The Oakville Series (Books 1 - 5) by Kathy-Jo Reinhart
Genre: Romance
Six years ago, Amber fled her hometown and family heartbroken and humiliated. Now, after walking in on her fiancé holding another woman’s legs in the air and screaming her name, Amber is headed back home to Oakville, ready for a fresh start in the town she’s always loved.
Determined to get back to her life, Amber gets a waitressing job at KC’s Bar & Grille. After a few weeks of working there, she finally sets in to a happy routine with help from her new friend, Holly. That is, until she meets KC, the owner, her boss, and the man who just happens to be the reason she left so many years ago. The man she never got over.
Enter Kyle. He’s sexy, charming, the lead singer of a small town band, and owner of KC’s Bar & Grille. When Amber left all those years ago, he became a shell of the man he was. Broken, confused, and desperate, Kyle began his new life where nothing mattered aside from music and women, sometimes more than one at a time. Finally realizing that he hated the person he was becoming, he moves back to Oakville with his band to focus on the bar. Still playing a few small gigs here and there, Kyle and his band return home after a month only to walk straight into Amber, the girl who broke his heart and left without a word.
With a short, heated conversation revealing that it was all just a misunderstanding, Kyle and Amber are determined to start over again and let the past stay in the past. This is the second chance neither of them dreamed they would get and they aren’t going to waste it. Unfortunately, living in this small town isn’t as safe as it would seem. With people determined to tear them apart and old flings resurfacing, will Amber and Kyle be able to hold onto their second chance? Or will it all slip through their fingers?
[Janet]
Amazon/Goodreads Rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination Rating: 10/10
This book left me a little emotionally drained. Was so not expecting the ending. Rarely can I say that I was hooked from the prologue and already emotional.
Kyle and Amber are soul mates and are destined to be together even misunderstandings and lack of communication get in the way. Then there are the other people in their lives trying to keep them apart.
Six years ago, Amber fled her hometown, family and love of her life,Kyle, broken hearted and humiliated. Kyle was also left broken and confused when Amber left. He became a shell of a man and left town as well. Turning to music and womanizing to drown his pain. He became the lead singer of a small town band and eventually returns home to Oakville with his band. He buys a local bar. Returning home, with the band, after their most recent tour he learns his newest employee is none other than Amber, the girl who broke his heart six years ago.
Amber thought she could move on but as fate would have it, she is returns to her home town of Oakville after her world is again shattered when she walks in on her fiance with another woman. Taking a waitressing job at KC’s Bar & Grille, Kyle's bar. She becomes friends with Holly, who also helps get her back into a happy normal routine. Until she finally meets the owner KC, a.k.a. Kyle! Kyle and Amber are soul mates and are destined to be together but with all they have experienced and their broken hearts, is it possible to have a happy ending?
You will need tissues while reading this book and may be left a little emotionally drained. This book has it all, great love, laughter, suspense, twists and turns. Warning you may want to tie your kindle to your hands as you may want to toss it several times. The ending is not what you would except. There is great love, laughter and suspense in this book. The characters are well rounded and totally believable, even the supporting characters add a lot to the book. I highly recommend this book and will be reading the book two as soon as this review is finished as I have to know what will become of Kyle and Amber.
After six years of being apart, Amber and Kyle finally found each other again, only to be ripped apart once more by a force they couldn't control. After a tragic accident that almost takes Amber's life, she's left in a hospital without any memory. She doesn't know who she is, let alone the man that she married and has loved since childhood.
When Amber finally wakes from her coma, Kyle feels like he can breathe again. The hope that he has held onto every day he has sat in the hospital with her has pulled through. They can now push Beau behind them and finally get the happily ever after they deserve. Only, Amber has no idea who he is.
Feeling his hope wither away once more, Kyle sets out and makes it his personal duty to help her remember, or make her fall in love with him again. After all, they have a connection that can pull through anything, and will.
Is their love really enough to conquer even the most difficult and life-altering situations?
Trust is lost, promises are broken, and hearts are shattered.
Will Kyle and Amber be able to withstand the changes ahead of them, or will it tear them apart for good?
[Janet]
Amazon/Goodreads Rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination Rating: 10/10
I am speechless as I finished reading Remember Me. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would! Kyle and Amber love each other, but will this love be strong enough for all that happen to them?
Warning this review may contain some spoilers of book one. You need to read the first book in the series before reading this one.
I also found that I was glued to this book even more than I was with book one, First Love. I have found myself another favorite author and I am so looking forward to reading many more books from her.
After being apart for six years, Kyle and Amber finally have found each other again but are ripped apart once more by events that are out of their control. After Amber's traffic accident, coma, and now awakening, Kyle feels like he can breathe again. The hope he held onto everyday that she would pull through has happened and they can finally have that happily ever after, but he is devastated because his soulmate, childhood sweetheart, wife has no idea who he is. Is their love going to be enough to conquer this difficult and life altering situations? Can Kyle make her fall in love with him all over again?
I felt like I was there with Kyle and Amber through all the events going on with them. and the support from all of their friends was perfect. The support from their friends is exactly how it should be and when that laughter is needed after pages of tears it is there on cue. When someone needs to be put in their place it happens. This is an amazing continuation of Kyle and Amber's story and I very highly recommended it. So grab your box of tissues and sit back and enjoy the continuation of Kyle and Amber's story, I know I did. I am looking forward to reading more from this author and getting to know the other supporting characters in future books.
Holly Anders was abandoned by her mother at birth. Growing up shuffled around from one foster home to another, she never thought she’d be loved. When she married Ray right out of high school, she thought she’d finally have the perfect fairy tale life, but it quickly turned into her worst nightmare.
Finally able to find the strength, she runs as far and as fast as she can away from the nightmare, finding herself in the small town of Oakville, where she begins her new life. The last thing on Holly’s mind is dating or men. She’s not anywhere close to being ready to trust another man. Sometimes she wonders if she’ll ever be. She was damaged when she met Ray, but he broke her — maybe forever.
Paul Walters spent his first sixteen years fearing his father’s beatings, but taking them in order to spare his mother from as much of the abuse as possible. When an unspeakable tragedy strikes, he leaves his hometown and heads for Los Angeles. Guilt and fear cause him to spend the next few years drowning his sorrows in booze, drugs, and random women. He refuses to allow himself to get close to anyone; the fear of becoming a monster like his father keeping him from believing a relationship with a woman is possible.
Things begin to change when Paul meets Kyle and sees something in him that reminds him of himself. They quickly become friends after forming a band with two other guys. Paul realizes he’s missed being part of a family. Deciding they don’t like the path they’re on, they leave L.A. for Kyle’s hometown of Oakville. Paul is ready to start over, but he still vows never to fall in love.
When Paul and Holly meet, the chemistry is undeniable. Is it possible for two people to find the courage to let someone in again after they’ve had their hearts and souls shattered by those they loved and trusted most?
[Janet]
Amazon/Goodreads Rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination Rating: 10/10
Kathy-Jo did it again with the story of Paul and Holly in the Oakville Series. Knowing that Paul and Holly are together from the first two books, I loved how the author started in the present grabbing the reader with a surprise and then takes us to Holly and Paul’s past, so we can understand what they went through before meeting up. The story is told in alternating point of views, which I love because the reader gets to know what each is feeling and the emotional connection to the characters is so much greater. As in the other books, the supporting characters play important roles and it is great to catch up with Kyle and Amber. I am excited to read more on each of these characters and to get to know them as much as I have in getting into the mindset of Paul and Holly.
Holly’s mom abandoned her, the family that took her in were killed in an auto accident and she grew up in the foster care system. She never felt loved so when Ray showed interest in her she jumped into marriage. Holly thought she had the life she wanted, but her dreams soon turned into nightmares. With the help of her only friend, Tanya, she is able to leave Ray and start a new life in Oakville. Determined to stay away from dating as she was unable to trust another man after Ray, she walled her heart.
Paul left home, at the age of sixteen, because his mom refused to leave his abusive dad. The guilt and fear of becoming his dad drives his wild single life of sex, booze, drugs and womanizing. He eventually meets Kyle, who we know from the previous Oakville book. Paul and Kyle become friends and soon thereafter start a band with two other guys. On the brink of their record deal, the band members confess they are happy playing when they want, what they want and where they want. The deal falls through which leads them to follow Kyle back to Oakville to help him open his own bar and grill.
Holly runs into Paul and they have an instant connection but both have swore off relationships because of their pasts and trust issues. As much as they don’t want to have feelings for one another they can’t deny them. Just when they finally have overcome the fears of the past and are on the way to a happily ever after, the past comes back to destroy their future. Will they be strong enough to overcome this and mend their shattered hearts?
This book can read as a stand alone but I strongly advise against it because the people of Oakville are too entwined in each other lives. So sit back with some tissues as you will need them as you, Paul and Holly go on a roller coaster ride through their turbulent lives, but there are many great laughs along the way to help offset the tears.
Can opposites really attract? Chelsie Amell is a shy wholesome girl looking for the forever kind of love. Angel Walker is a guilt ridden man whore who is not capable of love. Both are wildly attracted to each other, but do everything in their power to fight it.Will their pasts leave a barrier between them they can't cross? Or will they climb it together and over come it all?
[Janet]
Amazon/Goodreads Rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination Rating: 10/10
Redeem Me is book four and the story of Angel Walker and Chelsie Amell in the Oakville Series by Kathy-Jo Reinhart. Once again my attention was grabbed right from the start and kept me wanting to know more right to the very end which before I knew it I had sadly reached way to soon. Chelsie is a shy and wholesome girl who is attracted to Angel who is totally her opposite. Angel is a guilt ridden manwhore who is not capable of loving someone because he feels he doesn’t deserve love. He is also attracted to Chelsie but just like her, he is doing everything in his power to fight it. Will opposites attract? Will she be able to overcome her insecurities and help him redeem himself from his past or will it be too much for them to overcome?
Angel struggles with demons he has been fighting since he was a boy. He also battles the guilt he has because of what happened. He is afraid to share these demons with his friends fearful of their rejection. Even knowing all his friends have had a troubled past, he feels his is worse and unforgivable. Chelsie shows him that it wasn’t all his fault, but as more of his past comes to light, he turns to the bottle to help dull the pain. This causes more of Chelsie’s insecurities to come into play. How could this hot guitar playing rocker who has been with so many woman want her, the shy and innocent girl? Will the innocent girl be able to cope with the rock n roll bad boy?
This book can be read as a stand alone, but if you plan on reading the other books in the series, I would recommend reading them in order as you will have spoilers in this book that could ruin the prior books in this series. There are several twists and turns as this plot unfolds. The characters' pasts, the self medicating addictions and even upset girls wanting revenge are weaved together by the author who keeps these events so real you're emotionally attached to each one as if they are your friends. You feel the pain and guilt Angel is dealing with along with the nervous insecurities of Chelsie. Kyle, Paul, Amber, and Holly are integral parts in this book . I love that the gang is all together. Their interaction as main and supporting characters battling their own demons while trying to support each other had this reader in tears and then there was also much needed laughter at just the right time. I was sad to see the book end as I wanted more from the entire gang and I can’t wait to read more from this talented author.
MARCUS and Taryn Winters along with their six year old son Chase, have a wonderful life. They are ready to expand their perfect little family, but for some reason it's not happening as easily as they think it should. A trip to the doctor’s office delivers a crushing blow to Taryn. No one is prepared for the news she receives. With the help of their friends Marcus and Taryn try to deal the best they can with the life changing event that’s taken place.
After tragedy leaves Marcus and Chase forever changed, they need to find a way to piece their lives back together. Both of them are spiraling out of control. When Marcus gets called in to speak with Chase’s teacher his world is again turned upside down
LEXI has spent years trying to keep her past where it belongs. In the past. After her husband left her for her best friend she moved to Oakville hoping to start over. She starts to notice problems with one of her students and calls in his father for a conference. The minute she meets Marcus an intense need to help him takes over. She will fight harder than she ever has to bring Marcus and Chase back to life.
[Janet]
Amazon/Goodreads Rating: 5/5
In Patti's Imagination Rating: 10/10
As is the case with all of Kathy-Jo’s books, it will make you cry and also make you laugh. This "page-turning , can't-put-it-down" book has so much tragedy, humor, suspense and unexpected plot twists I just couldn't read fast enough to see what happens next. The story is very real with issues that are disturbing to some people, thus making for one great book.
The idea that life is not always sunshine and roses screeches through this 5th book in the Oakville Series. It focuses on the Winters family. Be warned; it is a real tear-jerker. Marcus and Taryn are trying to have another baby. Their six year old son, Chase, is eager to have a baby sister or brother, but it just isn’t happening. Taryn visits the doctor and learns shocking news that turns the Winter’s lives upside down.
Lexi is Chase's concerned teacher who moved to Oakville to escape her past and get a fresh start. After Chase's recent change in behavior due to the Winter family tragedies, she sets up a parent teacher conference to discuss his demonstrative behavior, but she never expected for her life to change as much as it does when Marcus shows up for the conference.
The author's wonderful job at telling the tragic tale of these life changing events has you grabbing for the box of tissues over and over again. Kathy-Jo's cast of characters, especially Angel, brings comic relief at just the right times to add even more bittersweet emotions to this story. This book can be read as a stand alone, but you will want to know more about the dynamics of this group, like Holly' s protectiveness of Taryn and why Lexi is not really accepted by the others. As this is the last of this series, I am sad to see it end, but hopefully, the author will revisit this interesting cast in her spin off series.
After growing up in Saranac Lake, a small town in upstate NY, Kathy-Jo Reinhart returned to her birth place and where she spent her summers with her grandparents, St. Petersburg, Florida, after graduating High School. The sub zero climate and piles of snow definitely weren’t a loss, in her opinion, and this is where she still resides with her Husband of fifteen years and their eleven year old son, who they lovingly refer to as their miracle baby. A name righteously earned after a very difficult and scary pregnancy with 7 1/2 months on complete bed rest.
By day, she works as an Office Manager for a construction company started by her grandfather and uncle. Like most people, she has a love hate relationship with her job, but cherishes all the years she was able to work side by side with her grandfather before he passed away.
Writing has always been something that she has loved. In school, creative writing was her favorite class. Writing a book was something she had always wanted to do, but was too afraid she didn't have what it took to make it happen. After going from working sixty hours a week to twenty, she found herself with a lot of extra time on her hands and decided it was time to take the leap. Crossing her fingers and closing her eyes, she jumped into creating the Oakville series and hasn’t looked back.
The first five star review she received after First Love, the first book in the Oakville series, was published, left her speechless, overwhelmed with emotion, and so blown away that someone really liked what she had written. Her initial fears seemed to calm and reassured her that others love her writing just as much as she loves doing it. How it will all turn out, still remains a mystery, but she’s having a blast seeing where these characters will take her.
When she isn’t spending time with her characters, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, scrapbooking, and doing ancestry research.
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