An orphaned, small-town, southern girl, held hostage by responsibility and self-doubt.
A Hollywood A-list mega-star, on the run from his latest scandal and with everything to lose.
A chance encounter that leads to an unlikely arrangement and epic love affair that will change them both forever.
When his co-star and real-life girlfriend is caught cheating on him with her married and much older director, A-list hottie, Jack Eversea, finds himself in sleepy Butler Cove, South Carolina. Jack hopes the sultry southern heat in this tiny coastal Lowcountry town will hide him not only from the tabloids and his cheating girlfriend, but his increasingly vapid life and the people who run it. He doesn’t count on meeting Keri Ann Butler.
Keri Ann has relied on herself so long, dealing with her family’s death and the responsibilities of keeping up her family’s historic mansion, that boys and certainly the meager offering of eligible boys in Butler Cove, have never figured into her equation. But fate has other plans. Suddenly face to face with the man who played the movie role of her favorite fictional character, Jack has Keri Ann yearning for everything she has previously avoided … and Jack must decide whether this funny, sassy girl is worth changing his life for, before his mistakes catch up to him.
Review:
Eversea tells the love story between small-town girl Kerri Ann Butler, and Hollywood A-list mega-star, Jack Eversea. Butler Cove is a small town in South Carolina. It’s the kind of town where everybody knows everybody else’s business. People don’t shy away from meddling and gossip. So when one of Hollywood’s most famous stars comes to town it’s nearly impossible for Kerri Ann to keep him a secret.
After their parents died tragically in a car accident, Kerri Ann and her brother, Joey, moved in with their grandmother. When she passed away, Kerri Ann and Joey were left with this big historic home that was in need of restoration in repair. Twenty-two year old Kerri Ann Butler lives alone and works at the Snapper Grill. Joey is away at medical school. Once Joey finishes school, they agreed that Kerri Ann would be able to fulfil her dream to go to art and design school.
But Kerri Ann feels like she is just sitting around waiting for her life to begin. One night, her life changes for the better. A mysterious hooded stranger walks into a bar (no, this isn’t one of those jokes) and orders a drink. When Kerri Ann’s best friend, Jazz, starts rattling on about the latest Hollywood scandal involving Hollywood hunk, Jack Eversea and his co-star girlfriend, Audrey Lane, this mysterious guy vanishes. Later that night, Kerri Ann discovers the true identity of this guy—it’s Jack freaking Eversea. Kerri Ann promises to keep his presence in Butler Cove just between them.
Jack and Kerri Ann became friends first and lovers second. In an effort to keep Jack Eversea from the public eye, Kerri Ann does his grocery shopping for him, while he begins to remodel her home. Isn’t that sweet?
“Did I mess this up?” he asked eventually, looking back at me.
“Which part?”
He nodded. “Good point. I meant the part where we happily coexist in a mutually beneficial grocery-buying for handy-man services relationship, as bizarre as that is.”
It’s not long before either of them can deny the growing attraction between them. When I say “not long,” I mean it. From the time they meet until the time they’re in love is less than two weeks. Though, it didn’t feel like it was really fast-paced when I read it. I really liked Kerri Ann’s character. She’s a very headstrong, independent female character. She’s completely unaffected by Jack’s stardom. In fact, she runs from it. Jack tries to take care of her by paying for things, but she refuses.
“Sweetheart, there hasn’t been one moment when I’ve considered you afraid. I look at you, and all I see is certainty. Courage. Bravery. God, I’ve never met anyone so sure and so strong in who they are.” His mouth tilted up on one side. “It’s…epic.”
Everyone wants a piece of Jack Eversea. The constant invasion of privacy and media attention has worn on him. He wants to get away from it all, especially from the latest story from Hollywood involving his contractual girlfriend. The closer he gets to Kerri Ann, the more he begins to confide in her about his past. His childhood wasn’t full of good memories. Because of that, he is a little broken. I loved seeing him be able to let Kerri Ann in and show her a side very few know about. It only deepened their relationship and trust.
I had high hopes for Eversea, especially since many readers rated it so highly. I was expecting unpredictability and a new spin on the “famous actor meets small-town girl” storyline. Sadly, I didn’t get that with Eversea. Maybe my expectations were too high and that’s why I ended up just thinking this story was okay. Eversea was a fun read and I absolutely loved the author’s vivid descriptions of the coastal setting. However, I knew exactly where the story was going plot-wise and there was little that surprised me or caught me off guard.. Nevertheless, I would still recommend this book to someone looking for a fun read with a swoony male lead. Jack Eversea was pretty dreamy.
3 stars
* I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
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