Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

Book Info

Paperback, 368 pages
Expected publication: October 29th 2013 by Bantam
ISBN 0345533712 (ISBN13: 9780345533715)
URL
Source:Netgalley EARC


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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Perfect for readers of Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Rachel Gibson, this sizzling romance tells the story of a sexy small-town mayor and a notorious “bad girl,” who discover that home really is where the heart is.

Monica Appleby is a woman with a reputation. Once she was America’s teenage “Wild Child,” with her own reality TV show. Now she’s a successful author coming home to Bishop, Arkansas, to pen the juicy follow-up to her tell-all autobiography. Problem is, the hottest man in town wants her gone. Mayor Jackson Davies is trying to convince a cookie giant to move its headquarters to his crumbling community, and Monica’s presence is just too . . . unwholesome for business. But the desire in his eyes sends a very different message: Stay, at least for a while.

Jackson needs this cookie deal to go through. His town is dying and this may be its last shot. Monica is a distraction proving too sweet, too inviting—and completely beyond his control. With every kiss he can taste her loneliness, her regrets, and her longing. Soon their uncontrollable attraction is causing all kinds of drama. But when two lost hearts take a surprise detour onto the bumpy road of unexpected love, it can only lead someplace wonderful.

“Molly O’Keefe is a unique, not-to-be-missed voice in romantic fiction.”—New York Times bestselling author Susan Andersen

My Thoughts

Coming home for Monica Appleby does not mean the same thing as it does to others, it means reliving violent memories from her past and facing the people who lived in Bishop Arkansas when her mother shot and killed her father in self defense. After a turbulent childhood, an even more dramatic and mistake ridden young adulthood Monica now in her early 30's is riding the wave of success generated by her tell all autobiography "Wild Child" which no surprise was the nickname all her antics garnered her. Monica however wishes to put all that in the past and has come to Bishop for the sole purpose of researching the night of her father's death at the hands of her mother as she has contracted with her publisher to write a book on the event and it's aftermath in her life.

Estranged from her mom for years Monica has built a public persona that few people ever look beyond the mask of, funny thing is first day out in public when she meets Mayor Jackson Davies that public persona cracks and the "real Monica" shines through.

Jackson is battling to keep his town from cratering due to debts incurred long before he was in office, it is a losing proposition due to the failing economy. Having lost his parents when he was a young man in his first year of college he has raised his younger sister alone so along with effort it takes him to keep trying to save Bishop and make the best home for he and his sister has left him no time for much of a personal life. The connection he feels upon first meeting a grown up version of Monica Appleby rocks his world and no matter how much they both would like to deny the attraction it soon rages out of control!

This was a quirky tale that made me crack up at the feisty Chinese Crested Reba, applaud for Monica Appleby for finally gaining perspective, wish for a piece of pie from Cora's and fall in love with the mayor Jackson Davies as he made every effort to save his town as well as make things right for Monica.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]