Finally!

I was checking the Dewey website and I see a whole lot of stuff there. I have no idea if everyone is all done. I haven't seen Twitter updates or e-mails from my friends in about an hour and a half. Well, for me, I started at 2 a.m. and I'm going to make it to 2 a.m.

I thought I was going to only have one book that would fit in the final minutes, but I just finished a Harlequin entitled The Maverick's Bride by Doreen Roberts. This is not an author I'm familiar with either. Although I'm not exactly sure when this book was published. However, it could be an older Harlequin title and one done by a one-hit wonder author.

The plot of the book is a common one, but one I love all the same. It's about unrequited love and a hero needing a pretend wife. Except in this book the hero, after winning a national rodeo title, goes home to prove to his hometown he's not such a screwup. Sixteen years ago he was blamed for a crime he didn't commit, and while he wasn't convicted, no one—not even his family—believed him.

I know I've been going down on most of the books I read, so I'm going to try and say something positive about this book. I enjoyed everything about it. Sentence structure, plot pacing, dialogue. And it had the heroine in the last pages of the book realizing that it was a hopeless case and getting the heck out of Dodge. While I know some feminists might get their feathers ruffled, I've always disliked books where the heroine spills her guts and the hero has a miraculous discovery of his feelings. Sometimes I think, where is your pride? To wear your heart that far down your sleeve? Whenever I think of this situation, I'm reminded of something I read in another book. Maybe it's a quote that was ripped off from someone else, but it was to the effect of, men value the prize more when they have to work for it.

Overall, the book left me with a satisfied feeling. It was, as I like to call them, an uncomplicated read. A bit of mystery was involved, but the culprit was obvious from the start. The hero and heroine weren't at odds for a lot of the book. They held things back (as most good romances do) but they interacted in a way that allowed the mind to really get to know the characters without stressing over heated dialogue or a ton of friction.