"A delightfully funny, warm romance"

Dianne Castell has a a very engaging voice, and with an on- target folksy charm that is not overdone, but right on target. Small communities, whether it be on the British side of the pond or the American, have their very own special charm. In small towns, people know each other their whole lives. The familiarity breeds quirkiness, a willingness to "joke" with each other. It leads to people reveling in their dottiness. To me, that is so much fun. Castell has her finger on the pulse of this small town, "insider" jokes that I adore. She once again brings her strong talent to bear on this delightful tale of a runaway bride.

Hope Stevens is running away from Washington D.C. as fast as she can in a stolen...um...borrowed caterer's van. She is fighting the good-year-blimp-with-a-big-leak wedding gown. It's not been the best day of her life. The daughter of a senator, she has just found out her fiance was marrying her, hoping to launch his political career off her name. So she chucked the whole thing, grabbed the van and hightailed it out of Dodge...um...D.C. So when she hears a siren behind her she knows this is not good. She ends up crashing the van, ends up irritating the Sheriff of Paradise Creek, Clay Mitchell. Since Hope refuses to give him his name, has no identification, no money, he locks her up in jail.

This does not mean she stays there. Clay finds his deputy Jake playing cards with her and eating donuts the next morning. Still remaining mute on her name, she begins to charm and rally the small town out of its sleepy ways. Clay is not happy with the big city girl, though he is very attracted to her. He was married to another big city girl for a year and she walked away from the town he loves, away from him, because she found small town life boring. He fears "Red" as Hope is now called will do the same.

Only the dotty town folk come alive under Hope's gentle prodding. They soon discover she is Senator Steven's missing daughter. They go to great lengths to keep the knowledge away from Clay, because they feel Red belongs in Paradise. They also decide Clay and Hope are perfect for each other and begin to play cupid for the reluctant pair. When a major flooding from a Hurricane hits the town, it's mud and love and the whole dang thing!

Castell does Southern charm and quirkiness with a deft hand that has the reader laughing with the residents of Paradise Creek, not at them. It's one super fun read.

Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted August 16, 2004