Book Review: Outside by Michelle Mankin

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

I really enjoy a well written second chance contemporary romance. The good ones run you through all of the emotional highs and lows of a love story, usually twice, past and present, then after you have been run through an emotional tornado, leave you completely satisfied with the HEA of your hero and heroine at the end. Add the serious surfing scene on the California coast and the temptations of rock-and-roll stardom, you have OUTSIDE (Rock Stars, Surf and Second Chances, #1) by Michelle Mankin.

Summer love brings together a surfer boy and a shy beauty who loves the ocean and watching the surfers. Lincoln Savage wants to be a pro-tour surfer and Simone Bianchi has plans for college in the fall, but nothing, not even a domineering father cannot keep these two apart.

When Linc has a tragic accident, he joins his cousin and friends in their band, Dirt Dogs. When the band goes on their first tour, Simone has broken away from her family and goes with them. The beginning of fame, insecurities and misunderstandings break up their young love.

Fifteen years later, Simone is still living in O.B. and owns a small surf shop. Linc is back in town for good and wants his one true love back. Can they move past the hurt they inflicted on each other all those years ago and learn to trust and love each other again?

I really liked Lincoln and Simone. They had chemistry that ignited off the page and behaved realistically in both emotions and actions. Ms. Mankin’s use of a rock band combined with the California surf scene added uniqueness to the story. The sex scenes were hot and appropriate to each time period in the H/h lives, young love and mature.

I am really looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

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