LEARNING TO TRUST

Author: Laura Hamby ISBN: NA 4/2006 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: MOONLIT PUBLISHING

Janie Powell is a woman on the run. Leaving an abusive ex-fiancé behind, forming attachments is low on her list of priorities. However, a certain hardware store owner with the most amazing eyes tempts her resolve. Learning to trust him and embracing the future requires nerves of steel. Will her past let her go? Myles Channing has his hands full with high-maintenance women. Besides being a woman who needs love and nurturing, Janie is a woman Myles himself could fall in love with easily. Will he be able to teach her to trust men again, him in particular?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

What a wonderfully romantic story, complete with a knight-in-shining armor. Okay, he owns a hardware store and teaches self-defense classes, but there's nothing he wouldn't do for Janie. This shy and skittish redhead has stolen Myles heart, and now he's out to prove to her that not all men are the lowlifes she believes them to be.

The character of Janie is so well written. She is at once charming, funny, heart moving and spirited. Watching her grow from skittish and scared to self-assured and open gives the reader a lasting glance into a world of happy endings.

The supporting characters are such a hoot. There's Momma and Pops, the owners of the diner where Janie works, who act like a couple of mother hens when it comes to "their girls". Then there's the Sissies, a pair of elderly sisters who are bound and determined to make sure everyone eats their vegetables. Thanks to these characters, small town life never looked so adorably pleasant.

This is the perfect heartwarming read for a summer afternoon. So find a spot by the pool, sit back and immerse yourself in small town living and the promise of true love.

Amanda Rutherford