What it Takes (Kowalski Family #10)

This book was a bit of a disappointment for me. I love the Kowalski books and this one just didn\’t feel the same. Laney has just divorced her husband of ten years and has taken a job at the Northern Star Lodge, which is owned by one branch of the Kowalski family. Ben is a paramedic who has recently moved to Whitford. During the course of the book the other branch of the Kowalskis come to the lodge for the annual two week camping vacation (Of Doom). It was nice seeing all the characters together, but it detracted from Laney and Ben\’s romance. There were chapters from the point of view of previous characters and somehow they seemed to crowd out the romance between Laney and Ben. Unusually for a Shannon Stacey book, I never really felt the mental connection beyond the physical attraction both characters felt. Still, she\’s a reliable writer and one small disappointment won\’t keep me from reading her other books.

This latest book in the Kowalski Family series is okay, but definitely not my favorite of the series. Ben Rivers has moved back to Whitford to act as the paramedic for the fire department, a job much needed with the burgeoning ATV activity. Laney Caswell is a recent divorcee who comes to work at the Kowalski campground. Laney wants to find herself again after ten years of marriage to a rich man who had her catering to his every whim. There\’s an instant attraction between the two, but Laney doesn\’t want to lose her independence and Ben is looking to settle down. Meanwhile, the annual Kowalski reunion is being held at the campground so we get to see the whole family again as they spend two weeks in Maine. I have to admit I wish the reunion hadn\’t taken up so much of the book. There wasn\’t enough of my favorites with so many people being involved and the romance between Laney and Ben suffered as a result. I still enjoyed the story with the \’bad word\’ Scrabble and the shopping list of doom, but I wish it had concentrated on Laney and Ben more.

I have followed this series since day one, and I still can\’t seem to get enough of this big boisterious family. I grew up in a big polish family, and our family reunions are exactly like this….wild, whacky and so much fun. There\’s always so much food, games, and yes….wild antic\’s galore. And like in this series, all of the families can\’t wait to get together, again. I love watching this family get together for their annual family camping trips, and catching up with everything that\’s been going on since we last visited them. Of course Rosie and Mary are the threads that keeps them all together….and under control. 😉 God love them, both. Ben Rivers has moved back to Whitford to act as the paramedic for the fire department, a job much needed with the burgeoning ATV activity. He was close to the burn out situation and wanted a more laid back lifestyle. Little did he know he\’ d be busier than he ever was. lol! Laney Caswell is a recent divorcee who comes to work at the Kowalski campground. Laney wants to find herself again, after ten years of marriage to a rich man who had her catering to his every whim. And even though she\’s busier than she ever expected to be, she loves every minute of it. The lives of these two people are going to change— and in a ways that neither of them expected— whether they\’re ready for it or not. Whenever these two got within a few feet of each other, the sparks would fly. This was a very sweet romance story, which I enjoyed immensely. If you love a good, fun series with lots of love, laughter, and chaotic situations….you\’ll absolutely love this series!

This story works as a stand-alone, but is meant just as much as a love letter to the fans of the Kowalski books. Going into the book I honestly had mediocre expectations, expecting it to be 50% catching-up with the old characters and 50% focusing on the central characters. I was pleasantly surprised at how Shannon Stacey managed to get the reader caught up in the lives of the rest of the family and still keep the focus on Laney and Ben. The secondary story focusing on a couple from one of the previous books, Sean and Emma, was also done well and added to the overall story and my enjoyment of the book. As I started this review, this book could be read as a stand-alone, although you (like Laney) might start to get confused by who all the other characters in the book are, but the previous books in this series are well worth reading if you have a spare month or two…

Love! I\’ve love the Kowalski series since the first book I read, so I was very excited to see this family reunion book! Ben and Laney were adorable! Their struggles were relatable, and their lust and love for one another was steamy and sweet! Sean and Emma each have excerpts throughout the book creating a secondary storyline that flows along well. The entire family reuniting was fun, funny, and chaotic. Just like family should be.

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