The Bottom Line
Sandy James     

Genre: Contemporary
Heat Level: Hot
Rating:

When life gets tough and love is hard to find, four friends take their troubles to lunch. Surviving a failed marriage and an illness that almost takes her life, high school teacher Mallory Hamilton needs the Ladies Who Lunch more than ever...

After a year of upheaval, Mallory has had her fill of change--with one exception. Her house is a disaster, and she wants it fixed. Hiring a contractor to finish the projects her ex-husband started will help her banish the past so she can return to the life she had before everything went awry. But her contractor is sexy, sweet, and single which threatens the peaceful, solitary life Mallory has planned for herself.

Ben Carpenter has had a hard time raising his daughter without his ex-wife's help. His new client's projects will give him the extra income he needs, not to mention afternoons alone with a gorgeous woman. Though their attraction is undeniable, Ben sees the fear and pain hiding in Mallory's beautiful eyes. But how can he help her if she won't let him in? Ben can fix about anything, but can he fix Mallory's broken heart?

Review

High school teacher Mallory Hamilton has a secret. It's a secret that sent her husband running for the hills as fast as he could go. Would this same secret send handyman Ben Carpenter running as well, or is he man enough to handle a loving woman?

After a year which included a life-threatening illness and divorce, Mallory is ready to live again. She begins by hiring contractor, Ben, to finish the many projects her ex-husband started. Immediately the chemistry between the two is evident. However, both are wary, having been in relationships that have damaged their ability to trust.

Despite having a husband who took a runner at the first sign of illness, Mallory has an excellent support team. These are the "ladies who lunch," a group of women who teach at the same high school, who are there for each other through thick and thin.

There are hurdles in this burgeoning romance, such as Ben's out-of-control, bi-polar ex-wife. And with a 13-year-old daughter, ex-wife Theresa will be in their lives forever. Meanwhile, Mallory deals with the never-ending reality that some day her illness may return. Will Ben have the love, devotion and courage to stand by her side if Mallory faces a potentially terminal illness again?

No spoiler alert with this review -- read the book.

It's no wonder I liked this book with writing like, "Dark and light. Mallory's brown hair and brown eyes so in contrast to Theresa's peroxide blonde and ice-blue eyes. Yet his dark lady had the soul of an angel while the fairer woman had a heart as black as night."

There were two things I didn't care for. One was the use of the f-word in a few instances. I thought it took away from Ben's loving, nurturing character to have him use the f-word in one of the tender moments when talking about sex. "I don't want a quick f**k. You don't either." In that particular instance it sounded crass coming out of the mouth of the man I--ahem...I mean Mallory--was falling in love with.

The other instance that vexed me was the use of the word "dumb" instead of saying "mute." "Damn. Seemed like that was the only word he could use, but the feel of her warm fingers exploring his body rendered him nearly dumb." Having had deaf-mute grandparents and suffering from 60% hearing loss myself, it's a sore point to have the word "dumb" used for "mute."

Having only two instances that I didn't like in a book? Amazing.

In summary Ms. James has created a believable, engaging story with likeable characters, snappy dialogue and hot, hot hot love scenes. I can't wait for the next two books in the series.

Well done Ms. James. Well done indeed.

Reviewed by Terri