Review: Fun, perplexing at times, but fun
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 7, 2014
This was a Kindle loan for me.  I really appreciate when new authors have this option.First, I totally loved the first (as far as I know) Katie Graykowski book, Perfect Summer.  When I saw this one, I leaped into it, hoping, knowing I would feel the love.What I felt instead was a warmth with a stirring of friendship.Don't get me wrong, I liked it well enough.  I will definitely read whatever she puts out next.Here is what I loved: Graykowski's humor and her food.  I want to be her BFF and hang out with her and just listen to her musings.  I want to hear her rants against the dry cleaner and her swoonings over the cabana boy.  I want to cook with her and then eat the feast.  I want to just sit back and laugh with her.Now, on to the story.  Basic reunited lovers and secret baby story.  The twist is the secret baby is secret from his mama.Betts Monroe and Gabe Swanson had a romance when Betts was sweet 16.  She got pregnant.  Mayhem ensues.  As often happens, Betts gives up the baby.  Well, as the book explains (and not well), Gabe ends up with the baby, unbeknownst to Betts.Betts, in the interim between the birth of the child and present day, becomes a country singer of great popularity and even greater wealth.  (Side note, wealth seems to play a big role in Graykowski's books).  Betts' unbeloved grandmother, Gigi, dies before the book starts.  Gigi was apparently very unpleasant, using God and the church as a threat and in the negative.  On page 5 is a quote that I will keep in my quiver to fling as necessary, "She'd spent most of her life thumping her Bible so loudly she gave Jesus a headache."  So, so many people I know do that.Anyway, back to the story.  Due to the fact that Gigi had control over Betts when Betts was pregnant, Gigi exerted enough force on Betts to make her believe that because she was a minor, Betts had to give the baby up.  A family was found, and the baby was placed with them.  Betts believed this.And it was true, for a couple of years.  Come to find out, Gabe went looking for the baby (after being told about him by Gigi), was able to get the baby back and raise him.  The boy is told that his mother is dead.Gigi leaves Betts a note that Betts reads after the Gigi's funeral.  She tells Betts that Gabe has the boy.  Betts leaves immediately to meet her now 16-y-o son.  And let the games begin.I don't want to spoil too much of the story.  I will just say that I had a lot of issues with a lot of things in this book as far as consistency and understanding of motive/feelings/reactions.When 16-y-o Betts goes to tell her young man of her pregnancy, she is told that said young man (who is a couple of years older than she) is engaged.  I read and reread certain portions of this book, but I never could figure out what happened to that engagement.  That seemed to be a useful plot point that was abandoned.  Then Gabe made a really big deal about the fact that the boy, Tom, was not to know she was his mother and she goes along with it.  Okay.  I can understand doing that in the short term.  I have no problem with that.  But heck, from I can tell she and the boy had the same color of red hair and nobody ever remarked upon that?Oh, and this brings me to another "what?".  No one in town knew that Betts was the mother, nor did they know she and Gabe were ever together.  Nor did they know this famous singer was Gigi's granddaughter.  Nor does anybody put two and two together about anything, anytime, anywhere.  And it is not like they didn't know Betts was there.  She bribes the whole town to keep her presence there secret from the tabloids.  This causes what could be another Holy War  as she promises contributions to the churches in town if they can keep her whereabouts a secret.  And then, OMG, some Catholics come to town that could be the wild card that sells them all down the river.Another "what?" is the fact that many clues are laid down about the fact that Tom's adoptive parents didn't treat him well.  I see these clues, as big as a clown's shoes, sprinkled all about and she never, ever follows up on them.  I kept thinking, "FIND OUT ABOUT YOUR BABY," but she never did.  Then Gabe spent about three seconds telling her about it, and that was that.  Huh?  There was more time spent on the hints.There were a number of plot issues, a number of editing issues.  These issues are a pet peeve of mine, one I take out and feed often.  They weren't egregious.  There were certainly more than there were in Perfect Summer, though.So what I learned about Graykowski is that she, too, has a template for her books.  The similarities to Perfect Summer include good food, good repartee, mamas with strong personalities, a secret baby and a surprise baby.  As templates go, done well and with humor, these aren't so bad.  And let's not forget the money.Betts had the ubiquitous two BFFs, sequel bait for sure.  They each have interesting back stories.  I will definitely read those (or at least the next one).