Review: isn't completely what you think it'll be about
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 06 27, 2014
2.5 starsI was looking for a simple story with some of my favorite lesfic story elements... snow, cabin, a blizzard... being trapped in close quarters together... conflict that turns to passion.  We all love those scenarios and I could hear that story told over and over without (much) complaint.  I thought I might find these things here.  But I found this book cover and the blurb a little misleading and perhaps my expectations interfered with liking much of the actual story I got.There will be spoilers ahead.Yes, there are two leads, Kate (42) and Lee (37), who meet in a double booked vacation cabin and have to share it.  But that bit of the story is only about 30% of this 244 pg book.  And meeting at the cabin doesn't even happen until about 40% into the story!  What we get for nearly half of the book is a very mediocre backstory on each lead and her ex and what led to their breakups.  Obviously, they don't end well and our two leads sound like suffering saints.  In fact, if there were cliffnotes on this book, Kate would be the Christ figure (because someone always is in cliffnotes).  TMI TMI on the exes!!  Worse, it's all very cliché ex drama. Two dimensional characterizations. Aside from these two lengthy threads, we get a lengthy backstory on the parents of one of the leads... to what end, I'm not really sure.  For me, this is the wrong way to create depth and had just the opposite effect.  Way too many couples!That, and I just felt like it took forever for the better part of the story to actually begin.  The opening was a chore.  I'm just not a big fan of lead separation.  So any author who isn't even going to have them meet until nearly halfway through should have something wildly interesting or superbly written to distract me.  Nope.  I just got impatient and bored.  I also had a hard time picturing these leads, especially Lee.  Don't know what she looks like at all.  Ultimately, I think some of my expectations for how things would play out in the snowy cabin also let me down.  Others have done it far better.When the leads finally meet at the cabin there is zero conflict.  All the stars simply aligned with one cute little doggie in tow posing into the narration as a perk. I didn't find it terribly romantic because these characters aren't developed well and I just didn't care about them very much.  There is sex, but I didn't find it sexy or hot at all... read through it as passively and unmoved as I did the rest of the novel.  On occasion the author's voice popped in for some political, cultural, environmental, ethical, and later, health agenda.  I also didn't care for the preachy socialization and 'be out and proud' commentary.Something organic was missing here... no real passion or emotion.  Bloodless characters.  I could imagine the author checking off boxes of everything she was supposed to include without adding any of the mojo it actually required.Some conflict does arise after the cabin stuff because these leads live 4 hours apart and a long distance love affair ensues, but it didn't make the story terribly interesting for me... though I thought it was the better part of the book. And in the end everyone is perfect and good.... ack.  I know this is a romance and I was looking for something simple, but this one is below average.  And I can't say I'm a fan of the writing style... dull and trying too hard to say all the right things.