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Jo
Richardson
Genre: 
Contemporary

ROMANTIC COMEDY:  Divorcée, and mother of a teenage daughter, Iris Alden is driven and very involved in the community of Spangler, South Carolina. She strives to be in control and on top of things at all times. Carter Blackwood, a house flipper, is easy on the eyes and in need of a hammer. This simple act is the catalyst for the two meeting, but Carter doesn’t make the best first impression. However, he is intrigued. She is cautious about starting anything with him, thanks to experiences she has had with her ex. 

 

This wonderful specimen of a well-crafted story is written in the first-person and shifts between Iris’ and Carter’s point of view using present tense throughout. There are a couple of intimate scenes with very limited description. The happenings in the community Iris and Carter are part of take center stage, and one delights in finding out about the histories of all the characters, including relatively minor ones. When characters are introduced, it is done in an organic manner preserving the flow of this page-turner. However, there are enough twists in the plot to keep the reader engaged without confusing them. Nobody’s life is perfect and that is also true for Iris and her neighbors. While the reader is allowed to be a fly on the wall, they go on the roller coaster ride that can be everyday life. Enjoy the ride!

 

Heather R. Nielsen