Bountiful (True North: Small Town Romance Book 4)

Oh how I LOVE the Sarina Bowen's True North series! I fell in love with the characters the minute I started book 1 and even as I finish book 4, I cannot get enough of them! Bountiful brings a bit of a change as Bowen moves a bit away from the Shipley family and focuses on Zara, a secondary character that has appeared throughout the series. The book can definitely be read as a standalone so if you are just starting the series, you will have no trouble following along. However, there are definitely some major spoilers for previous books so be forewarned that when you are done with Bountiful, you will certainly want to go back and inhale the rest of the books from the beginning! The story begins in the past and then jumps forward 2 years. Bowen does a fabulous job jumping from past to present and then jumping again to the future. These transitions are done seamlessly and they compliment the story well. As for the characters.....LOVED THEM! Of course I have loved all of the characters in the series so far (hello there Griff, one of my favorite book boyfriends!) but there was definitely something special about Dave, the hot-as-sin, dirty-talking professional hockey player who's story affected me in ways I wasn't prepared for. I loved the chemistry and absolute draw these Dave and Zara had towards one another. Both have these tough, hard outer shells, projecting to the world that they don't need anyone and are strong survivors. Yet, beneath the surface, they both have scars that have left them vulnerable and soft. The shock of a surprise baby for both of these two independent souls is a game changer and when Dave returns and begins to accept his daughter, I seriously melted. Bowen does a beautiful job of writing Dave's transformation and I couldn't help but fall in love with him right along with Zara. Bowen introduced an entire new cast in bountiful to compliment long-standing favorites. Zara's family is brash and bold and I hope that her brothers will get stories because there's so much more to these men! Readers will love catching up with the Shipley family and their respective mates throughout. I can't get enough of the True North Series and can't wait to see what Sarina Bowen gives us next. 5 fabulous stars for Bountiful!

Bountiful is the 4th book in the True North series by Sarina Bowen but can be read as a complete standalone. If you (like me) have been reading the series from the get go then you will realize that the characters are interconnected. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorites from past books within this one. In addition to this, fans of Sarina Bowen will enjoy seeing the crossover between this series and her Brooklyn Bruisers series. Zara; the novels heroine, is Vermont bred through and through while David is a hockey player for the Brooklyn Bruisers. The two meet while David is vacationing in her neck of the woods. What sparks after they meet is an explosion of fireworks. The two can hardly keep their hands off of each other and it's easy because both know that it's just a little fling. Nothing can go wrong with a couple of one night stands together right? WRONG! David leaves her a little present behind in the form of baby... That's right folks! We have a surprise pregnancy trope in this book and Sarina Bowen does a wonderful job bringing it alive. David was a great character- he's unexpectedly charming and Zara was just as enjoyable as he. I won't get much more involved in the plot because there is no need for me to (you can read it for yourself if you're interested) but it is a good book. I would certainly recommend it to fans of the author, fans of surprise pregnancies in romance, and for those who have been following the series. --- The Nitty Gritty --- What I Liked - The crossover between this series and the Brooklyn Bruisers series. It was fun to not only see the characters form a relationship but see some of the the secondary characters who have easily warmed their way into my heart in each book. - This book was NOT all drama like one may expect. Things between the characters are pretty easy from the get go and the pregnancy/impending fatherhood was not as complicated as one would imagine. - The setting. I love how this book and series takes place in Vermont. Small town living and family values are major cornerstones of the series and this is not neglected in this novel. - The characters. I loved the development of the relationship ESPECIALLY the second half of their relationship and how it progressed. It wasn't too fast or too slow. It just felt perfect. What I Didn't Like - The fact that there wasn't ENOUGH farming going on like in the first three books. I have grown to love this series based on it's uniqueness in setting but I just didn't feel it in this one. I think this has a lot to do with the fact that Zara wasn't related to the Shipleys (who I have grown to love). There was a real sense of family and contentedness with them and it was lacking in this book. Hopefully, Sarina will bring us more of Griff's family in later books. - The fact that I had no problem putting this book down. I'll admit, this wasn't my favorite book (probably because of what I mentioned above) so I didn't feel quite as excited to read it. I could put it down for a couple of hours, read a few pages, and then put it down again.

4.5 stars -- I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion. OMG!! I am in love with Dave Beringer!! I mean, like, “go to Brooklyn and look for Gingers in the hopes that one is the fictional Dave Beringer” kind of love. Because I did that. Today. I have no shame. I have not read the previous 3 books in the True North series (though it will be happening soon, I just ran out of time), but I have read the Brooklyn Bruisers books, and so I had an in on that side of things. And this book just made me want to read the rest of the True North series even more! Though I honestly don’t know how Ms. Bowen can top this story. Like, it was f-ing sexy, and funny, and heartwarming, and none of the characters pissed me off (because there was potential, but it didn’t go that way), and even though I read this over a week (which is unheard of) because I am on vacation, so I had to sneak in reading time whenever I could, I still fell in love with it. Honestly, it just makes me excited for when I reread it and truly devour it from cover to cover. Probably when I read the rest of the series, b/c I’ll no doubt have a different perspective on Zara. Zara was her own special brand of stubborn, and feisty, and damaged. I really enjoyed having a heroine who is really in touch with her own sexuality, but isn’t necessarily comfortable with it...it was a weird dichotomy. Like, she was interested in sex from a young age, but she was also branded as a slut because of it, so she wasn’t self-accepting, you know? She just kind of believed the things that people judged her for. It was kind of heartbreaking. But I kind of loved it. Because you know in so many romance novels there’s a girl that gets slut-shamed… Zara might have been that girl, you know? So it shows that side of the coin. But her story was so much more. She was a product of how she was raised, and she really didn’t have a lot of direction in life. It was interesting to see the changes that becoming a mother wrought in her, but at the same time she still had a lot of healing to do. And Dave. *swoon* Like, I don’t even know why he does it for me so much. Maybe because he’s just so unapologetic. Like he said at one point, he’s a bit slow to learn and grow, but he’s not a dick. He had his own damage to get past, and I enjoyed that his bachelor ways had a...reason, I guess. I loved (in a tore my heart out way) learning bits and pieces of his tragic childhood, and how that shaped him. I loved his relationship with his sister. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded a more clear resolution with his past...but I might have missed something because I had to intersperse my reading. Did he ever tell Zara about his past? I can’t remember. ANYWAYS. I have a soft spot for Gingers (sssshhhh, don’t tell my hubby), and holy *bleep* was his bossy take charge attitude in the bedroom sexy as *bleep*. Like *fans face*. AND then there were all the times he grinned during sex. I can’t even, you guys...like can’t even. There was just something about the way Dave and Zara fit together that had me on board right from the start. I LOVED the “past” section. I fell in love really soon. And I LOVED the way the present played out, from the start right to the very end. I loved the secondary characters (and I’ll probably like some of them even more when I get to read their stories). Basically it was just all sorts of goodness (with a few minor things I was confused on, but again...could be just me -- like the car thing). Anyways. I want a Dave. Someone get on that stat. Thanks in advance.

I've already read/listened to the Brooklyn Hockey series, so I was familiar with Dave & Zara from those books. I was looking forward to their love story in the True North series too. I love that Sarina Bowen carries over characters within the specific series & spinoffs - it makes her world more interesting & you get to know the characters much better too. I'm from a hockey town, so the Hockey aspect interested me initially, but I also have family & friends who farm, so I was hooked when I started to read the True North series with Bittersweet. Sarina Bowen's writing sucked me in & I'm not exactly a fan of reading. I think the voice actors have done a great job on all of the books too. I recommended trying the Kindle/Audible syncing option. I've been able to immerse myself into many books by having the flexibility to sit down & read or follow along in the text while listening to the narration or just listening while I am doing other things like cooking, washing dishes, etc. I haven't read this many books in decades! I also have the Kindle Unlimited & Audible memberships, so I have found a lot of books that were included in the memberships. You can also get a discounted price for the Audio Companion when you have Kindle books in your library, just click on the menu on the bottom right in the Kindle app to see the prices (they usually come up with the lower price on the Amazon shopping app too).

Bountiful was just the book I needed for this week, a low drama read with plenty of emotions to pull on your heart. And lately, I've been seeking out books with the surprise pregnancy factor, I always love seeing the story unfolds when it revolves a little bit around a baby. And I'm probably saying that since I'm currently 37 weeks pregnant. I've been such a fan of this series, yes it can be read as a standalone, but trust me, read the rest of the books! I've loved each book so far. And Bountiful has easily been thrown into my re-read category. Most of the time, after I finish a book I really love, I go back and re-read my favorite parts because I love re-enjoying those moments. Zara runs the bar owned by her uncle, going day by day, serving drinks and fending off the constant flow of men's advances. Until one day, a sexy someone walks in and makes it known that he wants her. Zara (at the time) was still dealing with a bit of heartbreak of her own, the last thing she wants is to get into something serious, but the chemistry between these two is undeniable. As persistent as he is, he slowly breaks down the walls Zara has built and quickly turns into an explosive night. What was originally supposed to be just one night turns into a much longer affair riding out the remainder of the summer AND his vacation time. They both know there's a deadline, but it doesn't mean their feelings stop there. After his departure, Zara was left with a little piece of the man that rocked her summer; a precious baby. Dave Beringer has already decided that he'll be a bachelor for life, a professional hockey player going through casual hookups and moving onto the next. Heading to Vermont during the off-season for a little vacation, running into the beautiful local bartender that he can't take his eyes off of. After that one night together, he wants more nights like that before he heads back to reality. After leaving at the end of his vacation, Zara never left his thoughts. And it's not until two years later Dave is back in Vermont for some downtime and he runs straight into the woman from that memorable summer and learns much more during their little reunion. I think Bountiful might be my favorite in the series. Zara is just an amazing and strong character, she wasn't loud and boisterous, but her presence held a lot. SHE could say so much without verbally saying anything at all. Her inability to hide her feelings, I kind of love that because Dave was able to pick up on that instantly and he remembers every little detail about her. As much as I loved the many moments between her and Dave, I loved the moments of their little family. Nicole is absolutely adorable and you can't help but fall in love her. She steals her dad's heart in an instant and despite how quickly Dave had to wrap his mind around his new reality, he adapted so gracefully and became the father that he needed to be to his daughter. He took that role over with ease and everyone will just swoon over daddy and daughter time. It'll just tug at your little heartstrings! This one is definitely a #RSFave for 2017 and I recommend it to everyone!

It's a decent little story. It has a few catches in the editing, but the premise and characters are good. It's entertaining. It's simply a little lower quality than some books by this writer. Give it a try.

Bountiful is book 4 of the True North Series but can be read as a standalone…WAIT…TRUST ME! I’m always skeptical that if I jump in mid-series that I’ll miss something and won’t get some of the references (this is due to experience). This book truly can be read as a standalone. Zara lives in the Vermont countryside and runs her uncle’s bar. Dave is in the area for a summer vacation. What was just supposed to be a summer fling ends up being much more, both with their connection and a surprise pregnancy. They both never thought they’d see each other again, until he walks into her coffee shop two years later. The story takes us through the journey of what’s next. Both Zara and Dave had a difficult childhood that left them both wary of love, relationships and family. They both must decide what they want and where they are going and how to raise an adorable little girl. Zara is a strong, feisty, prickly woman. I love her! She lives her life and speaks her mind. She won’t even let her family railroad her. Life hasn’t been easy but she takes what’s she’s been dealt and rolls with it. Dave is a typical alpha male/hockey player (meaning all the good qualities), but has a heart of gold and a big soft spot for all the women in his life. This couple is perfect for each other and their story is perfect. I love this book and I definitely love this series. Sarina Bowen is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. Her books are real and believable. They are emotional, raw, and funny. I’ve been searching the thesaurus on a word to describe her work. The best word I can find so far is meaty (yet it still doesn’t fully express my love for this book.) You get a full story. It’s not rushed. You finish the book wanting to read more about the characters, but you aren’t left with questions and big holes in the story. Definitely check out this book and this series!

Ahhhh, Sarina Bowen's stories just keep getting better and better. Zara, I've been waiting for this story because in a way I felt some kind of connection with her character in past books. And she didn't disappoint. She's got her struggles in life, she's fought hard to make something of herself, and while it was supposed to be just an arrangement, she felt more for Griffin Shippley that she led on. Now he has a new love interest and Zara is mad, she's hurt and she needs a distraction. Enter Dave Beringer with an "e," a player for the Brooklyn Bruisers who's just on vacation with some of his teammates and smitten with Zara. They decide to have fun while he's in town but a little carefree fun sometimes brings repercussions. I LOVED this story and the sense of familiarity with the characters new and old. Dave comes from a rough background, at a very young age he had to take responsibility of his little sister and the things he lived as a kid are not things that anyone would be able to easily forget. He doesn't want anything to do with a family of his own, but when lives throws a curve ball, he has to decide what's really important in life. My heart broke for him at times, but little by little all the fears he had started disappearing and he became the man Zara not only needed but deserved. Zara, this girl is my spirit fictional character. She's made mistakes and some of those made her a tough cookie. She might seem rough around the edges but she's really a beautiful soul on the inside. I enjoy seeing how both characters embraced their journey throughout the story and let their experience help them grow. They struggled but they took it one step at a time and they survived. This author is an incredible storyteller and the writing in Bountiful is vivid, which gives the story a more realistic feel. I devoured this story, I couldn't put it down, it consumed me. Bountiful is heartfell, sweet, low angst, and sexy. This one definitely goes on my list of best reads for this year. Highly recommended!!!

Each time I think this series can't possibly get any better, Ms Bowen exceeds all my lofty expectations and knocks it out of the ball park. Be still my Kindle heart but Bountiful ticks ALL this romance junkie's boxes. I liked Zara in the previous books. She and Griff Shipley used to have a friends with benefits type relationship but Griff didn't want emotional entanglement until he reconnected with Audrey and then he severed all intimacies with Zara . The writing here is so clever. In Griff and Audrey' s book you could easily be taken down the path of disliking Zara but she is so artfully written that you can't help but like this prickly, heart sore girl with her tough outer armour and beautiful , loyal heart. She protects that heart at all costs....especially when a handsome stranger called Dave rolls into town, and her bed for the Summer. In this book the writing addresses the potentially tricky history between Zara and Griff so well. I have never doubted that Griff and Audrey were made for each other and they are absolutely RIGHT together. Equally, Zara has found her soul mate with Dave, even if they didn't realise it for a good while. But best of all, I love how Zara and Audrey are best friends and business partners and the past is not an issue. This book and its characters just meld and connect so brilliantly. Dave is my kind of hero. He's alpha , hot, kind and loyal. Watching him become accustomed to fatherhood did things to my heart and ovaries. GORGEOUS! It was great to see the Shipley clan and to meet more of the Rossi family but this is very much Zara's book. It is sexy, sweet, low angst, high romance and painfully honest too. It's also laugh out loud funny. Yet again I found myself wishing I was in Vermont. I don't think I've ever read any setting in a book that is described as vividly , beautifully and vibrantly as Vermont. I can almost taste the apples! HEA? Yes Cheating? No way. These two only have eyes for each other.

Was soll ich sagen?! Sarina Bowen hat sich mal wieder selbst übertroffen: so eine "echte", authentische Geschichte habe ich lange nicht mehr gelesen! Kein "aufgesetztes" Drama oder künstlich herbeigeführte Spannungselemente, sondern pure ehrliche Gefühle und eine wunderschöne Storyline! Romantisches und emotionales Highlight - unbedingte Kaufempfehlung!

This was a fun read. I read it as a stand alone on recommendation, and found that it held it's own and didn't need the previous books to make sense. That said, there were couples we met that I would love to know the background of how they got together, so it's now likely I'll go back and read those books as well. The characters were all great - I especially loved Zara's spunk, and Dave's 'go get em' attitude. They were hot together, the chemistry palpable from the start, and it was inevitable that they'd end up together in the long run. I enjoyed watching Dave grow up and come to terms with his past, and that his parents didn't define who he was as an adult. I loved watching Zara mellow and open up, learning to trust someone with her heart. The storyline was well written, and although it has crossover with the Brooklyn Bruisers series, there was no focus on hockey at all in this book - it featured the team when they were on their summer break. I loved that for our main couple, there was no relationship drama to speak of - or at least no outside influence trying to break them up, and no cheating or possibility of cheating. We did miss what happened to them in the 2yrs they were apart, and while we got the background of what happened to Zara during that time, we didn't for Dave, which is the only thing I could think of that might have added to the story, but that would have been a very minor plot point. Really enjoyable, and a read I would recommend, either as a stand alone as I read it, or as part of the series.

J'avais envie de découvrir l'histoire de Zara depuis le premier tome car au fil de la saga , nous avions quelques informations la concernant mais nous ne savions pas toute son histoire. Ce tome débute au moment du tome 1 dans la scène où Zara découvre que Griffin est amoureux d'Audrey. Nous retrouvons ensuite la collaboration qui va s'en suivre avec les deux jeunes femmes et le café qu'elles vont gérer ensemble. Zara Rossi est une jeune femme dont nous allons découvrir le passé et le passif. Elle travaille et vit au dessus du bar de son oncle Otto, un râleur de première classe comme nous le découvrirons plus tard. Elle ne semble pas avoir d'avenir et sa récente rupture avec Griffin Shipley est un nouveau coup à son moral. Aussi quand elle découvre un charmant roux à son bar qui passe régulièrement la voir et la défend contre des clients perturbants , elle se laisse aller à une nuit de lâcher prise. Mais cette nuit ne sera pas unique et se transformera vite en un été de très bons moments au lit ou ailleurs. Zara ne veut absolument pas s'attacher et c'est pour cela qu'elle met inévitablement une distance entre elle et les autres. Dans cette première partie , on sent que c'est une jeune femme entourée par sa famille ( elle a 4 frères) mais qui ressent une pression car elle a l'impression de leur devoir pas mal de choses . Ce roman est divisé en deux parties et quand on revoit Zara deux ans plus tard, c'est une femme changée que nous retrouvons étant donné qu'elle est devenue la maman de l'adorable Nicole. Ce petit bout de chou est un rayon de soleil et elle illumine les scènes par sa présence. Sa famille lui met une fois de plus la pression car cette dernière a toujours refusé de dévoiler l'identité du père de la petite. Alec est le frère de Zara et nous apprendrons à plus le connaître dans un prochain tome mais le moins que l'on puisse dire c'est qu'il est ultra protecteur de sa nièce et quand le passé va resurgir, il pourrait mal le prendre. Benito est le frère jumeau de Zara et j'ai adoré ce personnage qui est beaucoup plus posé que les autres membres de la famille Rossi. Il saura être à l'écoute sans plonger dans le jugement et c'est une bouffée d'oxygène pour notre héroïne qui saura se confier à lui. De plus quand Dave refera son apparition dans le Vermont, il saura apaiser les tensions qui pourraient surgir. Pourra t-elle laisser une place à Dave dans la vie de Nicole? Saura t-elle mener de front sa vie professionnelle et les aléas de sa vie privée? Dave Beringer est une des stars des Brooklyn Bruisers. Etant donné son passé familial, il ne veut surtout pas d'attaches et il va prendre cet été comme une belle parenthèse dorée sans se soucier des conséquences qui auraient pu en découler. Cette intimité avec Zara est une première pour lui et deux ans plus tard, il ne l'a pas oubliée mais se refuse toujours à entamer une relation durable avec la jeune femme. Sa carrière est à un point tournant et avec l'aide de sa soeur Bess, il devra prendre la bonne décision. Mais un nouveau rebondissement va faire voler en éclat sa vie de célibataire endurci. J'ai adoré le personnage de Bess qui assume le rôle de manager sur la glace mais aussi dans sa vie. Un peu comme Benito , elle saura apaiser les tensions et aider son frère à prendre la bonne voie. On sent aussi qu'il est bien entouré car ses co équipiers ont la tête sur les épaules et sauront eux aussi l'aiguiller. L'alchimie est toujours présente entre nos deux héros et la tension continue de monter en puissance. Dave semble être un peu immature mais je pense que c'est essentiellement une façon de ne pas s'investir émotionnellement parlant. Il a souffert pendant son enfance et les traces sont encore très présentes. Il n'a pas eu une image très positive de la figure du père et donc il ne se voit pas du tout dans cette position. Pourtant , comme nous le verrons , il apprendra petit à petit à s'occuper de Nicole et leur moment à deux sera des plus attendrissant. J'ai aimé voir l'évolution de ce personnage et son investissement dans la vie des deux femmes qui comptent dans sa vie. Saura t-il prendre la bonne décision concernant sa carrière? Pourra t-il devenir ce père dont Nicole a vraiment besoin? Bref, un nouveau tome très prenant de la saga True North. Sarina Bowen nous permet de partir à la découverte de nouveaux personnages tout en approfondissant l'histoire des précédents personnages. La vie au Vermont nous réserve encore de belles surprises et à présent , j'ai envie d'en savoir plus sur l'histoire de May ou encore d'Alec.

Este é minha primeira experiência com a série True North embora eu seja fã da autora e das séries Brooklin Bruisers e WAGS. Bountiful conta a história de Dave Beringer (da série Brooklyn Bruisers) e Zara, a garçonete de True North, e de como ela acaba grávida sem sequer saber o nome completo do pai de seu bebê. Bountiful é um romance com as marcas registradas da autora. Uma trama complexa com personagens extremamente bem construídos, um texto elegante e preciso que fornece todos as informações sobre as circunstâncias e os personagens sem perder tempo com blá-blá-blá. Ao mesmo tempo que mostra personagens reais, com sérias bagagens emocionais, Bountiful tem o mérito de ser um romance bastante leve, em que os conflitos e problemas dos personagens são resolvidos sem excesso de drama, as tristezas dos passado são descritas e não revividas, a atitude positiva em relação à vida e ao futuro contamina a trama e da o tom da história. Se por um lado há emoção de sobra, por outro o clima mais leve da história me lembrou o humor de Good Boy, outra obra da autora que eu adorei. Bountiful traz diversas das minhas “romance tropes” favoritas: segunda chance, bebê secreto, o delicioso clima de cidade do interior, com algumas menções ao trabalho do herói, hockey. Apesar de ter certeza que Sarina Bowen sempre tem uma surpresa guardada na manga, creio que dificilmente ela conseguirá superar a perfeição de Bountiful. Dave e Zara são mais que um par perfeito. Suas histórias de vida familiar (passada e atual) os fazem resistentes a compromissos amorosos porém o envolvimento inicial, após dois anos de afastamento, não foi esquecido. Mais do que isso, após dois anos eles se descobrem frente a frente e suas vidas acabam viradas pelo avesso. A autora não poderia ter encontrado melhor solução para a transição entre a primeira e a segunda parte do livro. Adorei! No momento em que a trama ficaria mais complicada, a autora encontra soluções para fazer a história avançar sem dar qualquer passo atrás. Zara e Dave são jovens adultos que agem de acordo com suas idades. A mudança nas vidas dos personagens os faz repensar o presente e o futuro (como você se vê daqui a dez anos?). Aos poucos eles descobrem que, mesmo uma mudança abrupta e inesperada, pode representar um passo à frente, uma mudança para melhor. Eu amei tudo neste belo livro: os personagens carismáticos, o romance sexy e envolvente de tirar o fôlego, o ritmo da trama. Ao final, Bountiful me deixou com um sorriso no rosto e com o coração leve e satisfeito.Imperdível.