TEST
This was an impulse buy, and like many impulses, I lived to regret giving in to it. There really isn’t anything wrong with the book – but there isn’t really anything right about it, either. It’s just boring. The characters are boring, the story is boring, the writing is boring.
It’s been four years since Major Sam Griffin, Air Force fighter pilot, has returned to his hometown; four years since his brother died on the way to his wedding. Sam shares a guilty secret with Teddy’s fiancee Emma, and has been eaten up with that guilt since the tragedy. Out of the blue he gets a letter from Emma, informing him that his mother’s been diagnosed with leukemia, and the outlook’s not good; can Sam come home?
Well, of course he can. Isn’t it convenient that his tour of duty in Italy is just about up? Sam hightails it back to Serenity, Texas, to find that Emma – the town librarian – has moved in with his Mom to take care of her. Neither of them realizes that they’ve both been secretly pining away for each other all these years. Add the requisite scenes where the Big Misunderstanding only gets bigger and bigger, until they can’t contain themselves anymore, and nature takes its course.
Wait – there’s more. Seems Emma’s dad was a ne’er-do-well, and her mother was alcoholic, so Emma ended up in foster care. Now all she craves is security and stability, and Sam, with his military career, can’t offer her that. Will they be able to reach a compromise? Will Sam ever conquer his guilt over his brother’s death? Will Emma find the love she’s been searching for? Will the reader ever care?
These are people I cared nothing about. They spent too much time carrying on conversations with themselves, and not enough talking to each other, to engage my sympathies. I found the characterizations incredible – that is, unbelievable. It’s too much to ask me to accept that a man in one of the most testosterone-laden careers – jet-fighter pilot – would have remained socially isolated for four years – c’mon, not even one night out with the guys at the “O” Club in all that time, let alone a single date?
As for our heroine, let me say that, as a librarian, I’m deeply offended. Every single stereotype of librarians was trotted out in this book: single, female, shy, wears glasses. Oh, OK, the author did miss one: Emma doesn’t wear her hair in a bun. Thanks. Ms. Benjamin should meet some of my colleagues; what we actually do would prove much more interesting!
So, I’m a little upset I wasted $4.25 on this book. Hey, it’s only money, right? What really gets me mad, though, is the few hours it took me to read this sorry excuse for a romance. I want my time back. Where do I go for a refund?
Grade: D+
Book Type: Series Romance
Sensuality: Warm
Review Date: 17/01/99
Publication Date: 1999/01
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.