Book Review: 'Struck by Love' series by Syrie James

Struck by Love series

Floating on Air by Syrie James

I was delighted when Syrie James asked me to read and review the two books in her Struck by Love series of short contemporary romances. Both stories, set in the 1980s, concern themselves with strong heroines trying to carve out their places in the world (usually male-dominated worlds) and heal from past relationships.

The settings are very evocative and help drive the plot. In Floating on Air, our heroine Desiree is a radio DJ and lives in Anaheim, California. The local beaches and Catalina Island feature prominently in her journey to love with successful businessman Kyle. I used to work in radio so liked that side of the story as well.

Two Week Deal by Syrie James

Music is also a key theme in this book, which is beautifully done.

In Two Week Deal, we are off to Lake Tahoe and Heavenly mountain. I love to ski and spend time on the water so the setting appealed to me very much. Kelli is trying build a freelance career as an illustrator in the cutthroat advertising industry. An impulsive decision leads to an irresistible proposition which could jumpstart both her career and her love-life. The hero's domineering ways didn't sit well with me, although Kelli decides in the end that he can compromise after all. Kelli is Kyle's younger sister, and it's great to see his story continued in this one.

Syrie's prose is so gorgeous and lyrical that sometimes it feels like poetry. A joy to read.

Both stories quickly progress from attraction, to infatuation, to love and talk of marriage (in a matter of days!). I am not a fan of insta-love, but after reading the author's note I see it's like a family tradition which is so lovely. You can read more about the real-life inspiration behind Floating on Air on Syrie's blog.

Both books also wrap the endings up quickly, with not much time between the black moment and the end - but I suppose this must be common in shorter romances.

Overall, these are two marvellous books with plenty of spice, strong heroines and incredible heroes. Highly recommended as escapist reads with tons of heart.