Marriage on Her Mind
Grade : C+

Cindi Meyers’ Marriage on Her Mind is a small-town romance, the type some people love and others, well, don’t. Aside from the protagonists, a host of minor characters and fellow townspeople provide comic relief.

Casey Jernigan drove herself from Chicago to a small Colorado town with little more than a potted plant and a wedding dress. She fled her socialite life, leaving her ex-fiance at the altar, and just wants to work at Crested Butte’s Chamber of Commerce. She’s not looking for romance, just trying to find herself and what she wants. She is understandably surprised when her first reaction to her new landlord is attraction.

Her new landlord, Max Overbridge, has lived in a shadow for most of his life, so now he’s just doing what he wants. Despite his bad boy persona, he’s a reliable, caring, and just all-around good guy, making the fact that he’s known as a bad boy a bit inexplicable. He knows it’s a bad idea to get involved with a tenant, but Casey isn’t like the local girls. He begins to allow his attraction to win over, but then he makes a discovery and faces a visit from Casey’s past, leaving him to reconsider where the relationship is heading.

Along with Max and Casey, there is a third main character: Crested Butte. Romance writers have a tendency to make up crazy small towns, and this one fits right in. It’s an odd town, with bizarre traditions, quirky people, and very strange events. From strange ones like Flauschink to Poo Festival to Vinotok to more harmless celebrations like the Wildflower Festival, the townspeople keep busy. The author’s note confirms that this town is real, making it even more interesting. However, if one doesn’t read her note, it’s possible to conclude that Meyers has a bit of a ridiculous imagination. Truth can be stranger than fiction. The town is interesting to read about, but I don’t think I’d want to live there. It also occasionally outshines the hero and heroine.

As I read the book, one aspect of it seemed off, and it wasn't until I'd finished that I finally put my finger on it. The story doesn't read like a contemporary from 2007, but more like one from 1987. Something about it just didn’t feel immediately contemporary, but neither did it have a timeless quality some authors manage to pull off that allow their novels to be favorites for years. This wasn’t necessarily detrimental to the book overall, it's just something I noticed.

Max and Casey have a good relationship, but Max’s hesitancy about their relationship is a bit extreme, at least from my perspective as a woman. And while the build up of their feelings was fun to watch and it was clear they cared about each other, Max’s issues just didn’t fly for me.

Reviewed by Jane Granville
Grade : C+
Book Type: Series Romance

Sensuality: Subtle

Review Date : October 11, 2007

Publication Date: 2007/10

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Jane Granville

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