I'm an Anderson-Dargatz fan, but I did not care for this 'Chick Lit With an Edge' book.


*Spoilers ahead.*

One reason I can't stand chick lit is that the heroines are usually so stupid (oh, but I'm in loooooooove), and the protagonist in this book is no exception.

While it's true that many women miss the warning signs of an abuser, and that abusers can be charming and lovable at times, there didn't seem to be any really strong reasons for this heroine to be missing those signs, especially since she seemed torn from the beginning between her slick city fella and her rural childhood sweetheart. (Hallmark Christmas movie much? Bring on the plaid shirts and hot chocolate.)

Throw in the soap-opera-ish elements, such as the paternity test to determine who the real father is, and the action-film elements, such as the chase scenes, with events happening incredibly fast, and a serious and important subject has been reduced to a series of Hollywood tropes and clichés.

The only reason I gave this 3 stars is because it did keep me turning the pages (even while knowing I was going to be disappointed).