RELUCTANT HEART

4 stars out of 5

Disclosure: Under normal conditions, I'd rather walk barefoot through hot

coals than read a romance novel. More disclosure: While I wouldn't recognize the author if I passed her on the street, we do share a local connection. And since one of the joys of my life is reading and reviewing books - 88 so far this year, mostly pre-release copies through NetGalley - I figured a positive review can't hurt. In this case, though, I decided to hedge my bets. Instead of begging for a free copy and hoping my request is approved as is the custom at NetGalley, I opted to get my own directly from Amazon. That way, if I couldn't make it to the end without losing my lunch, I'd just skip it and no one would be the wiser.

Well, you're reading this, so guess what? 

The central character is Kacie Parker, an early 40-something who lost her husband Todd a couple of years earlier in a helicopter accident. Their two grown children are off to college (although they live in Virginia, the daughter is enrolled at The Ohio State University - go Bucks). Suddenly, she gets a blast from her past when her husband's old friend Charlie Walsh knocks at her door. And suddenly, her lonely but comfortable life gets turned upside down; Charlie, it seems, has loved her for years. Now, he's come to stake a claim of his own (with fingers crossed that she's willing to even consider letting him in the game).

In truth, she is; she'd love nothing more than for him to lug his suitcase (and her) straight up to her bedroom. But immediately, self-doubts and what-ifs invade her head. Will her lust for Charlie sully memories of her late husband? Will the kids think she's a traitor? How will Todd's parents and their hoity-toity friends react? Ah, the guilt!

And herein lies the biggest issue I have with romance novels - my total disdain for (and admitted inability to relate to) wishy-washy females who just can't seem to get it together. And there's no lack of that here; Kacie straddles the fence more than I'd like, and several times I wanted to yell, hey lady, Charlie's got the hots for you, and you've got the hots for Charlie. Just get it on, already!

That said, Kacie's actions and reactions don't go that far over the top. Several uncomfortable situations arise that leave her confused about her feelings, but after she thinks through whatever the issue is, she is able to sort out and make sense of her emotions. It may take a while for her to come around (with no small amount of help from Charlie, who for a guy seems unusually sensitive to what the woman he's after wants), but it's clear that she knows her own mind and, in the end, will make sensible decisions. No, I won't reveal what those are - you'll have to read it for yourself (which I hope you do).

So it is that I reached the end not only with my lunch intact - actually, two or three of them, plus a couple of dinners - but also with the realization that this is a well-written, entertaining book that I don't hesitate to recommend to anyone who enjoys this genre. Mind you, I'm still nowhere near making a beeline for the bodice-ripper shelves at the library. But when the author finishes her next book (which she says she's working on now), I'll certainly be willing to give it a go. Good job!

Reluctant Heart by Lindsay Evanoff (independently published, August 2020); 338 pp.

TO HELL WITH JOHNNY MANIC

5 stars out of 5

The description of this book enticed me to give it a go - and I'm happy to report it more than lived up to expectations. Part thriller, part ill-fated romance and a whole lot of throwback to vintage crime Raymond Chandler-style, I must say I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

As the story begins, we find a guy named Tom Gantry blowing money to the wind in a Las Vegas casino. He's not there as Tom, though; he's really a fugitive from Illinois who's taken over the identity of a man named John Manis (who's also known as Johnny Manic). It seems Tom embezzled a ton of money, got caught and went to jail, got out and violated parole, so a new identity was a must to avoid capture.

When he's down to his last $10,000, give or take a few shekels, Johnny cuts his losses and heads to Napa, California, in hopes of buying a tech repair company from a computer whiz who wants to do something else with his life. There, he meets a femme fatale named Marilyn Dupree, who's married to a filthy rich but philandering dude named Bastion. Sparks fly the very first time they eyeball each other, so it's inevitable that they'd hook up even though it's clearly a match made in hell.

Throw into the mix at least one other unsavory character, a couple of untimely deaths and Lou Eisenfall, a detective who's suspicious of everybody but hones in on Johnny and Marilyn like a fly on a honeypot. Stir up that pot, add a twist or two of spice and you've got a very entertaining and well-written story. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for providing me with a pre-publication copy to read and review.

To Hell with Johnny Manic by Andrew Diamond (Stolen Time Press, August 2019); 279 pp.