"Sweet Romance with a Mystery to Solve"
Mike McCulloch owns the local newspaper, the Bailee Bugle.
He's a man who has lived in the shadow of his older
brother,
who was the football star and the War hero. Even though his
brother is gone and he knows his brother's secret, he
cannot
shake the legend his brother has left behind. The only
bright spot in his life is his niece, Morgan who he has
raised since his brother and his wife died in a tragic
accident. Mike is a man that does what needs to be done
regardless if it is what he wants to do. His life is
passing
him by until Pepper Malone waltzes into his office,
breathing fresh air into his lungs, reviving him to take
notice of other possibilities. Pepper Malone is a big time reporter but got caught
sleeping
with the story. It wasn't intentional, but the result was
the same. With her reputation in shambles she runs away to
Bailee to check out an inheritance left to her by her aunt.
Only her aunt isn't dead, but decides to stay in the small
town for a while anyway. She applies for the job at the
Bailee Bugle. She begins to realize how caring the town is
and how much Mike has given up. She finds herself attracted
to the mismatched-clothed Mike. To her surprise she becomes
friends with him, a first in her book to befriend a man.
She
never let her guard down with a man. She always had one
foot
out the door, but Mike may be the one to stop her from
running. Not all is peaceful in the small town of Bailee. There is
someone attacking the newspaper, putting all who work there
in jeopardy. Mike is determined to find out who it is
before
he loses all that matters to him. I loved the characters of this story. They're all
interesting with a bit of back history to shape them. Mike
and Pepper, despite their differences, they are good for
each other. Mike is grounded and offers a place to call
home, something Pepper craves. Pepper is a free spirit,
breathing life back into Mike who forgot how to live. The
secondary characters are wonderful, too. Lorie, the owner
of the bakery cares about everyone in the town as if it is
her responsibility to take care of them. I also like Heath,
Lorie's ex-husband who is still in love with her. Their
sweet story is endearing. Ms. Thomas knows how to weave a tale with touching
characters you want to know. The mystery unfolds, while
your
rack your brain trying to think who the culprit can be. If
you're looking for a sweet sensual romance and a mystery of
who-done-it, this story is not to be missed. Karen
Michelle Nutt, author
Reviewed by Karen Michelle Nutt
Posted April 25, 2009
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