Hale Maree

CATEGORY: ADULT 

GENRE:  STEAMY, CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE, NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG ADULT READERS.

Hale Simmons dreams of climbing out of her impoverished life, going to college, and getting herself a titanium crash helmet, so she can eventually bust through the Plexiglas ceiling of her crappy life. But for now, she's just a 18-year-old girl with a flimsy hope, barely getting by with her alcoholic father, Jerry.
But for Hale, 'crappy' suddenly takes a nosedive, when Jerry becomes the sole witness to a horrible accident. It is an event which means to affect everyone, especially Hale, who wasn't even involved.

While the depth of the accident has just begun to unfold, Otto Maree, a prominent business man and old family friend, stands to lose everything because of it. Otto is desperate for Hale's father to stay quiet about what occurred the night the two men meet for a drink. Out of mutual moments of desperation, the two fathers forge a deal. Jerry is desperate to gain financial stability for both himself and Hale, and Otto Maree is more than willing to pay to keep his secret just that.

But deals like this need to be made of the strongest vows and bound with the most faithful of loyalties. Otto proposes a marriage between Hale and his playboy-son, Oscar, in order to assure that the secret remains 'in the family'. The mystery surrounding the accident continues to grow and Hale struggles against her own mysterious feelings that begin to develop for Oscar, who turns out to less of a playboy, but just as fiercely loyal and dedicated as his father.

As the pressure around her continues to escalate, Hale realizes that she's got to decide if this arranged marriage is really just a big mistake or an amazing twist of fate that has been waiting around for this particular accident to happen.

So I absolutely fell in love with Misty Provencher when I read her Cornerstone Series. She is totally awesome was so excited when she started venturing out of the limitations of YA. Hale Maree is seriously awesome.  I could not wait to read it and I read it so fast and adored it.

So Hale, awesome name right? I swear Misty is so creative when it comes to naming her characters. Anyways, Hale lives with her alcoholic father, just graduated…high school, has an awesome best friend named Sher, not a perfect life but she’s ok. That is until her dad comes home drunk with a friend. Usually she just escapes to her room, but this time she over hears the conversation between her dad and his friend. A conversation that has her completely freaked out. I mean if your dad just agreed to have you married to his friend’s son, you would be creeped out too right? Who does that these days, I mean come on. Totally against the idea, she decides she’s going to refuse it as much as she can. She meet’s the guy when they drive to his house to pick him up to pass out flyers, and the guy, Oscar, is HOTT and moves like smoke. Is she going to be able to resist him?

Oscar is helping his dad’s friend and the friend’s daughter pass out flyers for the new landscaping company they established. He has no clue what is going on just yet. So he talks to Hale tells her she’s pretty and that he has a girlfriend. He calls Hale later that night to invite her for some coffee, when Hale talks about his loyalty to his girlfriend his reply is genious, “I am,” he sighs,”but if you are going to be my wife, I guess that trumps and loyalty I have to a girlfriend, now doesn’t it?” I seriously love Oscar, he’s smart, sexy, and perfect in his imperfectness. That gets her to meet him, and when she arrives home, Oscar being a gentleman walks her to the door.

Hale opens the door to find a drunk father and her stuff packed. Yelling occurs and a broken bottle of whiskey later, Hale is getting back in the truck with Oscar. Oscar grabs some clothes from his house and they head to his beach house.  Is it possible to turn a crappy situation around? Can Hale give Oscar a chance and getting to know her and letting him in? Can love be formed in a matter of a week? Well you are going to have to read to see if Oscar and Hale make their arranged marriage mean more than that. 

-Dani

I love Misty Provencher 's Keystone series and was PUMPED to Read Hale Maree after she described it on twitter. My super awesome friend and blogger partner Dani bought it for me.  I was glad she did!  

Hale and her dad are so poor. They live in the poor part of town and scrape by.  One night Hale is cooking dinner when her dad comes home drunk with a friend.  She feeds them and leaves.  She is actually scared how they are talking because her dad says...... that ........ He agrees to marry her off to this guys son Oscar.  It's like they have set it all up!  Hale is MORTIFIED! She does not want this to happen!  Her friend Sher wants to help her get away, but Hale decides to stick with it. 

Helping her dad put out flyers for the lawn business Hale gets to meet Oscar.  She is not sure she likes him. But he is super cute.  Oscar invites her out for coffee to try to get to know her.  This leads to Hale freaking out, and Oscar is so patient.  When she gets home what awaits her? Her dad has packed her things and Sends her to live with Oscar.  She FREAKS!

What happens when Hale spends a WEEK with Oscar? What is the Real thing that has this marriage by force set up! And Can Two People Fall in love in one week despite ALL these odds that are against them?  

READ!! And I will tell you, you will FALL in LOVE with OSCAR. WOW what a cutie! So patient, kind and wonderfully loving.  Do they sell guys like him at the store? Really? Great Job Misty!  

-Christina