Review ~ Hydraulic Level Five by Sarah Latchaw

Hydraulic Level Five by Sarah Latchaw

Summary:

Kaye is an extreme sports addict with a kind heart and an axe to grind with her childhood sweetheart and ex-husband, renowned writer Samuel Caulfield Cabral. While Samuel enjoys a celebrity life in New York, Kaye remains in their hometown of Lyons, Colorado, running her PR agency and chatting daily with Samuel’s family, the beloved Cabrals—first-generation Mexican-Americans who have embraced Kaye as their own.

But when Samuel returns home for his sister’s wedding with a new love interest, stunning editor Caroline Ortega, the gloves are stripped off. Kaye is determined to unearth the reasons behind the death of their marriage and why two people who lived to love each other were driven apart, all leading to startling revelations about Samuel, about life…and about herself.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aspen Kaye Trilby, an advertiser, and Samuel Caulfield Cabral, an author, very famous author. Hmmm… I started rooting for them the first moment they appeared. I want to set things straight; I have read the original. However, I have to say I love this version so much better. Sarah worked in some magic in this rewrite and placed in some elements that I connected with.

It was difficult to root for that lovely couple to get together when there are wrenches thrown in the mix. So, don’t get me started with Caroline, the woman Samuel brings to his sister’s wedding. She’s an evil “stitch” with secrets, bad secrets. I can tell, she exudes bad news and an ulterior motive. And then we have Hector, Kaye’s friend that helped her through the worst times after Sam left. She doesn’t have any romantic feelings for Hector, but uses him to make Samuel jealous. However, Sam really believes something might be going on between them, even though he looks cozy with the witch, Caroline. It’s all an evil web.

The Mexican-American aspect was a bonus. My husband is Mexican so it all made sense to me and touched me. Loved the music touches and the Spanglish/Spanish speaking in the story. It is completely how my husband and I talk. This is a great song, Musica Ligera and I was totally singing the words when I read that section.

“De aquel amor
De musica ligera
Nada nos libra
Nada mas queda”

I knew the crux of the story and thought this book was the whole of it; however, when it was two in the morning and I saw I only had about twenty pages left I knew the whole story wasn’t there. I was crushed! Not because I was upset, but because I have to wait for the rest. I’m not the most patient person when it comes to cliff-hangers. It was an easy read and one that flew by much too fast. I had to go back and reread it again the next day. No lie.

Sarah did an amazing job with this story and her ability to tell a tale without a bunch of purple prose was a relief.

So, Kaye and Samuel (in my mind I say it “Sam-well” as they do in Spanish) have so many issues because Samuel messed up royally when they were younger. They were childhood sweethearts. There is a lot of backstory and issues with Samuel that are not confirmed in this book but hinted to. I can’t wait until it is revealed, the suspense kills. Well, Kaye has spent the last eight years pining over Sam and living with the pain of not knowing why things went south. It was so painful for her because Sam did something most would consider unforgivable, but there’s a reason for it all and we need to know what it is.

So Kaye decides that she can’t live/feel without Samuel and has to participate in these high risk, extreme sports that are very dangerous. When Sam finds out, he’s not very happy, he worries. But really that is the or should be the least of their worries, they have so many problems and issues to deal with. And when the book ends, they are just starting to do that. I’m serious, I need the sequel, Skygods. ASAP. 🙂 Hurry Sarah! 😉 *wink*

This is a true love story with emotional turmoil and issues, but so worth the journey. I know that when I get to the end of it all, I’ll be happy with the way it ends. 😉 We just need to get there and I have a feeling we still have a huge road of pain and suffering before we get there.

I recommend this to everyone that loves a true, real romance.

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