I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to this book only to be let down. It's the story of Paige Turner, an African American fashion model from New York and Lincoln (Linc) Cross, a Native American architec from Michigan. While vacationing at her family home, it suddenly burns to the ground and Linc- one of the volunteer firefighters who helps put it out - comforts her. Their attraction is immediate! Soon it's discovered the police believe Paige started the fire for the insurance and Paige learns that there are several people who want her land among them, Jack Devlin a firefighter/bed-and-breafast owner and the man she is beginning to fall in love with, Linc.
The story began well. I immediately felt Paige and Linc's attraction to one another and I enjoyed how they were easing into love - the part where Paige falls into the river and Linc tries to help dry her off was innocently erotic - but suddenly the story takes off in several different directions. Paige's friend Mara's shows up and begins a relationship with Jack. Suddenly it begins to take over the story. The writers should have either left Mara out all together and made Jack - along with Linc - interested in Paige or made Mara and Jack's romance into it's own book instead of taking away from Paige and Linc's romance. Then other unnecessary characters began invading the plot. What was the point of Pazi and Wynona and why does Bill suddenly showing up at the bar? I could understand Ada but at the last minute throwing in Orin!?
The part that really disappointed me was that I thought I had bought a romance novel. Except for what I'd already mentioned and a few kisses here and there, Paige and Linc's show of affection seemed to be thrown in as an after thought ESPECIALLY the actual moment they consummated their love. There were chapters and chapters of endless and unnecessary blubber and barely a paragraph about their night of passion.
Again, the book and it's premise were enticing but it didn't live up to it's potential.
