FALLING IN LOVE

Author: Pauline Trent ISBN: 9780821781418 2/2009 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: KENSINGTON

Lambert Falls, North Carolina, is a small Southern town where the past and present effortlessly mingle. Here, the pace is sweet and tranquil-but life can still offer up its share of surprises. After years in the military, Chris Montgomery is looking for somewhere to relax and recharge, and Lambert Falls, with its tree-lined streets and picturesque town square, seems ideal. Chris expected that a stranger in town would attract suspicion and gossip. He didn't expect to meet someone like Angie Kane, with her warm, open smile and self-contained air that are instantly intriguing. Angie has built a satisfying life for herself, one she's not willing to uproot for someone who's just passing through. But Chris is quietly persistent-not to mention handsome and charming. Against her own better judgment, Angie finds herself falling deeper than she ever intended-until one phone call forces her to choose between the town she's always loved, and a man she can't imagine living without.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

FALLING IN LOVE is a sweet-hearted, Southern-set read reminiscent of Nora Roberts. It’s the kind of contemporary missing from the romance shelves right now, and I’m glad to see it available!

Once I got past a start that was a bit hard to follow due to so much “head-hopping”, I found myself entranced and finished the last two-thirds of the book in an evening. It held my attention despite extreme sleep deprivation and the Denzel Washington movie my husband was watching.

Chris Montgomery is the kind of hero girls expect to meet in real life (at least I did in my dating days) but rarely do. I hope he’s out there somewhere! Angie Kane is an every woman-type who hits the jackpot both in career and romance despite a self-image damaged by a lost past love and a Rubenesque figure.

Trent’s next book in the series will be out in March 2010.

Heather Hiestand