Review: A small town romance pulsing with big time emotion!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 10, 2014
I came upon The Profiteer by browsing through Amazon’s contemporary romance genre. After reading the preview sample, I knew I had to read this book by new author, Evan Asher.But here’s the catch with a book like this, brand new author and contemporary romance. Hardly an earth-shaking event. Even the book description indicated the story might be soft around the edges. How original is that for romance? So what was the draw for me, a reader? The author’s refreshing writing style and crisp presentation. The preview pages sold me upfront that Asher would know what to do with a handful of words, and a town teeming with tension and temptation.And yet when an author takes on the age-old story of romance he/she assumes total responsibility for figuring out how to keep the reader turning page after page. And with a simple plot, pressure to please the reader is even greater. The author must surely be prepared to turn simplicity into swirling entertainment. Evan Asher delivers, big time!Asher entertains with the simple setting of a small town about to undergo big change that churns around the hero and heroine. Using only the back drop of a picturesque small town and the emotional turmoil of his leading characters, Asher does his best work. He doesn’t rely upon dramatic effects, car crashes, or some spiffy black ops new technology to inflate his story. He doesn’t need it. He works with his characters, and takes time to fully develop them, penning a delicious romance with the emotions from the hearts of his characters. Simplicity, simmering into unstoppable feelings.As the reader, I experienced the swing and sway of romance in-the-making, only to be jolted by the sinking feeling of losing that heartfelt romance. But then Asher allows for the recapturing of an even greater euphoria that is well-told in The Profiteer. Other aspects of his story are conveyed easily with his select word choice that flowed naturally, without a spot of artificiality. His writing gave me that down-home comfortable feeling that I wanted to hang on to and commit to memory. And the touch of his pen captured seamlessly female and male emotions as interactions bantered back and forth.And there’s plenty of passion in The Profiteer, and Asher has a good sense of timing as he landscapes the storyline with ample sizzle to make you want more. The author handles sensual intimacies delicately, tastefully, and yet I felt the deep strong currents of passion coursing through the characters. I found myself pulling for those kinder, softer, gentler values of the human spirit. So, who should read The Profiteer? Well, grandma for starters, then grandpa, and mom and dad, and yes, aunts and uncles, cousins, and teenagers about to graduate. And it should be a favorite among the new adult generation. The Profiteer can grace my coffee table any day of the week.I compliment Asher for the bonus of a well-edited book to enhance the ease of reading. With the length of the book and quality of content, I would easily shoulder it against another popular novel, The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller. Both provided equal entertainment for me. And both carry the power of simplicity embraced by romance.After finishing The Profiteer, I wished I could get a one-way ticket on a slow-moving bus to Cedar Grove and enjoy those characters for real.Evan Asher, thanks for a Five-Star evening of reading entertainment from The Profiteer. I’ll look for your continued good works of contemporary romance.