Although I'm an author myself, reading books is my first love. I've been known to devour them like candy, and regardless of how many sit on my bookshelf or on my Kindle, I always have to have more. As someone who has a self-proclaimed love affair with anything regarding the South, you can imagine how excited I was to get my hands on this book. I'd seen some fabulous praise bouncing around my Facebook news feed so I was really excited to jump in.
I was so excited, in fact, that I missed the part that this is series -- not really a standalone -- so I was aggravated when I finished it. This was in no way the author's fault, that was me being over-eager (and a highly distractable mom). Whoops. Guess I'll have to pick up the next one to see if my questions get answered! *wink*
Anyhow -- overall, I really enjoyed the story line. Mac Coalson owns his own construction company, sounds ruggedly handsome, comes off tough, but like all the men in romance novels we love -- he has a soft side for the woman in his life. Dixie Harris is a young school-teacher, full of spunk, sweet, and ready to nab Mac -- which isn't all that surprising. Dixie's brother is nabbed for vandalism going on around Mac's properties, which is the underlying issue running throughout the book and what thrusts these characters into each other lives.
For the most part, the plot had great momentum. There was an exception of a couple of plot points that I wished had been developed a bit more -- they felt a bit rushed. I wouldn't have minded a bit more to the evolution of Mac and Dixie's relationship, but regardless, it was entertaining following the roller-coaster that ensued their initial meeting. Especially with Dixie's firecracker temperament, and Mac's stubborn streak. Let's just say, sparks flew on more than one occasion.
Dixie's little spitfire attitude cracked me up, and I enjoyed seeing the way Mac handled her. There's nothing like finding characters you enjoy so much, that your emotions swing with theirs -- and trust me, there's plenty of swinging involved! The Southern dialect was fun, not in any way overdone -- which was awesome. She set the scene perfectly for the area and the way that people interact in small towns -- it's definitely somewhere I'd love to visit.
I wanted Mac and Dixie to find their happily ever after. Let's be honest though, I also want to know more about his brother Sam and ex-girlfriend Angel -- there's a big story there and I'm anxious to find out what will be revealed! There's a lot of history to cover, so I expect it to be full of realizations and passion; those two have a lot of time to make up for.
Bottom line: if you enjoy a good, passionate romance, with an underlying mystery, it's a great read. It's sweet, and fun, and introduces you to a devoted loving family (there are 7 brothers y'all) wrapped up in a charming little Southern town.
** 4 -4.5 stars **
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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