Review: Absolutely the CREAM 'O THE CROP in Romance......
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 11, 2012
Sometimes a romance novel just up and grabs you by the boots and shakes you up!  This is definitely one of those stories.  It features Neville Chamberlain and Mary Catherine Talarico who prefers to just be called `Cath'.Neville is a heartwarming hero.  He's basically a fine man who comes from a good family and works in the family banking dynasty.  Neville however, hates his job.  He's the kind of man who wants to do the right thing but in this case he's sacrificing what he really wants to do with his life because it's what he feels is expected of him.Cath Talarico is our heroine.  However; if she were to read this review she'd deny it to her last day that she'd be an example of a heroine to anyone.  She is without a doubt a product of many bad choices that she'd made after losing her beloved father.  One after another and each bad choice leads her to less and less in the self-confidence department.  She is smart, snarky, resourceful, and very alone in her small world centering around historical knitting.Enter Neville or as she comes to know him: `City'.  This beautiful man that Cath would see often in the park or train station is someone Cath admires greatly, from afar.  Then they meet up and it's a glorious love affair but not one without pitfalls.  Cath has a lot of baggage and heartache behind her.  She is recovering and trying hard to be a better person who makes smarter choices.  She doesn't stand a chance against falling for her City man and yet she can't feel worthy of him.  There lies the problem.Neville is smitten with Cath even before he actually meets her because he's noticed her just as she's noticed him.  Cath is in denial that they even have a relationship beyond sex.  Neville doesn't give up easy though and he's one patient and persistent man.  The writing for these two is light and comical where it should be and deep and heartfelt for those times when the dramas of life intrude.Yes; there be angst here and the reader's heart will break for both Neville and Cath before they can find that one common path to one another.  Cath has very valid reasons for holding herself back from the love Neville offers and it was on more than one occasion that this reader wanted to shake Cath and tell her to see the genuine heart-of-man that was right in front of her.  The one thing Cath really needs before she can love however, is acceptance.  This is actually the one thing Neville had to evolve to in order for Cath to finally accept their relationship as being something she'd denied herself through her mistakes.  Cath also has to learn to trust enough to open herself up to another who would love to love her.Ruthie Knox writes two very emotionally detailed characters in this book.  There is a depth of writing that this reader doesn't encounter every day.  I waited over two weeks after purchasing this Kindle edition, to read it.  I'm not sure why but the last time I did this was with the Marie Force Fatal Series; having saved four of the series-books to read in succession and later was asking myself why I waited since I could have read the books sooner.  The same thing happened in this book.  I should have read it weeks ago.  It is the best of the best in erotic-romance.  It has some fantastically written love scenes that contain a depth of feeling that not every writer can convey to the reader.  The reader can feel the emotion of each character.  How does a writer do this?  I don't know and I can only say I'm grateful and happy to read a book that makes me happy, sad, tearful, upset, mad, and finally joyful.  It's a book we readers will keep and reread every so often because of how it makes us feel.Ruthie Knox is definitely a writer to keep a watch out for and I personally will be waiting for what she writes next.  I couldn't recommend this book any higher.I'd also like an epilogue for Nev and Cath!Thank you Ruthie Knox.