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Mama Jo's Boys #3
Secrets in a Small Town
Some things are meant to stay buried. For Owen Garrett, that includes his past. The successful logger has worked hard rebuilding his family name. He's not about to let some former-hippie reporter dig up ancient events. Besides, Piper Morning Dew Sunday has already vilified his company in the press—three times! Now she wants an interview? It's not gonna happen, no matter how captivating she is.
But when Piper swears she can clear his father's name, Owen has a change of heart. Soon he finds himself working with the stubborn beauty to find the truth. Only, uncovering secrets may have more consequences than either expect.
But when Piper swears she can clear his father's name, Owen has a change of heart. Soon he finds himself working with the stubborn beauty to find the truth. Only, uncovering secrets may have more consequences than either expect.
288 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published May 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 18, 2011
Owen has a not-secret: his dad was shot and killed many years prior when the FBI raided the Aryan compound (Yes, Aryan. Nothing like white supremacy as a backdrop for romance, right?) he led. Many of the townspeople were arrested, and the town did a fair job of burying their racist past and moving on. Fast forward to the present, where Piper Sunday, daughter of local hippie activists, is a driven reporter with her eye on the Pulitzer for the story she's writing about the fall of the Aryan compound.
The good parts: I really liked the hero, who struggles with the desire to make a better impression on the town than his father did, despite growing up across the country after his dad's death. Owen was sent to live with an aunt who turned him over to the state, which then placed him with Mama Jo, the character who ties this series together. (I haven't read the other books). I also liked the mystery, though I kept having to jerk my head out of the story to make sure that yes, I was reading a story about racism and murder, neither of which bothered the characters very deeply, it seemed.
The parts I didn't like.
1. Several times Piper has absolutely no sympathy for other people's physical or emotional pain, their sense of loss, or her place in the scheme of appropriate behavior. She's callous, blithe, stubborn, and clings to her ambition as an excuse for some really cruel behavior and I lost a lot of respect for her.
2. All the action happens offstage, and is reported on either verbally or in monologue by Piper. This led to a very quickly-wrapped-up ending, again with the action taking place elsewhere, which was disappointing.
3. The hero does something really shady when he and Piper get past first base so to speak, and I lost respect for him and the way he handled that situation.
4. Piper's parents were also stubbornly resistant to empathy or even kindness at times and I disliked them intensely. I can't imagine why Piper held them in regard for so long.
In all, I liked the book's plot enough to keep turning pages to the ending, though without the mystery element of Owen's dad and what really happened at the Aryan compound, I would have stopped reading because the heroine bothered me so very much. That said, I'd try another Van Meter book in hopes of finding a heroine who was strong but not to the point of being a jerk.
The good parts: I really liked the hero, who struggles with the desire to make a better impression on the town than his father did, despite growing up across the country after his dad's death. Owen was sent to live with an aunt who turned him over to the state, which then placed him with Mama Jo, the character who ties this series together. (I haven't read the other books). I also liked the mystery, though I kept having to jerk my head out of the story to make sure that yes, I was reading a story about racism and murder, neither of which bothered the characters very deeply, it seemed.
The parts I didn't like.
1. Several times Piper has absolutely no sympathy for other people's physical or emotional pain, their sense of loss, or her place in the scheme of appropriate behavior. She's callous, blithe, stubborn, and clings to her ambition as an excuse for some really cruel behavior and I lost a lot of respect for her.
2. All the action happens offstage, and is reported on either verbally or in monologue by Piper. This led to a very quickly-wrapped-up ending, again with the action taking place elsewhere, which was disappointing.
3. The hero does something really shady when he and Piper get past first base so to speak, and I lost respect for him and the way he handled that situation.
4. Piper's parents were also stubbornly resistant to empathy or even kindness at times and I disliked them intensely. I can't imagine why Piper held them in regard for so long.
In all, I liked the book's plot enough to keep turning pages to the ending, though without the mystery element of Owen's dad and what really happened at the Aryan compound, I would have stopped reading because the heroine bothered me so very much. That said, I'd try another Van Meter book in hopes of finding a heroine who was strong but not to the point of being a jerk.
June 27, 2011
This was just an ok book for me. I loved the hero, even when he was slightly obnoxious you still liked him.
The heroine, on the other hand, was grating. She is one of those people that makes me think: he really likes her? why? and the why was never answered good enough for me.
She didn't really care about anybody but herself and that never really changed. She had to force herself to feel compassion for anybody, and when you have to try that hard to feel empathy for normal people you've got a problem.
For example: A woman has just gotten out of the hospital after being badly beaten by her boyfriend while she is pregnant and almost loses the baby. The Hero offers to take her and her daughter in for a while. The heroine comes over to the Hero's house for an interview and she continuously antagonizes the woman about being there. She says: “I didn’t realize you were running a halfway house,” and this is supposedly alright because the Heroine is jealous and the woman can take up for herself, but the Heroine never apologizes for that or anything really.
Also, because she is a reporter, its like she can get away with the decisions that she makes by hiding behind the line "I'm just doing my job". You can be a reporter and a liberated woman and not be a b****. Countless little things like that about a person can make you sick and I truly disliked the heroine. I am honestly very surprised that I even finished the book.
Final score 1 1/2 stars.
The heroine, on the other hand, was grating. She is one of those people that makes me think: he really likes her? why? and the why was never answered good enough for me.
She didn't really care about anybody but herself and that never really changed. She had to force herself to feel compassion for anybody, and when you have to try that hard to feel empathy for normal people you've got a problem.
For example: A woman has just gotten out of the hospital after being badly beaten by her boyfriend while she is pregnant and almost loses the baby. The Hero offers to take her and her daughter in for a while. The heroine comes over to the Hero's house for an interview and she continuously antagonizes the woman about being there. She says: “I didn’t realize you were running a halfway house,” and this is supposedly alright because the Heroine is jealous and the woman can take up for herself, but the Heroine never apologizes for that or anything really.
Also, because she is a reporter, its like she can get away with the decisions that she makes by hiding behind the line "I'm just doing my job". You can be a reporter and a liberated woman and not be a b****. Countless little things like that about a person can make you sick and I truly disliked the heroine. I am honestly very surprised that I even finished the book.
Final score 1 1/2 stars.
December 31, 2012
There were aspects of this book that I enjoyed, but the parts did not gel together into a whole. Several redonkulous plot aspects pushed me over the edge on this bok.
Things that irritated me included:
* Stereotyping comments re: vegetarian.
* Lead character remained a virgin beccause she thought having sex would detract from her goal of winning a pulitizer. (yes, you read that right)
Too much was thrown in and not enough focus on character development and relationship development. I didn’t feel like the herione grew a lot form beginning to end. Her decision to give up her virginity to our hero also felt forced. After all these years, it’s like ‘Woops - let’s do it now! now!"
Not quite enough insight into why the switch flipped.
Things that irritated me included:
* Stereotyping comments re: vegetarian.
* Lead character remained a virgin beccause she thought having sex would detract from her goal of winning a pulitizer. (yes, you read that right)
Too much was thrown in and not enough focus on character development and relationship development. I didn’t feel like the herione grew a lot form beginning to end. Her decision to give up her virginity to our hero also felt forced. After all these years, it’s like ‘Woops - let’s do it now! now!"
Not quite enough insight into why the switch flipped.
November 30, 2011
I started this book a few days ago. It started off strong and I thought that the author was doing a good job. My only qualm with it, is that it ended too quickly. I think there were too many sub-plots running and they weren't wrapped up in a good way. I know that Harlequin has a certain amount of words for their specific lines, so I think Secrets in a Small Town would have done better in the HQN line by the same publishing company. But I did enjoy Piper and Owen, I just didn't like the way the story was wrapped up.
August 16, 2011
This was the last book in a series of three. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first two, but I still found it an okay read. I won this book in a book giveaway, I'm really not a big fan of Harlequin Romance books, but was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this book as well as the other two "Mama Jo's BOYS", books.
May 29, 2015
This story is about Piper and Owen. Piper works for the paper and trying to uncover what happened in the town many years ago. Owen came back to the town where his dad was murdered in hopes to clear his name. The town is hiding more then either of them imagined.
Its a great story. The characters seem real and their emotions shine threw.
Its a great story. The characters seem real and their emotions shine threw.
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December 24, 2014Miniseries: Mama Jo's Boys
Read
December 24, 2014Miniseries: Mama Jo's Boys
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews