"Romantic, involving novel with memorable characters"

When Jared McCloud, a cartoonist, rents a beach cottage in South Carolina, he is only interested in finishing his screenplay but his immediate attraction to green-eyed, prickly landlady, Cleo Alyssum, threatens to interfere with his self-imposed exile. Despite all his charming efforts, Cleo, an ex-con and ex-addict, is only interested in proving to the court that she is capable of raising her young son, currently in the custody of her sister, and running her hardware store. When Jared rescues a local teen from rape, he and Cleo work together to protect the girl and her brother from their abusive mother and Cleo finds it impossible to resist Jared, her 'almost perfect' man.

Cleo and Jared are likeable, strong characters who continue to change and develop throughout this fast-paced novel where Cleo is the handyperson and Jared is the gourmet cook. Rice is also adept at creating memorable secondary characters, such as teenagers Gene and Kismet and their mother, Linda. In addition, the reappearance of Maya and Axell Holm, Cleo's sister and brother-in-law, from Impossible Dreams adds to the depth of the story. I especially appreciated that although there is a satisfying resolution to Cleo and Jared's love story, Rice offers no easy and unrealistic solutions to the serious problems facing the characters. Readers will remember this involving romance long after finishing it.

Reviewed by Doris Losey
Posted April 13, 2002

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Summary

Celebrated cartoonist Jared McCloud is plumb out of laughs. To unblock his creative juices, he rents a secluded beach house-and ends up falling into the Looking Glass world of Cleo Alyssum.

Cleo isn't exactly a recluse, though living on an island and scaring away trespassers aren't the actions of a social butterfly. Cleo simply has more important things to do than to waste time with the artistic, bullheaded hunk living in her guest house. Yet somehow Jared and his devilish charm inch their way into her life, reaching the warm places her cold exterior cleverly hides. Will Cleo open her heart to a man who falls short of her expectations?

After all, it wasn't her intention to fall for someone who is almost perfect. . .