Review: A great book!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 25, 2011
Lyssa Smith is a woman with principles and determination.  But she's trying to work from the outside in to make as much of a difference in the land development industry as possible. And sometimes, she ends up alienating some of the people who actually have the money and resources to make the necessary changes.  Her life takes a serious wrong turn when several of these people decide they've had enough of her high morals and it's time for her to be out of the industry.Dane Callicot has the opposite problem.  He's already on the inside, but nobody seems to care about the things he cares about.  His life has been mapped out from the day he was born, but it's not the life he wants.  How can he have the things that are important to him in life without alienating everyone he cares about?Having their own demons to conquer, Dane and Lyssa eventually find that they're on the same side.  Soon after, a business relationship becomes something more when they find in each other the understanding and support they both need.  But with so much working against them, the misunderstandings and betrayals keep building up around them.Homegrown Muse by Sally Bennett is a wonderful, well-written book that had me captivated from the start.  The characters grab a hold of you - whether by their likability or their conniving. I found myself rooting for Dane and Lyssa even when I wanted to shake some sense into them both; and I couldn't wait until the dust settled and those in their way got what was coming to them.  I enjoyed the book from beginning to end and I have the lack of sleep circles under my eyes to prove it.There are a few of things that keep me from giving Homegrown Muse an all-out five, though.  As much as I wanted Dane and Lyssa to come together, it seemed odd that they had known and worked closely with each other for years without a romantic spark until now.  It would have seemed more realistic if both had harbored at least some romantic feelings or attraction that had simply never been acted upon.  Also, the secret that Lyssa's parents kept from her was troublesome for me.  I can understand the point of view of the characters in the book, but it still rubbed me as somewhat selfish and harsh.  A point that did not really affect my rating of the book but still bothered me was the prejudice and racism that dominated some of the characters' lives and made them even less likable in my mind.  Perhaps it is my Midwestern naivety of the business and social climate of the Southwest United States.  But if the opinions set forth in Homegrown Muse are truly indicative of those in the Phoenix area, the city will never make it to my `possible places to move to' list.  Let me add, though, that Sally Bennett did not support either the prejudice or the racism, but rather seemed to be showcasing the ramifications of both. I give Homegrown muse four and a half stars.