Review: Old Fashioned Sweet Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 25, 2013
This is a sweet, romantic tale of internal conflicted emotions as the only external conflict appears in the shape of a dodgy business partner who is repelled by the hero at the first hurdle.Penny considers herself plain and ordinary, constantly comparing herself to her late film star mother. She is an incurable romantic, a trait held against her by the said dodgy business partner and the handsome American who rejects her philosophy as unnecessary to his plans for life.Kurt is also a damaged man; handsome, successful, but emotionally empty. His aim is to prepare his life like a spreadsheet and tick off all the boxes, then go looking for a suitable wife to fill the ‘mother of his children’ role. What Kurt hasn’t taken into account is that a wife, and children especially, need to be loved.Penny surprises him in all sorts of ways, her romanticism, her love of beauty and her sheer ‘niceness’ so when he dates cold, business like beauties, he always goes home thinking of Penny. It takes Kurt a while to realise what is happening, his feelings coming into focus when a friend makes it clear he finds Penny very attractive and if Kurt isn’t interested then he certainly is.Ms Halifax’s writing is lovely, romantic, evocative and sweet with a hint at an old fashioned love story because the couple aren’t in bed by the second date and then trying to find out if they like each other, which seems to be the theme of many contemporary romances.They move slowly, and gently towards one another, and thus the ending is inevitable but satisfying. I was glad delightful Penny got her hero, as well as his beautiful house decorated by herself and that he came to understand what love really was.Provided by Story Cartel in exchange for an honest review