The Man from Montana by Mary J. Forbes was another fluff romance. You know the kind...with the strapping man on the cover with the smoldering eyes. I have been dabbling in this genre for about a month, reading through some novels that my mother in law left for me during her last visit. Recently I have needed that escapism, simple storytelling style that requires very little brain power to read and enjoy. Maybe because it is summertime and my four children are with me 24/7!
The Man from Montana was a modern cowboy story. The man from Montana, Ash, is a widower and father of a teenage daughter. His wife's death, in a tragic car accident almost five years ago, has left him devastated and angry. Unable to move on from her death, he won't speak of her to his remaining family (daughter and stepfather) and throws himself into working the ranch that his stepfather owns. He has a secret, that only his family knows, that keeps him from being able to move forward with his life. Bring in a female reporter, Rachel, after a story about Vietnam. Rachel is a single mother of a young boy, following a story from one little town to another across America, collecting the memories of Vietnam vets from one particular event. Rachel needs to interview Ash's stepfather, but Ash is very protective and wary of reporters.
I think you can probably guess the story from there. A few twists and turns made this a little more interesting than most strict romances. First there is the Vietnam storyline. In addition, Rachel has issues with her father that keep the reader's interest piqued. There are also secrets revealed that link Rachel to the very ranch that Ash works. All of these things make for an okay storyline, which in my opinion is pretty rare in romances. Throw in the tension between Rachel and Ash, and the sexiness that Ash exudes and you have a winner of a romance novel.
Happy Reading!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Sugar Queen
What a sweet, mouth watering, indulgence this book was! The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen is a heartwarming, intriguing, fanciful novel about how one woman finally finds her voice and chases her dreams.
Josey Cirrini has always lived under the thumb of her mother. As a child, she threw horrible tantrums and acted out, adoring her father and never pleasing her mother. As an adult, she romanticizes her father, since passed, and tries to redeem herself with her mother, seeking acceptance and forgiveness for those childhood misdemeanors, and is secretly in love with her mailman. Her mother is ailing, or at least pretending to, and Josey (at the age of 27) is her 24 hour nursemaid, gofer, driver, and whipping post. Josey has a secret though...a place she goes for solitude and indulgence. When a local waitress shows up in Josey's closet, Josey's secret is revealed. But this stranger will lead her on a path to discover that she deserves her own life and that she should reach out and grab it.
The characters in this novel are so loveable. I adored Josey and her friends. My heart ached for them, leapt for them, yearned with them. Each character has a special ability or talent that makes the book engaging and fun. I could relate to Josey's relationship with her mailman on such a deep level that I physically ached at certain points in the book. So much so, that at one point I put the novel down and quietly wept for my younger self.
I simply loved this book. It was fast, fun, and heartwarming. An easy read that has substance. Highly recommended, this one will most likely make my favorites list for the year.
Happy Reading!
Josey Cirrini has always lived under the thumb of her mother. As a child, she threw horrible tantrums and acted out, adoring her father and never pleasing her mother. As an adult, she romanticizes her father, since passed, and tries to redeem herself with her mother, seeking acceptance and forgiveness for those childhood misdemeanors, and is secretly in love with her mailman. Her mother is ailing, or at least pretending to, and Josey (at the age of 27) is her 24 hour nursemaid, gofer, driver, and whipping post. Josey has a secret though...a place she goes for solitude and indulgence. When a local waitress shows up in Josey's closet, Josey's secret is revealed. But this stranger will lead her on a path to discover that she deserves her own life and that she should reach out and grab it.
The characters in this novel are so loveable. I adored Josey and her friends. My heart ached for them, leapt for them, yearned with them. Each character has a special ability or talent that makes the book engaging and fun. I could relate to Josey's relationship with her mailman on such a deep level that I physically ached at certain points in the book. So much so, that at one point I put the novel down and quietly wept for my younger self.
I simply loved this book. It was fast, fun, and heartwarming. An easy read that has substance. Highly recommended, this one will most likely make my favorites list for the year.
Happy Reading!
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