Lost in Tennessee

by Anita DeVito

Sometimes a man finds trouble…and sometimes it comes looking for him…

Heartache makes for good country music. It’s what country superstar Butch McCormick keeps telling himself. He’s done with women and can’t handle one more disappointment. He’s taking a few months off to work on the old house on his parents’ land to fix shutters, scrape paint, and figure out what he wants in life…

Then she appears out of nowhere, with red hair and a peaches-and-cream complexion…and just so damned lost.

Architect Kate Riley doesn’t have the luxury of getting lost, having a damaged car, or being smitten by a sexy-talkin’ cowboy with an irresistible smile. But the longer Kate stays at Elderberry Farm, the stranger things get. For one, there’s the crazy chemistry between her and Butch. For another, dead bodies are starting to turn up…and Kate might be the murderer’s next victim.

I have to say that this group of characters has got to be one of my favorites of all time.  Butch is your typical sexy country boy – tall, good-looking, and full of good ol’ boy charm.  Kate is a fish out of water.  She’s a strong woman in a man’s world, plus she grew up in a guy’s household with a dad who wanted a son.  She’s not all that comfortable with her attractiveness but that’s where Butch shines.  He sees the beauty inside and helps Kate see it too.   Then there is Butch’s brother, Jeb, who is dealing with something from his time as a marine (although we don’t get the what here).  But my favorite is Tom, Kate’s cousin, who is quite the ladies’ man and her cohort in crime.  Throw them all together and all sorts of delicious things happen.

But, considering Butch is working on ex-wife number three, I’m not sure I trust his judgement on his feelings J  Wife 1 is totally understandable so I don’t count her.  Unfortunately we aren’t given enough detail on wife 2 to understand what brought them together but wife 3 definitely seems a bad choice.  I think I would have liked a little more time spent between him and Kate (or less of a history) to be completely on board with his love.  But then we wouldn’t have a story, and it is a great one, so I’ll take it!

The mystery is very solid.  It’s parceled out in bits and pieces, and even though the whodunit part isn’t all that surprising it doesn’t stop it from being compelling.  I really enjoyed how DeVito released things to readers in between developing a relationship between Kate & Butch.

For me thought the best part is that it isn’t just their relationship that is so fantastic.  We get wonderful interactions between all the characters – Butch, Kate, Tom and Jeb.  The friendships that develop among them all is just as important as the romance between the two leads.  It helps all of them grow and heal, providing support and humor when it is needed.  There were times I laughed out loud at their antics and I’m looking forward to future installments so I can see those relationships deepen.

The next book has got to be about Butch’s brother and I absolutely cannot wait!  I’m dying to find out what he’s hiding.

 

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