Cat's Books: Romance

If there’s an upside to unemployment, Destiny Burnside may have found it. Job searching at her local library in Lakefield, Ohio, gives her plenty of time to ogle the hottest man she has ever laid eyes on: the sexy wood-carver who’s restoring the building. But as the rejection letters pile up, Destiny finds an unexpected shoulder to cry on. With his rich Welsh accent, Hefin Thomas stirs Destiny so completely that, even though he’s leaving soon, she lets herself believe the memory of his scorching kisses will be enough. 
 
Hefin can’t help but notice the slender, confident woman with ginger hair who returns each day, so hopeful and determined. So when the tears start to fall, his silence—penance for a failed marriage—finally cracks. Once he’s touched her, what Hefin wants is to take her back to Wales and hold her forever. But Destiny’s roots run too deep. What they both need is each other—to learn how to live and love again.

Review

When I read a book as good as this, I feel lucky, lucky, lucky. What a grand feeling!

I am so pleased that Mary Ann Rivers is adding her amazing voice and vision to the world of Romance. I loved The Story Guy and I loved Live as well...maybe more even.

This love story is utterly smart, completely tender, vividly detailed, and achingly real.

The hero and heroine could be called plain if you went by the descriptions of them we get from the book. They certainly are not a part of the conventional beauty set in our culture or that of Romance's mainland.

But, of course, no one is really plain or ordinary and we get to see that sheer shining beauty of the body and soul through the switching points of view of the hero and heroine.

Our heroine is a Ginger (a red head for those of you uninitiated in the ways of our people lol). Rivers captures in the sensuality of this book all the more pleasurable aspects of being a Ginger and the men that love them. Take this from a Ginger married to a Ginger loving man. She is dead on. Fans self. Destiny also has knobby knees, sweat in her hair line, and is skinny.

Our hero is tall but rangy, thin even. The size of his member isn't detailed but it seems to do a fine job. He has a hairy chest. Thank the Goddess. He is Welsh of a mixed unnamed racial background. Hefin. Sigh.

The romance starts with a crush, settles in with bad timing for both of them, sings its glory in small and large gestures of true seeing another and some damn good sexy times, and gives a HEA that is joyous but also achievable.

This is the start of a series where we get a peek into the lives of Carrie and Brian from The Story Guy and the foundation is well laid for the tales of Destiny's siblings.

The writing style here is notable as it is poetic and philosophical. It has air and light though. There are very funny and surprising moments. I think I have already mentioned  the sheer YUM of the love making--its a little bit dirty actually for all the beauty but the kind of dirty we all enjoy in our own beds (or in the back of limos) from time to lucky time. The sex is hot, messy, sometimes full of laughter, emotionial and real.

The side stories and secondaries are pitch perfect and the conflicts are so raw and human they hurt but they also heal and give us the wonders of this genre done well--an understanding of others, a belief in love of all kinds, and joy in the body, the mind, and the soul.

I could tell you all kinds of other wonderful things about this book like the great girl talk, the insights on mortality, grief, illness, care taking, divorce, the love of art and its healing powers as well as those of friendship and family and the pondering on place and home but this book is one of those that unfolds before each reader differently and magically. It whispers just to you. Go, discover all the little wonders to be had in here. Go.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Sam's story comes out in May of 2014. Ho! Ho! Grumpy Ginger Man--you are gonna get yours!

I was given this book for my honest review. So there you have it!