Review: A good story for those tired of the usual Barbie & Ken contemporary romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 26, 2012
Russ Grey is a lonely man.  His wife died seven years ago and, while no longer in the acute grieving stage, he's been existing in a kind of emotional void.  While his work as a veterinarian keeps him busy, his personal life is barren.  He lives in a remote area of Montana with no close neighbors.  He doesn't have internet access, doesn't have family nearby and his social life consists of the occasional beer at a small bar in the nearest town.  When a young woman, bleeding and in need of medical attention, appears in his driveway in the middle of the night he's willing to accept her implausible explanation because he's grateful for the (female) company.  He pushes aside his doubts and helps her, hoping that she'll stay for awhile.  Russ is in for a surprise.Sarah Novak is on the run and she is desperate.  Russ seems like a nice guy and she hates to take advantage of him, but she doesn't see any alternative.  While she does have an ulterior motive, she's grateful for the time she spends with him.  It's a respite from weeks of living on the streets, from being afraid 24/7.  Under different circumstances she'd welcome a relationship with this man, but things being what they are she will betray him.I enjoyed this story immensely.  It was a welcome alternative to all the predictable contemporary romances I've been reading lately, with their Barbie & Ken characters and cookie-cutter storylines.  These two people are far from perfect, their motivations are ambiguous and their logic sometimes sketchy.  They were interesting, they had depth and their imperfections made them relatable.  The dialogue was quite good, awkward in places where you would expect it to be awkward.  Real people don't speak in pithy sound bites.  I thought the sex scenes were very well written.  Instead of the usual polished and highly choreographed gymnastics, these love scenes had a realistic feel to them.  There's some clumsiness, a little shyness and yet they are definitely hot.There are some plot holes and few things that didn't quite add up for me, but overall this was a great story and one I would highly recommend if you want something a little edgier.Some strong language and explicit sexual content.