Asking for Trouble

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

Tags

Asking for Trouble, Book Review, Mary Kay McComas

In Asking for Trouble, Sidney Wiesman goes on a dating game show where she chooses from three possible candidates. Of her choices, Tom is the only remotely interesting guy, actually he’s almost perfect, and the sparks fly when they first meet for their date. But everything quickly becomes a nightmare after that – if it could go wrong, it did go wrong. Now the two are back on the show to tell the world about their date. Is the special something between the two of them enough to overcome the obstacles they face?

Like McComas’s previous books, By The Book and Ms. Miller and the Midas Man, Asking for Trouble crams a lot of heart and emotion into just a handful of pages. Sidney is sweet and real. Her issues are complicated and unusual, adding a quirky charm to the book. Tom is generous, funny and caring, more than capable of handling anything that is thrown at him. And he’ll need all the patience and understanding that he can get to overcome the hilariously disastrous beginning to his relationship with Sidney. They admit that things aren’t easy but the best things never are.

As always, McComas is a master at packing the most heart possible into a little package. Asking for Trouble is a delightful mix of heart-ache and comedy. Making readers laugh and cringe along with Sidney and Tom … and crossing their fingers for a happy ever after.

To Give a Heart Wings

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Mary Kay McComas, To Give a Heart Wings

One night Colt McKinnon meets Hannah Alexander at a dance club and the two have an undeniable, instantaneous connection. After a dance and a passionate kiss, Hannah walks away and ignores Colt shouting after her. Unbeknownst to Colt, Hannah is deaf and, after years of seeing men’s interest turn when they find out, she’s decided that she’d prefer to keep the happy memory than risk having him reject her. Can Colt handle the reality of her life? Can Hannah trust him enough to give him a chance?

I absolutely love the rereleases of Mary Kay McComas’s books. I’ve already read By The Book and Ms. Miller and the Midas Man and just finished To Give a Heart Wings. All of them have been short and sweet, but pack quite a punch. Like her other two stories, this one is full of characters that are so believable and realistic that before long you feel like they are old friends. They have everyday problems, with everyday reactions, and you’ll find yourself pulling for them from the beginning.

Granted Hannah’s issues are a little unique, but there are millions of hearing impaired people in the world and almost all of us have likely interacted with at least one in our lives. This book was originally released in the 90s so some of the technological advances that would make her life so much easier weren’t available. But it is very realistic for the time period, and makes readers think about what it would be like. Hannah doesn’t feel sorry for herself; instead she does everything that she can to live as normal a life as possible. She’s hard-working, brave, tough, and caring, with enough smarts and humor to keep Colt on his toes.

Colt has his own issues but with Hannah’s help he is able to overcome them. He’s just as caring and hard-working as she is. He’s amazingly good to Hannah – going out of his way to do everything he can to show her that her deafness does not affect his feeling for her at all. Hannah’s friend Willie and Colt’s brother Trevor nicely round out the cast, adding a little zaniness and fun.

To Give a Heart Wings might come in a little package but it has the heart of a racehorse and McComas does a fantastic job giving readers a lot of depth in a few pages. This little romance is a quick-read but it will easily find a spot in your heart.

By the Book

16 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, By the Book, Mary Kay McComas

Ellen Webster feels like the poster child for the adage about nice people finishing last. In a single day, she loses a parking space, her place in line at the store, and a promotion, plus she finds out that the woman she trained at work makes more money and her friend is interested in the guy Ellen wants to date. Spotting a booklet titled ”Have It Your Way, Getting What You Want”, she decides she’s had enough. She’s going to start standing up for herself.

By the Book is a lovely little story. As with McComas’s story Ms. Miller and the Midas Man, it was written in the mid-90s but it doesn’t really affect the book. Ellen has to learn what is important to her and the kind of person she wants to be. She’s sweet, caring, and giving, but she feels like she gets taken advantage of. She’s also tired of never getting the guy. All the women at the bank have noticed the mysterious stranger who is running the store across the street. Can she turn her new attitude into a date with the hunky new guy? Although readers will realize where the book will lead them, Ellen’s journey is quite enjoyable.

Jonah Blake has his own issues. His father left him alone at military school while he traveled the world as a photographer. Now, years later and after no contact with his father, Jonah is in town running his father’s camera shop while he is in the hospital following a stroke. Jonah has long-held bitterness and anger directed at his father for his abandonment. He finds himself attracted to Ellen and her generosity, but has not found an opportunity to meet her. He finally gets his chance and her very big heart works its magic on him.

By the Book brings readers an endearing tale of a woman who just needs to realize that being a good person doesn’t mean that she can’t also be happy.

Ms. Miller and the Midas Man

15 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by romanticreadsandsuch in Book Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Book Review, Mary Kay McComas, Ms. Miller and the Midas Man

In Ms. Miller and the Midas Man, Augusta Miller has spent her life feeling like a disappointment. Since the age of 4, she’s been on the path to being a world-renowned violinist. But an injury forced her to quit. Now she teaches music in a small town elementary school and gives violin lessons on the side. She’s looking to make a safe, comfortable world for herself and she doesn’t believe it can include her sexy next-door neighbor. In order to be closer to his daughter, Scott Hammond takes the job of high school principal in his home town and moves into his childhood home. He’s fascinated by his gorgeous neighbor and it’s apparent that, though she doesn’t want to, Augusta also feels the attraction. Can Scott help her overcome her past and take a chance on a long-term relationship? Can she get over the fear that she will somehow disappoint him too?

Originally published in 1998, this story does nothing to show its age. The characters are entertaining and funny, but Gus’s insecurities and Scott’s reaction give it heart. I was a little confused by the depth of her issues, based on the reasoning provided, but, as is often the case, childhood feelings are deeply rooted and can seem inflated when seen with adult eyes. Once I accepted it, the story moved quite well. Scott is perfect, of course – kind, caring, hard-working, smart, handsome, and funny. He’s a good father, a dedicated principal, and a sexy mate. He doesn’t have any issues left over from his divorce, which is refreshing. The conflict in the story comes solely from Gus but it is handled nicely.

Ms. Miller and the Midas Man is a sweet story of a woman coming to terms with her worth, finding the ability to trust in herself, and believing that she is enough to be happy in love.