THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY - Rachel Gibson
Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-000926-8 – Reprint
ISBN: 978-0-06-220564-3 – eBook
January 2013
Romantic Comedy
Gospel, Idaho ~ Present Day
What's New Pussycat?...
Valentine's Day. A day for romance, intimate dinners, and a box of chocolates given to the one you currently fancy. What if you don't have a guy or gal in your life? Why not pick up a stranger in a bar? You show him yours and he'll show you his, with a hot night of passion the reward. What if you are turned down flat? Ouch! Now you're alone and that's the trouble with Valentine's Day.
Green, Green Grass of Home...
Kate Hamilton has returned to Gospel to help out her widower grandfather, Stanley Caldwell, at his grocery store. She's been a private investigator in Las Vegas, but after a client turned out to be a murderer, she's taking a leave of absence. Okay, the social scene is not as hot in Idaho as Vegas, but she tries to rectify that by picking up a handsome stranger in a local bar, only to have him humiliate her by rejecting her advances. Kate hopes to forget it by going about her daily business in this eccentric small town and being surrounded by her late Grandmother's Tom Jones memorabilia. Her grandfather needs to put away the Tom Jones lamp, and he needs to play something other than Tom Jones music in the store. Kate will work on that, and forget her past woes. Then, one day, in walks the man from the bar...
It's Not Unusual...
It's not that former hockey player turned sporting goods shop owner Rob Sutter wasn't interested in Kate that night, but he had a bad experience with a one night stand a couple of years ago, and it scarred him. Rob figures he'll never see her again, but lo and behold, there she is, standing in Stanley's grocery store, glaring at him. Okay, Kate hates him and he intends to steer clear of her, but why can't he forget her anyway? It doesn't help that they keep running into each other in the small town and that their businesses are close to one another, nor that their families keep pushing them together.
She's A Lady...
Kate and Rob get off to a rocky start and spend the first part of THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY circling each other like Indians surrounding a wagon train. Rob soon discovers that Kate doesn't normally try to pick up strange men in bars, and her independent streak intrigues him. But she hasn't forgiven him for the kiss-off he gave her and thinks he's just a brainless former jock. The sexual sparks between the two are obvious, and readers know that soon they'll be kissing and doing a lot more. Their lively banter and sexual innuendo, interwoven with the quirkiness surrounding them in Gospel, make THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY a must read.
Without Love (There is Nothing)...
The townsfolk of Gospel are unique and funny. From poem readings at the Grange to their resistance to Kate's changes at the grocery store, the people of Gospel will have you smiling. There is also Kate's grandfather, Stanley, who's still grieving for his late wife, Melba, a Tom Jones fanatic. He can't bear to put away the Tom Jones memorabilia, but after a few extra looks at Rob's mother, Grace, he's rethinking his future. Their romance is an enjoyable secondary story in THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY.
Love Me Tonight...
Rachel Gibson is noted for her creatively funny stories, and THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY is no exception. Ms. Gibson combines a character from her previous book, SEE JANE SCORE, which featured hockey players with a return to Gospel, a favorite off-beat town located in the center of Idaho. I loved Kate and Rob. They have their reasons for being in Gospel and aren't looking for love, but they soon find it in aisle five of the grocery store. (Okay, so that is where the condoms are, but that is one of the nice things of doing it in a store.) Will this be true love, and will Rob and Kate soon be hanging up their coats on the same rack?
Kiss...
I laughed out loud at the antics of Kate and Rob and everyone in Gospel. I was sorry to see THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY end, and hope Ms. Gibson brings us another captivating tale set in Gospel. THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY is charming, sexy, and loads of fun to read. From the rocky beginning on Valentine's Day, to Easter and beyond, the love blooming between Kate and Rob will capture your attention, and you won't want to put down THE TROUBLE WITH VALENTINE'S DAY. Don't miss this highly entertaining tale that I guarantee will be another bestseller for talented Rachel Gibson! (Editor's note: The original edition of this title was given one of RRT's rare Perfect 10s, though these aren't awarded to reprints...but it's the same good book.)
Patti Fischer
