Author: Rachel Gibson
Nick Allegrezza is the illegitimate son of the mayor in a small town. His father took advantage of his mother when she was a grieving widow and left her with a child he refused to acknowledge. He's grown up hating his father for not wanting him and for marrying a woman, adopting her daughter and giving her everything that should have been his. He grew up a bit of a trouble maker, often picking on the mayor's adopted daughter, Delaney, but eventually became a successful business man and almost legendary ladies man. He's not averse to a one night stand and never lets a woman get the impression that she's special in any way. Now that his father is dying with no heir in the picture, he's trying to get Nick to to all sorts of things, but Nick's not having any of it. When the old man finally dies, he leaves Nick some great properties and the only thing Nick has to do to get them is not get sleep with Delaney Shaw for a year. Like he'd let Delaney twist him up like that and hang him out to dry again like she did all those years ago.
Delaney Shaw left Truly, Idaho shortly after her 18th birthday under a cloud of rumors. After a fight with her adopted father, Henry Shaw, Delaney decided to be free and reckless for once. A decision that wound up with her naked on a beach with Nick Allegrezza, the guy who'd fascinated her since they were children. She could never figure him out. One minute he was sweet and in the next he was cruel. On this one night he was sweeter than he'd ever been, but when Henry discovers them and tells her Nick is only using her to get back at him all Delaney can see is that Nick isn't denying it. So she leaves town and severs all contact with Henry and Truly, Idaho. When Henry dies, Delaney comes back to be with her mother through the funeral and for the reading of the will. Henry, however, has other plans. He leaves Delaney half of everything he owns, assets that add up to millions, if she will stay in Truly for a whole year from the reading of the will. How can she walk away from that when it could bring her dreams of opening her own business to life? Surely she can stand living in Truly for a year! All she has to do is keep below the local gossip's radar and avoid Nick Allegrezza for a year. Shouldn't be a problem considering he seems to harbor some grudge against her. He's got some nerve, considering she was the injured party all those years go.
Both these characters drove me nuts! Delaney remembers him saying something to her during the incident in their youth, but she didn't know what it was because she was in a panic over being found with Nick by Henry, yet all those years later when he says that he told her he'd take care of her, she is completely disbelieving. I understood how, at the time, she reacted the way she did. She'd made herself vulnerable to Nick and usually that's when he turns around and does something to hurt her. The situation with Henry was upsetting and she was looking for some reassurance from Nick and he didn't give it to her. I also understood Nick's reaction. Here he is, finally, with the girl he's wanted for the longest time and suddenly she's acting like it's the worse thing that's ever happened to her. Then Henry, whom he hates, tells Delaney that Nick's just using her and she acts like she believes him. She hurt his pride and she chose his enemy over him. What drove me nuts is that as adults, they were still hung up on this incident! Neither of them seemed to be able to look at the situation through adult eyes and accept that maybe they were both to blame for what went down. If they hadn't had all that history, and been all about each other since they were kids, I wouldn't have bough that they could be in love because all their adult interactions seemed to center around sex. They were either fighting attraction, flirting, involved in pre-sexual activities, having sex, being jealous or arguing. The characters annoyed me to the point that I had to force myself not to skim. I'm not saying there weren't enjoyable parts, but it definitely is not one of my favorite books by Rachel Gibson.
Showing posts with label small town. Show all posts
Showing posts with label small town. Show all posts
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tell Me Lies
Author: Jennifer Crusie
Maddie Faraday grew up in Frog Point, a small town of where everyone knows everyone and who your people are is as important that who you are. All her life Maddie has been a "good girl" and done what was expected. She married Brent, her high school sweet heart, she stays home to raise their daughter while her husband is part owner of a very successful construction company. Maddie should be happy, but ever since Brent cheated on her a few years back, she just can't seem to get that loving feeling back. In fact, she's pretty sure she hates Brent at this point and the only reason she's still married to him is their daughter, Emily. When she finds a pair of black crotchless panties stuffed in seat of his car she decides she's had enough. She's going to end their marriage once and for all. She just hopes he can do it without causing too much of a scandal. The last thing she needs to hear right now is that the boy who's car she climbed in the back seat of the one night in high school she's decided not to be a good girl is back in town.
C.L. Sturgis was given up by his mother and taken in by his aunt and uncle in Frog Point. No one in town expected any good from him on account of who his mother was. He was always getting in trouble whether he actually did something wrong or not, so why not just be the bad boy they all thought he was? When he was in 5th grade, Maddie Martindale was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, and when she tried to defend him to a teacher he was hit with the biggest crush, but since he and Maddie were worlds apart he never even had a chance to be her friend. In high school, when Brent cheated on her and Maddie decided to get back at Brent by climbing in the back seat of his car, C.L. found himself once again crushing on Maddie. Unfortunately they call them crushes for a reason and the next day in school Maddie crushed him by walking away and pretending nothing had ever happened between them. She got back together with Brent and C.L. was left to move on. Now, a successful accountant with a good job in a big city, he's back in town to help his ex-wife and take down Brent. He did not expect that seeing Maddie would bring back that ridiculous crush he's had on her all his young life. He also did not expect Brent to turn up dead and Maddie to be the prime suspect.
I absolutely loved C.L., but Maddie and her constant worrying over what people were going to think drove me up the wall. I'd hazard to say that most men wouldn't have stuck around and put up with all conditions Maddie put on their relationship, no to mention the way she was all over him one minute and telling him to stay away the next. She couldn't make up her mind what she wanted and even when she did, it took her forever to find the damned backbone to go after it. Once she decided to be free and forget what the town thought, she made one crazy decision after the other just because she could. Her daughter, Emily, was well written. She knew she was being lied to and she didn't take it lying down. I was more impressed with her than I was her mother. Maddie's best friend Treva needed to be slapped. When Maddie's life is going crazy Treva decides it's the best time to start venting her life long resentments about Maddie always being good and perfect. And this is your best friend?
Maddie Faraday grew up in Frog Point, a small town of where everyone knows everyone and who your people are is as important that who you are. All her life Maddie has been a "good girl" and done what was expected. She married Brent, her high school sweet heart, she stays home to raise their daughter while her husband is part owner of a very successful construction company. Maddie should be happy, but ever since Brent cheated on her a few years back, she just can't seem to get that loving feeling back. In fact, she's pretty sure she hates Brent at this point and the only reason she's still married to him is their daughter, Emily. When she finds a pair of black crotchless panties stuffed in seat of his car she decides she's had enough. She's going to end their marriage once and for all. She just hopes he can do it without causing too much of a scandal. The last thing she needs to hear right now is that the boy who's car she climbed in the back seat of the one night in high school she's decided not to be a good girl is back in town.
C.L. Sturgis was given up by his mother and taken in by his aunt and uncle in Frog Point. No one in town expected any good from him on account of who his mother was. He was always getting in trouble whether he actually did something wrong or not, so why not just be the bad boy they all thought he was? When he was in 5th grade, Maddie Martindale was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, and when she tried to defend him to a teacher he was hit with the biggest crush, but since he and Maddie were worlds apart he never even had a chance to be her friend. In high school, when Brent cheated on her and Maddie decided to get back at Brent by climbing in the back seat of his car, C.L. found himself once again crushing on Maddie. Unfortunately they call them crushes for a reason and the next day in school Maddie crushed him by walking away and pretending nothing had ever happened between them. She got back together with Brent and C.L. was left to move on. Now, a successful accountant with a good job in a big city, he's back in town to help his ex-wife and take down Brent. He did not expect that seeing Maddie would bring back that ridiculous crush he's had on her all his young life. He also did not expect Brent to turn up dead and Maddie to be the prime suspect.
I absolutely loved C.L., but Maddie and her constant worrying over what people were going to think drove me up the wall. I'd hazard to say that most men wouldn't have stuck around and put up with all conditions Maddie put on their relationship, no to mention the way she was all over him one minute and telling him to stay away the next. She couldn't make up her mind what she wanted and even when she did, it took her forever to find the damned backbone to go after it. Once she decided to be free and forget what the town thought, she made one crazy decision after the other just because she could. Her daughter, Emily, was well written. She knew she was being lied to and she didn't take it lying down. I was more impressed with her than I was her mother. Maddie's best friend Treva needed to be slapped. When Maddie's life is going crazy Treva decides it's the best time to start venting her life long resentments about Maddie always being good and perfect. And this is your best friend?
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