Review: A Fallow Heart could turn over any heart!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 3, 2013
Review:A Fallow Heartgrabbed my attention immediately and did not let it go, cover to cover.  Of course, some of that could have to do with the fact that the setting (Texas) was one that I could totally relate to and the characters were country folk.  When I saw that, I could hardly contain my excitement over getting to read it!  Before we go any further however, you need to know what the term 'Fallow' means.  (If you already do, feel free to just skip right on over this portion of my review.)  Fallow is a farming term, used to describe a farming practice of allowing a piece of land rest and recover it's nutrients and health through natural means rather than adding fertilizer and other chemicals to the ground.  It is a healthy and many would say smart way to farm but it takes time.  When used in connection with a heart, well, it means basically the same thing and that will come in handy for you as you read both my review and the book.The Good:  One of the best things about Ms. Kane's book is that instead of having her characters tell us about the history between Jo Ellen Rawlins and Cooper Gerhardt, we actually get to experience it with them from the beginning of the book.  No retrospective here.  No, we get to enjoy the whole teenage experience all over again with them and that experience is imperative to the rest of the book.Ms. Kage wrote such wonderful characters that were so easy to develop emotion for.  I mean really, how could anyone not love Cooper?  I tell you, I had a mad crush going on there.  And Jo Ellen, well, she is someone that you can really both appreciate and have empathy for on the one hand then squeal for joy for her when good things happen on the other.  How often do you find characters like that?  The pacing and passage of time are fantastic, keeping your interest the whole time through. The book is just the right length and the author manages to deal with all of the major players story lines in such a way that you are content with the results in the end.The Bad:  I have little to add to this category.  The only things that I thought of were relating to both Emma Raye and their parents.  Emma Raye was such a huge part of Coop's life until their Senior year that I felt like she deserved a little more page time, considering how important she was to him.  And Emma Raye and Jo Ellen's parents were virtually non-existent.  I would have liked them to have more page time as well.  However, the salient points were covered and you knew how Emma Raye and the Rawlins family felt when it really and truly mattered.The Snuggly:  I can tell you right now that you ladies will be needing a fan (or four) by the end of this book.  There is no erotica or kink involved, just good country lovin'.  Cooper is a very capable and generous lover and he could probably make any woman feel amazing.  The scenes are intimate, the descriptions are both hot and tender at the same time and the reactions are relate-able.  I will always think of the hayloft and the orchard with a smile on my face...sigh...and so will you. ;)The Rest:  These characters were so multidimensional and realistic that they felt like friends and people I cared for long before the end of the book.  Now, of course, I want to know my proverbial 'What Happens Next'?  What happens to Grady, Emma Ray, Clint, Coop's sisters?  What about Coop's pitiful little nephew and the parents?  And I definitely would love to know more about what happens to our hero after the end of the book.  Perhaps Ms. Kage would consider a sequel? (hint, hint)  As for who should read this book, well, if you enjoy a good contemporary romance for adults (not the under 18 set) then you would probably enjoyA Fallow Heart.  But if you can add to that a love of Texas, country life and farmers and ranchers, well, you have hit a gold mine.  A Fallow Heart could turn over any heart!*Note: I received this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.  All opinions are 100% my own.