Blog Tour, Review, Author Q&A & Giveaway: The Wanderer by Robyn Carr (CLOSED)

The Wanderer by Robyn Carr

Harlequin MIRA

April 2013

Format: ARC e-book, 384 pages

Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity

First line: It took Hank Cooper almost eight hours to get from Virgin River to Thunder Point, Oregon, because he was towing his fifth wheel, a toy hauler.

Summary: Nobody is as surprised as Hank Cooper when he receives a phone call
informing him that his old army buddy, Ben, has been killed and left a
few things for him in his will. When Coop arrives in Thunder Point,
Oregon, he’s stunned to find Ben’s Bait and Tackle shop in total
disrepair. Even more surprising – in his will, Ben has left Coop the
entire property.

A nomad at heart, Coop never imagined himself
settling down for long in any one place, let alone a rundown tackle
shop/bar in the middle of nowhere. Things get further complicated when
he meets local coast guard Sarah Dupre and her younger brother, Landon.
With the whole town watching for his next move, Coop must choose between
his old life and a place full of new possibilities. A place that just
might be home….

My thoughts: This is the first in Robyn Carr’s newest series, Thunder Point. Last year, I challenged myself to read all the Virgin River books (20 in all) and I made it with minutes to spare! I enjoyed reading all the books and came to love both the town of Virgin River and all the people who live there. Now Robyn Carr has created a new place to call home – Thunder Point.

The Wanderer is primarily Coop and Sarah’s story. Hank Cooper has come to Thunder Point after finding out his friend Ben has died and left Coop his bait shop and land. Always a wanderer, Coop just loaded up his toys and drove his fifth wheel from Virgin River up to Thunder Point, intending to stay there until he could straighten things out. He figured he would stay there a bit and then head off to wherever caught his fancy when it was time. Little did he know he would quickly become enmeshed in the small town life of Thunder Point. 

Sarah Dupre has relocated her brother and herself to Thunder Point after going through a difficult divorce. Part of the Coast Guard Rescue Team, Sarah works unusual schedules, but tries her best to be there for her brother Landon’s football games. Only a junior, Landon shows remarkable talent, but that seems to be making him rather unpopular with some of the other teammates.  

The first part of the book introduces us to many of the characters and the town of Thunder Point – almost as if it’s laying the groundwork for the second part of story as well as the next books in the series. It’s not until the second part of the story that the romance that finally develops between Sarah and Coop takes center stage. But their romance is not the only one we get to watch develop in this book. There’s Landon and Eve’s story, two teens who seem to only have eyes for each other; and then there’s Aunt Lou and her man. We also get to know Mac and Gina, and I think their story will be the focus of the next book in the series, The Newcomer. Besides all these romances, we also have a mystery – Coop is convinced that Ben’s death is a bit suspicious and along with Mac, the sheriff of the town, they are able to put the pieces together to find out what really happened.

I was not sure what to expect with this first book in Robyn Carr’s new series. I loved The Virgin River series and couldn’t imagine loving another small town and it’s inhabitants as much, but it looks like those fears were unnecessary. So far, I enjoyed visiting Thunder Point and am looking forward to getting to know more of the people who live there.

Books in this series:

1. The Wanderer
2. The Newcomer
3. The Hero

Robyn Carr has put together a mini-Q&A specifically for this blog tour…

Q: You write a lot of
sexy men, but none of them are perfect. They seem real. What character traits
do you think make for the most interesting male leads in your books?

A:  Ah, the many faces of the hero!  They are so complex and yet sometimes so
simple—but indeed there are types!  There
is the bad boy, the conqueror, the romantic, the confused and hurt hero with so
much to overcome!  Oh man, they’re all
good!  There are a few things they have
in common, however—they’re good, strong, admirable men.  And while you can count on them to be
physically attractive, usually what makes men sexy has little to do with
that—it’s their values that draw women; their integrity is very alluring.  And above all, they respect women—all
women. 

Q: Jack’s Bar was an
essential central location in Virgin River. Is there a new spot where
characters from Thunder Point will gather?

A:  There are several fantastic gathering places
in Thunder Point.  The beach is a primary
location people tend to see each other, and that includes Cooper’s beach
bar.  It was once a bait shop with a bar
in it before Cooper arrived, and after he took over it became a bar without
bait.  Another place people often meet is
the diner or almost anywhere on the main street.  Cliffhanger’s, a nice restaurant at the
marina, is a good place to gather.  And
this is a town where the sport competitions of the school kids, from elementary
school through high school, are a primary source of entertainment for the
town.  The teens love the beach for
parties, bonfires, paddleboarding, sailing. 

Q: The Wanderer has characters of all ages,
from high-school football player Landon to sassy (this would be great aunt—she
never had children) grandma Lou McCain. Will we be seeing more of them? What
other characters are you excited to introduce us to?

A:   Because Thunder Point is a friendly and
uncomplicated place, it draws people who are looking for a simpler life, for a
safe place to raise their children, a strong community that gives a sense of
belonging.  There’s no big industry
there, even the beach is private and not dominated by resorts or time shares or
golf courses, so the residents are mostly fishermen or small business owners or
work in neighboring towns.  Some people
seek this town, while others, like Cooper, stumble on it and find out it
belongs to them.  You will eventually
meet a young teacher and coach looking for a solid community in which to raise
his son and a man who walked away from the town as a youth only to get in
trouble and serve time in prison, who is back in search of redemption.  And many others. 

  

Thank you Robyn Carr for putting this together!!!

Giveaway Information (CLOSED):

Thanks to Katie at Little Bird Publicity I have one copy of The Wanderer to give away to my readers.

Rules:

• Open to US only
• Must include email address to enter 

* Mandatory entry – Tell me why you want to read this book.  

* Extra entry #1 – become a follower of Always With a Book. If you are already a follower you will automatically receive the bonus entries (just leave the name you follow under).   

* Extra entry #2 – please help spread the word by
blogging, posting on sidebar, tweeting, pinning onto Pinterest or posting this
giveaway on Facebook (each way you share gets you 1 more entry).   

All entries can be in one email – but you MUST include email address or no entry. 

GIVEAWAY ENDS APRIL 23rd

Good Luck!!!