all cheesy pick-up lines and blatantly smutty flirting, but Tera gets her wish of a night with Tucker and together they are absolutely ON FIRE! Hot and steamy and brimming with chemistry, the sex is intense and life-changing for them both, and they realise that their one night together will not be enough… but then real life interferes.

Tucker’s cockiness and bravado hides a painful past that he ran from at 17, and when circumstances bring him back to the town he left, and the ‘family’ he has tried to forget, Tera is there for him in a way that nobody ever has been before. And as they start to grow closer and their feelings become involved, there is a huge shift in the dynamic between them, and I loved it! In so many books it’s the guy chasing after the girl, but in this case, Tera is the driving force behind everything that happens between them, and it’s gorgeous to watch.

“I like you,” I stated. “I like like you”
He raised an eyebrow. “You like like me?”
I smiled at him and turned away, my eyes closing. Slowly, I let my hand creep towards his, our fingers twining together.
“Yes, I like you,” I repeated simply.
There was a beat of silence, then he said, “Your Dad isn’t going to like…”
“No, he isn’t.”
“And Kes isn’t going to…”
“Probably not.”
“And I’ll be travelling…”
“I know.”
“And you’ll be in San Francisco…”
“Tucker,” I sighed. “Do you like me?”
His fingers tightened around mine compulsively.
“Do I like you, or do I like you?” he teased.
… “Answer the question: do you like me?”
“Yeah”

I love a strong heroine who knows her mind and goes after she wants, and Tera is definitely that, putting her feelings out there and convincing a reluctant Tucker to give them a chance.

“Won’t you even try?”
He closed his eyes, a pained look on his face.
“Is that really what you want, Tera? A guy like me?”
I shook my head. “No, Tucker. I don’t want a guy like you. I want you.”

I loved watching Tucker and Tera come together. They have some pretty intense insta-lust, and they never lose that passion for each other, with lots of steamy time that is absolutely sizzling! And the emotion between them develops slowly and realistically as they spend time together and open up to each other. Tera is there for Tucker during a difficult time in his life, but they still find time to laugh, joke and tease and they have fun together, and there is a deepening intensity between them that is absolutely beautiful to watch.

“What am I going to do with you, Tucker?”
I grinned back at her. “Whatever you want, darlin’.”

Tera and Tucker both have a wonderful journey in this book, with their developing relationship and their faith in each other giving them the strength they need to make some big changes. Tera steps out from the shadow of her family to fight for the man she loves and the life she wants, but it’s Tucker’s journey that is truly life-changing. From a total manwhore who is reluctant to enter into anything beyond a one-night commitment, to starting to develop feelings for Tera and struggling with his feelings of inadequacy and not being enough for her. It’s beautifully written, and done in a way that will break your heart rather than annoy, and watching him come to accept Tera’s feelings, as well as his own, is absolutely beautiful.

“I love you … And I didn’t want to be in love with you … The people you love always let you down; they always leave you. That’s all I knew. But you…you kept coming back.”

So beautifully swoony!!!

And what I love most about these two together is that once they sort themselves out, they are committed to each other, and the difficulties and drama that they face is external to the relationship. Their feelings for each other are strong, they want to be together, and both of them are determined to make it work.

“What we’ve got…it’s too good to throw it away without giving it our best shot.”

But the lifestyle is a difficult one, and Tucker and Tera live in completely different worlds – complete with family dramas, pressures and expectations. So even with the two of them together and committed, they still have hurdles that they need to overcome in order to get their happy ever after.

“Do I think I’m good enough for her? Hell no. Do I want her to give up her life to follow me around the country? No fucking way. But whatever she wants, I’ll break every bone in my body to give it to her.”

This book is a little different from the others in the series with a lot of the action taking place away from the carnival setting, but it’s still a big part of who Tucker is, and we do get a bit of story set in the circus. I loved catching up with Kes and Aimee again, as well as Zef, Zach, Luke and Ollo. It’s a unique lifestyle that is all about freedom and family, and it’s easy to get lost in the world. And while technically this one could be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading the other two books first in order to experience it all.

I loved this book. I admit it did take me a few chapters to become fully involved, but once I was sucked in, I couldn’t put it down and read most of the book in one sitting. It’s romantic, sexy, sweet and funny, with great dynamics and a nice amount of drama which is well handled without becoming angsty, all in a unique and exciting setting. It’s a great book, and a must read for fans of the series.

4 stars.

 

The Traveling Series

 

See our Contemporary Romance Recommendations page for more great reads.