Divorced, Desperate and Delicious might not be my first pick amongst titles for this sweet, funny romance, but I guess it gets the point across. Author author Christie Craig shows a lot of promise in the world of single title contemporary romance (she wrote a series romance released in 1994 under the name Christie Clark).
Lacy Maguire is wearing an oversized t-shirt with the book’s title printed on it when she stumbles across a wounded, gun-wielding Chase Kelly in her back yard. Chase also has the distinction of being featured on all the news channels as a dirty cop who is on the run from the police for shooting a fellow officer and having a small fortune in drugs hidden in his apartment. Obviously Lacy freaks out a bit.
Chase isn’t the bad guy that his new partner Zeke would have everyone believe. Chase was in the process of sniffing out Zeke’s bad side business when the man shot him. Chase escaped and wound up in Lacy’s back yard. He just needs a place to hide out, heal up, and figure a way out the pickle he is in. Lacy’s house, complete with talking fridge, Christmas music in February and singing fish isn’t exactly what he had in mind, but it will do. And Lacy isn’t too bad to look at, even if she does have strange pets.
During the next few days, the couple power struggle over lust and emotions while dealing with the kooky cast of secondary characters. They also need to prove Chase’s innocence, which seems like a fool’s errand at times.
Everything thing about Divorced, Desperate and Delicious is a little over the top, from the humor – for example, Chase choosing the wrong bowl from the fridge and eating a Fancy Feast sandwich – to Lacy’s hang-ups about relationships and sex. Somehow the consistent level of Too Much works in this case. If the author tried to throw something more subtle into the mix, it would stick out like a sore thumb. The back cover of my review copy says Ms. Craig will appeal to fans of Janet Evanovich. I can see it.
This book also benefits from having some flat-out nice characters. Chase and Lacy are just a cute couple who seem so right for each other. Lacy’s friends, mother, and Chase’s ex-partner add a little shakeup to what would otherwise be a cabin romance. Even the dog and cats carried there own, giving the reader a few extra opportunities to smile.
Lacy and Chase’s story is interspersed with Zeke’s own attempt to cover up his crimes and find Chase. It’s always interesting to get into the mind of the bad guy. In this case, maybe a little less screen time would have been suitable for I found Zeke’s actions to be predictable, boring, and very easy to skim over.
All in all, Divorced, Desperate and Delicious is a lightweight, screwball comedy and not a bad way to spend a lazy Sunday. I look forward to her next book, Weddings Can Be Murder, out next June.
Grade: B-
Book Type: Contemporary Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Publication Date: 2007
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