Review: Strong start, but then it fizzled....
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 26, 2013
2 1/2 stars.This novel started out really strong. The scene where Ainsley just takes over the barmaid job that Luc denies her is quite funny--actually, every scene with Ainsley sweetly coercing the bar patrons into doing things her way is pretty darn amusing. Her stress eating during times of emotional trauma--especially when she learns Luc's (and the rest of the town's) big secret--made me chuckle. Some interesting tidbits about shapeshifters (Luc having to keep the temperature down in his home during the winter to prevent his body's desire to hibernate from taking over) made the world created here more interesting. Very promising stuff.However, on the whole I found this novel lacked focus and detail. Once the action of the plot really got underway, it bounced around a lot. High stakes embezzlement, FBI involvement, murderous cartels--readers are given just the barest of hints about these dire proceedings, only to find them quickly resolved with very little explanation. More than once things were mentioned by characters--an allusion to Doc's good news toward the end?--and then never really explained. I couldn't help but wonder if a higher word count wasn't needed to really flesh out the plot and action, because a lot of times it felt like I was missing something. Even their relationship seemed like a lot more telling us about their extreme chemistry and feelings for each other than showing it in action, and it all happens pretty darn quickly. Luc especially capitulated with very little fuss for a guy who had sworn off love and a family.An amusing couple of hours, but I really wanted more.I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.