Stevie whispered, and her face flushed. “That’s never happened before. Just hearing her name makes me feel…lesbian things.”

There was a brief moment, as I mentioned in my only status update, when I worried about this book. That was in the prologue that opens with two people apparently on the way to commit crime. And one is reluctant to do so while the other is gung-ho on the idea. And, as I also mentioned, that’s somewhat common with me and Alexander books – I open them, gaze upon the opening with some worry and fear, then gobble the book like it was chocolate and someone was coming to take all my chocolate (I’ve no idea why I went to chocolate). As in, I end up really enjoying the book and reading it in quick gulps.

Right, so, this book is about a 39 year old and a 34 year old (I forget which is which, though I’m fairly certain the 34 year old is Stevie Sealy, while the 39 year old is Kellen McLin). While Stevie grew up in a small town in Louisiana, the next town over from Kellen’s small town, she’s spent her entire adult life living elsewhere – mostly in New York. But she’s home now, temporarily (that’s the plan) as she’s broken up with her male partner (I’m still vaguely confused as to whether or not they were actually ever married). Kellen, on the other hand, appears (it’s not 100% clear), to have lived her entire life in that small town next to Stevie’s small home town.

I’m being vague on purpose. For, you see, the small town Stevie Sealy comes from is named . . . Sealy. And the small town Kellen McLin comes from? The town is named McLin. And as the book description notes, the McLin and Sealy families have been feuding for a long time like the Hatfield’s and McCoy’s. Though, since I do not actually know of any Hatfield’s getting involved with McCoy’s, I’ll go with Capulet and Montague (you know, Juliet and Romeo from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet). Since this specific story here involves two people from rival families falling for each other. Though, luckily for my own sanity, and as already noted, the two who fell for each other in this book are in their 30s, not early teens.

And that’s basically the story – two people from rival families fall for each other, then have to deal with the fact that they are from rival families. There’s more, but that’s the core. Lots of great humor, lots of interesting action, good solid side characters (including probably one of the better gay couples I’ve seen in lesbian fiction), some interesting to me sexy-times, and . . . stuff.

There’s more I could say – like how the McLin’s are the opposites of the Sealy’s in certain matters (they hold similar positions in their towns, and both have much money, but one is very concerned about appearances – ‘keeping up appearances’ (Sealy), while the other keeps a very tight hold on their money to the point they’d prefer wearing used underwear (or none at all) to buying new underwear (McLin’s). And how Stevie’s parents are complete and utter dickwads; and Kellen’s father figure (though uncle who raised her after mother died and father ran away) is an utter vile human turd; or how Kellen has a twin – Kyle, who is one half of the gay coupling I mentioned above; or . . . stuff. But I’ll let people read for themselves.

For my own information-purposes, though, I include: Kellen McLin is currently mayor of McLin *, though would prefer not to be. Would prefer to be running her business (she’s a tree surgeon – an arborist). And Stevie Sealy works from home writing tech manuals (mostly for electronic things, though occasionally for other things).

I really loved the chemistry on display between Kellen and Stevie.

Every time I read a Robin Alexander book, I feel like I need to go back through all of my top tier ratings shelves and rerank everything. Granted, there are a few Alexander books I’ve rated very poorly, but most seem to push the upper limits. As this one did.

* -

“I can’t. I have to cut a ribbon at the new credit union. It’s a really thick ribbon, and I’m sure I’ll be exhausted,” Kellen said as she set the table.

Rating: 5+ (something around 5.35)

March 4 2018 ( )