Barbara L. (Barbllm) reviewed Small-Town Girl (Harlequin Superromance, No 1121) on + 241 more book reviews
I loved this romance. Author C.J. Carmichael has a gift for capturing the heart of the challenges of life that bring her characters vividly alive. As readers know, love doesn't suddenly get perfect at the altar, despite the idealism of fiction. Romance authors are catching on, however, as Carmichael so gracefully demonstrates.
The novel begins with married professionals Julie and Russell Matthew living the good life in Vancouver, Canada. Their priorities shift almost immediately when their 9-year-old son Ben is seriously injured in a car accident. Ben is left in a coma and faces months of slow recovery when he awakens. The issues that the couple has buried deeply surface when Russell suddenly announces that hes quit his job as a university professor and wants to move back to the small town of Saltspring in Saskatchewan where he was born and raised. Naturally, Julie, a designer with a promising career at a home décor magazine, is angry and resentful that Russells made this decision without consulting her first.
Julie, raised in London, thrives on city life. How will she adapt to life in a small town? Her in-laws arent exactly welcoming, particularly her mother-in-law Betty, who is annoying as a character but very realistic; the little disputes that she and Julie get into are familiar to many. What Julie doesnt realize is that Russells ex-girlfriend Heather will be teaching at the school where Russell will also be teaching, and now Julie is confronted with unexpected challenges and surprises.
Seeing Julie adapt to small town life is very nice; it doesnt happen immediately, but she carves a niche for herself. The couple learn that even a decade of marriage doesnt prepare you for dealing with past secrets, present mistakes, and personal insecurities. The characters, while somewhat colorful, are all very believable. I would love to read a sequel to this book.
The novel begins with married professionals Julie and Russell Matthew living the good life in Vancouver, Canada. Their priorities shift almost immediately when their 9-year-old son Ben is seriously injured in a car accident. Ben is left in a coma and faces months of slow recovery when he awakens. The issues that the couple has buried deeply surface when Russell suddenly announces that hes quit his job as a university professor and wants to move back to the small town of Saltspring in Saskatchewan where he was born and raised. Naturally, Julie, a designer with a promising career at a home décor magazine, is angry and resentful that Russells made this decision without consulting her first.
Julie, raised in London, thrives on city life. How will she adapt to life in a small town? Her in-laws arent exactly welcoming, particularly her mother-in-law Betty, who is annoying as a character but very realistic; the little disputes that she and Julie get into are familiar to many. What Julie doesnt realize is that Russells ex-girlfriend Heather will be teaching at the school where Russell will also be teaching, and now Julie is confronted with unexpected challenges and surprises.
Seeing Julie adapt to small town life is very nice; it doesnt happen immediately, but she carves a niche for herself. The couple learn that even a decade of marriage doesnt prepare you for dealing with past secrets, present mistakes, and personal insecurities. The characters, while somewhat colorful, are all very believable. I would love to read a sequel to this book.
Natalie B. (Hawaiianstar) - reviewed Small-Town Girl (Harlequin Superromance, No 1121) on + 680 more book reviews
After her son is seriously injured in a car accident, Julie Matthew wants two things: for him to regain his health and for her family to return to normal.
What a shock when she learns that Russell, her husband, sees normal as a rut. His solution? To move their family from Vancouver back to the tiny rural town in Saskatchewan where he grew up.
It's for the sake of their child, he claims, and a guilty conscience leads Julie, who loves big cities, to go along with his plan. But once in Chatsworth, she begins to suspect that Russell has his own interests at heart. Especially after she sees him and his former girlfriend together at the school where they'll both be teaching.
And that's not the only surprise her husband has for her!
What a shock when she learns that Russell, her husband, sees normal as a rut. His solution? To move their family from Vancouver back to the tiny rural town in Saskatchewan where he grew up.
It's for the sake of their child, he claims, and a guilty conscience leads Julie, who loves big cities, to go along with his plan. But once in Chatsworth, she begins to suspect that Russell has his own interests at heart. Especially after she sees him and his former girlfriend together at the school where they'll both be teaching.
And that's not the only surprise her husband has for her!
