Boomerang Bride
Heroine flies to Wisconsin from Australia with her grandmother's wedding dress on in order to surprise her fiance. Her big surprise turns into a big shock as her fiance's supposed home is actually an empty store & that's where architect Hero meets her. Being conned by her fiance leaves her virtually penniless & homeless in a small Wisconsin town, where she musters up the courage to find a job & a place to stay ASAP. Hero is oustounded by her quick recovery & tries to help her. But heroine ends up helping him more with the various crises in his family's life. Their attraction soon turns into a secret affair with both knowing that it ends as soon as Hero goes back to New York after the Christmas holiday. How do they reconcile their commitment differences?
Not too bad. It had a slow half, romance-wise. First half of the book was mostly about Australian heroine's acculturation to the small-town Wisconsin way of life. Although interesting at times (especially the language differences), the first half read more like chick-lit than romance. There was so much "We Australians, do this" while "You Americans, do that" conversations that I got bored at times. The romance during the first half was slow to develop & more peripheral. I took many breaks & even fell asleep a couple times during this part of the book. Thankfully, the second half got better. There was more drama & more sex. The characters came alive & the story more centered on the romances (There was a secondary romance between Hero's sister & the town's cop). By the end, my emotions were drawn & I even got a little teary-eyed during the breakup & reconciliation of the main characters. I thought that Hero's change of heart was too sudden but not totally unbelievable. Heroine & her inner strength & positive outlook pulled the romance & the overall book together.
Moderately recommended.
***Reviewed from the Amazon Vine Program.***
