Would-Be Wife (Harlequin Intrigue, 676)

Rating:
Summary: Would-Be Wife
Review: Talented newcomer Kasi Blake makes her Intrigue debut with "Would-Be Wife." Two years after Julia Keller's husband was killed, a stranger with his face and no memory arrives on her Texas ranch. As they work together to uncover his identity, it becomes clear someone wants him dead. If this is her husband, has she been reunited with him, only to face losing him again?

I was skeptical about this story at first. This is the fifth Intrigue in six months with this premise (man who looks like woman's presumed dead true love appears) and the Texas ranch setting and amnesia plot device are things most romance readers have seem a million times by now, making this seem like the same old story. In the case of such a familiar tale, what matters is how it's told. Fortunately Blake has a strong storytelling voice that drew me into the book almost against my will and kept me involved. Her characters are compelling and sympathetic, and though they make some choices that defy logic at times, I never thought they were stupid. (I'd rather see characters being overly cautious than foolishly reckless). Her writing and pacing are unusually smooth for a first-time writer. If she hasn't been published before, then she is an amazingly polished debut author. A good cast of secondary characters add to the drama in a story that is a solid blend of romance and mystery. The best thing I can say is that I was so unexcited about this book that had to make myself pick it up to read it, and once I did I never put it down. A good one-sitting read.

Anyone who's not too tired of stories like this might want to try "Would-Be Wife" to discover an author worth watching.

Rating:
Summary: Would-Be Wife
Review: Talented newcomer Kasi Blake makes her Intrigue debut with "Would-Be Wife." Two years after Julia Keller's husband was killed, a stranger with his face and no memory arrives on her Texas ranch. As they work together to uncover his identity, it becomes clear someone wants him dead. If this is her husband, has she been reunited with him, only to face losing him again?

I was skeptical about this story at first. This is the fifth Intrigue in six months with this premise (man who looks like woman's presumed dead true love appears) and the Texas ranch setting and amnesia plot device are things most romance readers have seem a million times by now, making this seem like the same old story. In the case of such a familiar tale, what matters is how it's told. Fortunately Blake has a strong storytelling voice that drew me into the book almost against my will and kept me involved. Her characters are compelling and sympathetic, and though they make some choices that defy logic at times, I never thought they were stupid. (I'd rather see characters being overly cautious than foolishly reckless). Her writing and pacing are unusually smooth for a first-time writer. If she hasn't been published before, then she is an amazingly polished debut author. A good cast of secondary characters add to the drama in a story that is a solid blend of romance and mystery. The best thing I can say is that I was so unexcited about this book that had to make myself pick it up to read it, and once I did I never put it down. A good one-sitting read.

Anyone who's not too tired of stories like this might want to try "Would-Be Wife" to discover an author worth watching.