Up To Me (Shore Secrets)

Ella Mayhew's always appreciated the beautiful view of Seneca Lake from the spa window of her family's hotel.But the view improves dramatically when a hot stranger runs across the grounds—shirtless. He's the first man to kickstart her hormones in the three years since she lost her parents, and she doesn't even know his name.

Graydon Locke's on his umpteenth undercover assignment. The routine's always the same: assess a business, recommend it for closure, then roll out before anyone discovers his decisions impact hundreds of lives. He's always believed nothing good comes out of small towns. Why would this one be different? Then he makes two classic rookie mistakes—falling for the sweet, sexy girl who owns the very business he's on the verge of axing. And letting the town's residents get involved in both his life, and his relationship with Ella.

Ella's the best thing to ever happen to Gray, but he's lied to her from the start. If he pulls the plug on Mayhew Manor, the entire town may crumble. Ella couldn't save her parents, but it's up to her to save their hotel. Even if that means turning her back on true love.

Carina Press

June 23, 2014

Up to Me

Shore Secrets series Book 1

I was lucky enough to be given a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. I'm a huge fan of Christi Barth and was excited to start reading her new series.

I loved Ella from the very first page. She has had to heavily rely on her friends and her hometown since her parents were killed 3 years ago, yet is still such a strong person. I could tell that Ella didn't really trust herself completely to make decisions when the book started. It started to change once she met Gray.

Gray was visiting Ella's hotel to establish if it was a good investment for his company to take over. Of course, he didn't let anyone know that was his real reason for his vacation. I loved Gray and Ella together from the moment they met. They had great chemistry and even with Gray's lie between them, I wanted them to work as a couple. I honestly felt like Gray helped Ella to find the strength she had always had and Ella helped Gray to be more human. I also felt like when Gray befriended Ella's friends, he found the first real friends in his life. I knew it would be an issue when Gray's secrets came out, and I completely understood Ella's reaction. Ella showed once again how strong she really was as she stepped up to take care of her hotel and herself. Gray has much to grovel about to make thing right with Ella, and I loved that he showed her how much he not only loved her, but understood her hometown to try and win her back.

Up to Me is a wonderful start to a new series. I'm excited to see each of Ella's friends get their own stories.