Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins (Book Review)

Title: Somebody to Love
Author: Kristan Higgins
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: HQN Books
Format: eARC
Source: Netgalley
Buy It: Amazon
Add It: Goodreads

After her father loses the family fortune in an insider-trading scheme, single mom Parker Welles is faced with some hard decisions. First order of business: go to Gideon’s Cove, Maine, to sell the only thing she now owns—a decrepit house in need of some serious flipping. When her father’s wingman, James Cahill, asks to go with her, she’s not thrilled…even if he is fairly gorgeous and knows his way around a toolbox.

Having to fend for herself financially for the first time in her life, Parker signs on as a florist’s assistant and starts to find out who she really is. Maybe James isn’t the glib lawyer she always thought he was. And maybe the house isn’t the only thing that needs a little TLC…

"I just need somebody to love
I-I don’t need too much

Just need somebody to love.
(Somebody to love)
I don’t need nothing else
I promise girl, I swear.
I just need somebody to love."

- Justin Bieber's Somebody to Love

So... Thanks, Mr. Bieber, for doing this to me. Actually, I think the song came before the book... so... yeah. Anywho... Yeah. Sadly, I know this song. Sadder, it's an easy one to get stuck your head. Saddest, it was ALWAYS in my head. Every time I read, I was thinking of Justin and his silly little boy dance moves (yeah... I've seen the music video, too. *facepalm*) So basically, that's what happened. I read the book, it had a cute story, too much mention of "lady land", and the Biebs singing in the background. Interesting mixture, no? As always, my main points are bolded. :) 

1. What a fun story idea! Any of you HGTV-watchers will agree with me that it's really fun to watch (or in this case, read) a really ugly, crummy, decrepit house be completely flipped and turned into a really cute/gorgeous living space! That's what's going on in the background of the story, and I really loved picturing the changes this house went through. 

2. Gideon's Cove, Maine (the setting for this story) is darling. This place sounds like one of those quaint, hidden oceanside towns where everyone knows who you are whether you want them to or not. I really liked all the people she met while she was there, and each character added something special to the story.

3. I liked Parker, because she was not the stereotypical spoiled heiress. No offense to you if you are a spoiled heiress, but I generally don't like them because they feel entitled and better than everyone else. Of course, there are exceptions, and Parker is one of them. I found it refreshing. Yes, she had to be taught how to change a vacuum cleaner bag, but what counts is that she was willing to learn and then do it herself. I liked that she is the author of a quirky children's book series, but I really did not like that the characters in her books talked to her. That was weird. 

4. James, a.k.a. "Thing One", is a total babe. He's Parker's Dad's lawyer, and has been hanging out in the background of Parker's life for years. Now, he's off to Gideon's Cove to help Parker spruce up her house, and to crush on her a LOT. He's had a thing for her, but it's complicated. You know how it is. He's got this troubled past that makes him guarded and tough, but his dreams make him completely perfect and sweet. Plus, he's a hard worker. Phew! I really liked his character. 

5. Parker's son, Nicky, his father Ethan (who is one of her very best friends), and Ethan's wife Lucy are pretty much Parker's only family, since her dad screwed his life up and pushed her away. I really liked all the supporting characters, but these three were my favorites (although Malone is pretty great).

6. I liked reading about Parker's relationship with her dad: how it used to be, how it is now (and why), and how they try to mend fences. It added a deeper feeling to the story that gave me something to root for.

7. I got really tired of hearing about how Parker's Lady Land perked up when James smiled, or how it stirred when he ripped siding off the house. There was just so much lust! And when they finally did act on things, it was meant to be a fling and only a fling. I guess I'm more of a traditionalist, but I don't like it when love stories begin with two characters only interested in physical encounters and nothing more than that.

8. Sometimes this book was pretty funny! Here's my favorite part. Parker had just gotten to Gideon's Cove, expecting a mansion, and found the little run-down shack she inherited. Of course, she ventured in to assess the situation:

"Hi," he said, as if she wasn't murdering her jeans against the hood. "How's it going?"

"There was a mouse in my pants."

He raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Lucky Mouse."

Her breath caught. Wrong thing to say. Wrong. "It's pretty traumatic to have a rodent in your pants, Thing One," she snapped. "Unless you like that sort of thing."

"Oh, hey, sorry princess," he said, approaching the car. "Didn't mean to make light of your tragedy."

"There was a mouse in my pants," she blurted.

I actually laughed. I enjoy it when that happens!

9. Sometimes I got a little bored with all the dialogue between the main characters and supporting characters that didn't do much to add to the story. I found myself skimming through a few passages because things were just moving too slowly.

10. The ending made the entire book worth it, and I got pretty teary-eyed. I'm a sap. Haha. It was just really sweet! 

While this book had its moments, and the story was appealing, it was not one of my favorite reads and I actually had a bit of a hard time finding the motivation to read it. I'm glad I stuck with it, though, because it was fun to see how everything wrapped up. I got attached to Gideon's Cove and some of the characters, so I had to see where everyone ended up. I was pleased with how things were left. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy a fluffy summer romance, laced with a deeper lesson on family and healing. This was my first Kristan Higgins book, and I do think she's an author I'll consider in the future!