A grumpy burnt out physician and a sunshine psychologist must fake an engagement to save his whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup in Maggie North's sparkling second novel about starting over.
Burned-out former ER doc Stellar J Byrd can solve any crisis except her own life. But with her financial prospects dwindling, she’d do anything to stay in her beloved, pricey wilderness town—even take a job as a camp physician at The Love Boat, an unspeakably touchy-feely whitewater canoeing/ relationship therapy startup. If there are sing-alongs, she’s calling in sick.
What’s worse? The founder is Lyle “McHuge” McHugh, the sunshiny psychologist she’s masterfully avoided since their disastrous hookup last year. Hardheaded relationship bean-counter Stellar plans to dodge his pathological generosity from now until September, but after a scathing article puts McHuge's credibility into question, the two are forced into a fake engagement to salvage the camp’s crumbling public image. It’s strictly business . . . but the more closely they work together, the more Stellar realizes her feelings for Lyle are anything but professional.
This summer is nothing like Stellar expected, but could it be exactly what she needed? With a colorful cast of camp-goers, including a journalist intent on bringing The Love Boat down and an estranged celebrity sibling, plus a dash of corporate espionage, Maggie North’s signature heart and heat shine in The Ripple Effect.
Review:
The Ripple Effect by Maggie North takes the reader on quite the adventure. Our two main characters had a one night stand years ago but now they find themselves in a situation where they are fake finances. I thought the relationship therapy in the wilderness as an interesting concept. Personally wilderness therapy is the last thing I would ever want but it may work for others. I think that is why this book was so intriguing to me. Plus I love the fake relationship troupe.
Tropes & Themes:
- Grumpy vs Sunshine
- Self Help & Marriage Counseling
- Found Family
- Fake Engagement
- Forced Proximity
- Slow Burn
- Opposites Attract
- One Night Stand
- Outdoor Adventures
This book was slow to get off the ground running. I wish it was dual POV vs singular POV. It would have been nice to see the view from both characters perspective. Stellar and Lyle have a pretty good relationship together. I love the fact that Lyle was the one to really fall for Stellar first. The Ripple Effect has some great character development in it but I found that this was definitely a character driven story vs a plot driven story. If you love character development over plot, then this is definitely the book for you. It has some really amazing characters in it. The Ripple Effect is a wonderful story of how to save your self with the help from others.
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