Sherwood Smith's Reviews > How to Plot a Payback

There are two things I think readers contemplating this grumpy-sunshine romance ought to consider: one, you kind of have to buy the premise that a grown man is going to hold childhood accidents against a woman, as well as other opportunities, and not come across as a complete coconut, and two, you've got to be willing to be thrown into the breathlessly swift, sensory intensity of the writing style.

Oh. There's a third one, but only for dog lovers: don't let your heart stop when the heroine Lavender blithely tries to foist ten dogs on people unwilling to take them, without acknowledging that adopting a dog is a lifetime commitment for the dog. (All the dogs come out fine.)

That said, the absolutely crazy, high-octane of a writer's room was so well evoked, adding to the headlong dash of this story. Watching Finn, our hero, smack into his own unreasonable expectations was part of the fun, as sweet, somewhat skitty Lavender blithely and generously sheds sunshine all around her.

The payback happens about two thirds of the way through. We build up to that point, and the payoff I thought was well done, with a lot of delicious side trips into quirky characters, including a bunch of oldsters whom Finn looks out for in his grumpy way. Of course Lavender is going to take right to that action.

I found it a fun, delightful read overall.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.