Calendar Girl – Western Heroes Book 1 by Jenny Andersen
This story is more suspense and mystery than romance, which makes it a good read for those who like a good story without the distraction of page after page of heavy breathing.
Calendar Girl is more plot driven than character driven. However, the character development of the hero is well done. From a retired cop with an attitude to a man who decides he’s not really the center of the universe, the character growth exhibited by J. J. Coburn is the kind of arc more authors should emulate. The heroine is a strong female protagonist who doesn’t take any lip from the hero.
The unique personalities of the residents of Lead Gulch, including Dog who is the town’s instant messaging system, are so well done that they are easy to distinguish from each other. The description “ancient desert rats with Rambo complexes” says it all. The town itself is a compelling character. No big city glitter or cozy beach town, Lead Gulch is a gritty, challenging, dangerous environment.
I did find a few flaws in the book. The cover is terrible and terribly misleading. Coburn was a detective not a uniformed patrolman. Having the hunk on the cover posing like Erik Estrada on CHiPs does a disservice to potential readers. The cover was almost bad enough to prevent me from opening the book. The other issue I have is that the crime that begins the book was never adequately resolved. We know how the murder was committed, but we only suspect why and who. The resolution is implied but not defined. But the book is not a cliffhanger. Readers aren’t required to buy another book to get a HEA.
This book is definitely worth the time and money to read, if for no other reason than exposure to an unconventional setting and distinctive characters.
This story is more suspense and mystery than romance, which makes it a good read for those who like a good story without the distraction of page after page of heavy breathing.
Calendar Girl is more plot driven than character driven. However, the character development of the hero is well done. From a retired cop with an attitude to a man who decides he’s not really the center of the universe, the character growth exhibited by J. J. Coburn is the kind of arc more authors should emulate. The heroine is a strong female protagonist who doesn’t take any lip from the hero.
The unique personalities of the residents of Lead Gulch, including Dog who is the town’s instant messaging system, are so well done that they are easy to distinguish from each other. The description “ancient desert rats with Rambo complexes” says it all. The town itself is a compelling character. No big city glitter or cozy beach town, Lead Gulch is a gritty, challenging, dangerous environment.
I did find a few flaws in the book. The cover is terrible and terribly misleading. Coburn was a detective not a uniformed patrolman. Having the hunk on the cover posing like Erik Estrada on CHiPs does a disservice to potential readers. The cover was almost bad enough to prevent me from opening the book. The other issue I have is that the crime that begins the book was never adequately resolved. We know how the murder was committed, but we only suspect why and who. The resolution is implied but not defined. But the book is not a cliffhanger. Readers aren’t required to buy another book to get a HEA.
This book is definitely worth the time and money to read, if for no other reason than exposure to an unconventional setting and distinctive characters.