Trouble Looming

Cole and Sara meet on a carefree night at the bar. Soon after, Sara becomes her ailing mother’s caregiver, leaving little time for romance. Cole has had his fair share of fillies, but Sara creates a desire for permanency. Patience is a virtue Cole will have to learn if he wants to put a ring on her finger. 

Cole and Sara accept their individual responsibilities with diligence. The novel is written in tell vs. show, however and Cole’s disgusting attitude toward a woman bound by a wheelchair with serious health issues may seriously anger readers. In the story, Cole’s sister has an accident which allows the opportunity to build tension but the scene is completed within a few sentences. POV changes occur within paragraphs, also creating confusion. Sara’s character is likable until she, too, makes statements demeaning her undeserving, handicapped mother, as well.

Still, Cole wins the most unlikable hero ever written award by making numerous comments about hating the woman, including, “Secretly, he hoped her mother would be flung out of the coaster’s seat just as it crested a steep rise.” Readers will be shocked by his self-centered, un-hero like behavior referring to an invalid woman. Half-plot points abound in this novel and at the end, an attempt at suspense is added. Mixing genres rarely works with a late start. The connection of strong family ties is ever present and with a shrewd edit, this novel does has the potential to become a tale of home and hearth. 

Sloane Austen