Cassie O'Malley is on the run. In a few months her
inheritance will kick in. Until then, she just needs a job and a place to stay
under the radar. But when Cassie gets off the bus in north Texas and runs smack
into the town sheriff, she quickly does the first thing she can think
of—approach the handsome stranger on the street and pretend to be a couple.
Luckily, the sheriff believes it and the man surprisingly plays along—all the
way up to the courthouse, where the officer insists he marry them himself.
Wondering how she got herself into this mess, Cassie
can't believe her plan got so far out of hand. Her new husband Ted assures her
that his Uncle Ash, a lawyer, will get the whole thing straightened out with no
problem. Cassie will only be a bride for a day, and then she can go on her way.
But as his family welcomes her with full hearts, she begins to wonder if she'll
be able to say goodbye to the first loving family she's known in her life. Not
to mention a man like Ted.
This was a sweet, clean romance with likable characters.
It is a revamp of the 1998 book
Love is the Answer that the author wrote under
the name Abby Gray for the Precious Gems line. The main characters are younger
than those found in more modern romances, perhaps increasing its appeal for the
young adult or new adult audience. That did not diminish my enjoyment of the
story. While the characters do not have the same depth as those in the author's
more recent works, the signature humor, close family, and small-town are all
there.
Cassie is just a few months shy of twenty-one when her
guardian dies, leaving her at the mercy of the woman's husband. She knows she
must get out when she finds out that he's sold her to a sex ring. If she can
find a place to lay low for a few months, she can claim her inheritance. So,
she takes what little money she has and hops on a bus headed toward Oklahoma. When
she gets off the bus in a small Texas town for a break, she discovers the town
sheriff is looking for her. Panicking, she approaches the young man sitting
alone in the diner and asks for his help. She's relieved when he plays along
but never anticipated the turn it takes.
Ted, a usually shy and introverted guy, was stunned when
Cassie approached him and asked for his help. Asking himself what his twin
brother would do, Ted immediately steps up to the plate and confirms they are a
couple. But his nerves get the best of him, and he embellishes the story,
claiming they are eloping. In either a fit of romanticism or suspicion, the
sheriff decides to help them - all the way to the town Justice of the Peace.
The next thing Ted and Cassie know, they are married and gifted a night at the
local motel for their "honeymoon."
The book immediately drew me in with this scenario. I
liked Cassie's quick thinking, both for her escape and her encounter with the
sheriff. She got fortunate with her choice of an accomplice. Ted is a good guy
but still suffering grief over the death of his twin brother four years
earlier. He imagines John's response to the situation and uses that as his
guide. I enjoyed watching him get into the deception and laughed out loud at
some of his commentaries as he dragged Cassie along. There were a couple of
hold-your-breath moments when I thought the cat would be out of the bag.
There was one scene of Cassie freaking out because she realized
she hadn't needed the help, but it was too late to do anything about it. I
liked how Ted was calm, reassuring Cassie that his uncle, a lawyer, would
process an annulment for them right away. The next day they head back to
Oklahoma and Ted's family home. Cassie is afraid of their reaction and is
stunned when she's warmly welcomed. I liked that she and Ted are honest with
the family about why they are married, which goes a long way toward their
acceptance of her. It was fun to see them find ways to make her welcome and
comfortable staying for a while.
I liked watching the relationship between Ted and Cassie
develop. They connected right away and found it easy to talk to each other. Cassie
has a significant impact on Ted. His grief for his brother has been so
overpowering that he closed himself off to all emotion and has just gone
through the motions of living. Being around Cassie stirs up feelings he's buried,
and Ted finds himself falling for her. Though Cassie has been isolated for several
years, she hasn't lost her sense of self. She knows what she wants out of her
life and isn't afraid to go after it. I liked watching them grow closer, talk
about their dreams, and acknowledge the attraction building between them. There
was no angst-driven black moment, just a steady realization that they belonged
together. I liked Ted's big moment and the surprise he had for Cassie.
Ted's grief over his brother John's death, was a big part
of this book. Much of it was tied up in his guilty feelings, thinking he should
have been able to prevent it from happening. John was never far from his mind,
and there were many times when he heard John's voice in his head, giving advice
or brotherly commentary. From the moment Cassie appeared, the walls around his
feelings began to crumble, and the grief started to fade. I loved the scene in
their childhood bedroom.
There were a couple of things I thought were left hanging.
Cassie's guardian made a brief appearance, and I loved how Ted and his father
and uncle handled him. However, I would have enjoyed a mention of whether their
proposed actions were effective. Other than brief mentions, nothing more was
said about Cassie's inheritance, despite the importance of hiding out until her
birthday.
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