ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: Danger, Sweetheart
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Published: May 10th 2016 by Piatkus
Source: Publisher
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This city boy's about to get a taste of country life . . .
Blake Tarbell has a town to save. Rich, carefree, and used to the Vegas party lifestyle, Blake is thrown for a curve when his former cocktail-waitress mother pleads he go back to her roots to save the town she grew up in. Blake's used to using money to solve his problems, but when he arrives in Sweetheart, North Dakota, this city boy has to trade in his high-priced shoes for a pair of cowboy boots - and he's about to get a little help from the loveliest lady in town . . .
Natalie Lane's got no time for newbies. The prettiest gal to ever put on a pair of work gloves, there's nothing she can't do to keep a farm up and running. But when a handsome city-slicker rolls into town with nothing but bad farmer's instincts and good intentions, Natalie's heartstrings are pulled. She's about to teach him a thing or two about how to survive in Sweetheart. And he's about to teach her a thing or two about love.
Blake Tarbell has a town to save. Rich, carefree, and used to the Vegas party lifestyle, Blake is thrown for a curve when his former cocktail-waitress mother pleads he go back to her roots to save the town she grew up in. Blake's used to using money to solve his problems, but when he arrives in Sweetheart, North Dakota, this city boy has to trade in his high-priced shoes for a pair of cowboy boots - and he's about to get a little help from the loveliest lady in town . . .
Natalie Lane's got no time for newbies. The prettiest gal to ever put on a pair of work gloves, there's nothing she can't do to keep a farm up and running. But when a handsome city-slicker rolls into town with nothing but bad farmer's instincts and good intentions, Natalie's heartstrings are pulled. She's about to teach him a thing or two about how to survive in Sweetheart. And he's about to teach her a thing or two about love.
THE REVIEW
A literary trope is the use of figurative language – via word, phrase, or even an image – for artistic effect such as using a figure of speech. The word trope has also come to be used for describing commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in creative works.
We love them. We hate them. Literary tropes have been a point of debate among readers and reviewers alike over the years. Some see them as lazy writing and some simply adore them. And there are others who believe that plot and thematic tropes when done right, can be quite successful.
Written as a homage to romance tropes, Danger, Sweetheart was not what I expected. Davidson forewarns us in her wacky author's note that the idea came out of an office discussion that included her co-workers listing out their favorite tropes. I am no stranger to the romance genre - From Regency romances to contemporaries so I love them tropes and all.
Danger, Sweetheart is a small town Western romance that features an entertaining cast of characters including a city guy in a small town (your typical fish out of water trope), a pony who's conspiring our hero's murder, a pig who's named the White Rose of York and a snarky lady with an affinity for the wittiest one-liners. Sparks fly the moment Blake Tarbell, the emotionally distant (who's just waiting for the right woman to come along, of course!) hero of our story and Natalie Lane, the blue-eyed heroine set their eyes on each other. But of course, things aren't all that rosy so our hero and heroine must overcome sinister plot twists, deceptions and misunderstandings that are easily solved only if they took one second to actually communicate.
The novel pulls you in with its witty characters and quick pacing. Davidson's writing style is as wacky as the story, making it a fun if sometimes silly read. The author also weaves in her own commentary with the story and I found myself smiling more than once. I also found the inner monologues of some of the characters as entertaining as hell.
One of my quibbles was the non-linear timeline in the first portion of the novel. The flashbacks were somewhat jarring with the story going back and forth a couple of times. While I didn't have a problem keeping up with the plot, I can see that it may be annoying or even confusing for some readers. Danger, Sweetheart may come off as rambling mess to some readers but I found the chaos and the crazy writing style refreshing!
THE RATING
3 Stars
QUOTE-WORTHY
“This is a great time to shut up and kiss me."To her delight, Blake obliged.”
FINAL VERDICT:
Danger, Sweetheart is a quick and fun read that is sure to coax a smile out of the most jaded of readers. Pick it up for its witty one-liners and some truly wacky writing!
Danger, Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson is out today - Buy it on Amazon!
Danger, Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson is out today - Buy it on Amazon!
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY:
- The Happy Ever Afterlife of Rosie Potter (RIP) - Kate Winter
- Brown-Eyed Girl - Lisa Kleypas
- Cold-Hearted Rake - Lisa Kleypas
OVER TO YOU:
Have you read MJ Davidson's books? What are your thoughts on books with non-linear timelines?
This sounds like a fun read! I love how she came up with the idea for her story and a zany writing style makes for a unique read!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the kind words and lovely review!
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