LOVE IS ALL AROUND

Author: Lori Devoti ISBN: 082177865X 5/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: ZEBRA

Patsy Lee Clark knows what she wants—out of Daisy Creek and away from everything country. That is until Will Barnes rolls back into her life. This bad boy from her past spent fourteen years making up for teenage mistakes. Now he's ready for a fresh beginning. The harder Patsy tries to escape her Ozark roots, the more Will reminds her of what makes them special. The harder Will tries to start over, the more Patsy and her family get in his way. Can Will convince Patsy they belong together in Daisy Creek or will she follow her dream and leave him and the Ozarks forever?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

The grass ain't always greener on the other side, and LOVE IS ALL AROUND, by Lori Devoti, most certainly reinforces that fact. Whether you grew up in Hickville or Big City, USA, this book touches on what a lot of us perceive Anywhere, USA to be. That is anywhere but where we are.

You get to meet Patsy Lee Clark, who dreams of nothing but getting out of Dodge. She's been a victim of small town syndrome her whole life, and suspects that same small town is the only reason her life sucks. Watching her friend Ruthanne aspire to be a checker at the new Biggeemart only confirms to Patsy anything is better than where she is. Little does Patsy realize, it doesn't matter where you live, people still suffer from the same ailments and problems coast to coast.

Then the hero, Will Barnes, comes to Daisy Creek, a place he used to live, from Chicago. He is looking for the quiet and fresh air of a small town, but finds just as much drama there as in the city. Yeah, it's the same all over, except this time,
Will wants Patsy Lee to stay put and let him bring a little bit of the big time to her.

This book is written with sassy humor, and shines the light on the things most of us take for granted or don't appreciate or understand until we age a bit. Everyone is different, yet the same. What a concept. Not that Lori Devoti spends her time boring you with the values of the small town. Nor does she appear to say that the big city is overrated. The message I picked up on is that you have to decide what scenery you like best, and of course, who you want to share it with. Throw in some laughs, lust, family, and...Voila! Anywhere, USA. After all, you can have alcoholic fathers, and adulterous mothers in million dollar homes, just as well as you can in a trailer park.

Shannon Johnson