Sunday, November 10, 2013

Book Review: One Day In Apple Grove

Author: C.H. Admirand
Title: One Day In Apple Grove
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Publish Date: June 4, 2013
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: 
Welcome to Apple Grove, Ohio (pop. 597), a small town with a big heart.

Caitlin Mulcahy loves her family. She really does. But sometimes they can drive her to her last shred of sanity—from her dad ("I'm not meddling, I just want what's best for you") to her eight-months-pregnant older sister to her younger sister, who will do just about anything to avoid real work. Cait just needs to get away, even if for only an hour.

When she sees someone in need of help on the side of the road, of course she's going to pull over. She might even be able to fix his engine—after all, the Mulcahy family is a handy bunch. She's not expecting that former Navy medic Jack Gannon and a little black puppy named Jameson will be the ones who end up rescuing in her.


Review: I wanted to read this book from the moment I laid eyes on the cover. One Day In Apple Grove is book 2 in the Small Town USA series. That alone had me excited. I love novels that are based in small town America, like Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove. I love the local color and the quirky residents that these towns have.

But everything about this book is too good to be true. From Caitlin, the sweet small town girl, working in her parent's business to Jack the wounded soldier who has come home to take over his father's family practice.

The only thing that really made this story fun was the little black dog, Jamie, who was a holy terror, much like Marley! I love how their relationship grew out of caring for this stray animal while they waited to see if he had an owner, however the plot twist that involved his owner didn't sit well with me at all.

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book, it just felt like something that has been written a hundred million times over. Well that and maybe how Caitlin comes across as very childlike at the beginning of the book.

Truth be told, I almost thought she was a teenager and not a woman in her twenties.

Her relationship with Jack grows out of taking care of the dog. That was cute. I loved the things that Jamie got into. He was such a typical puppy.

Which brings me to the romance element. There's definitely chemistry between Cait and Jack, but the sex scenes just didn't work for me. Maybe it is me, but I prefer sweet romance with illusions of love making in these small town books.

And then there's Jack's PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for those not in the know). I wish something else could have been the root of the very small amount of conflict in this book.

If you are looking for a book to pass the time, this is as good as any, but don't expect a stellar read.

Rating: 3 flowers


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