I was really looking forward to this new series - 7 Brides for 7 Soldiers - all written by different authors, but taking place in the small town of Eagle’s Ridge. I’m a fan of small town romances, a fan of several of the authors, and who isn’t a fan of soldiers?! So I preordered this story by Barbara Freethy, and patiently waited for its release.
I won’t be making that mistake again though, because even though I’ve read Ms. Freethy before and enjoyed her books, this story ended up being a snooze-fest of epic proportions.
The story started out well. Our hero, Ryder, is in the middle of a rescue mission in the middle east, and as pilot of the helicopter his team is flying in, it’s his job to get them back to their base safely. But after being shot down and barely making it out alive, he’s decided it's time to go home to Eagle’s Ridge.
Once home, he’s taken over managing the town’s small airport and has big plans for expansion. The big problem? The land he needs to purchase to extend a runway is owned by the man his grandfather (and by extension his family) has had a feud with for 70 years.
Bailey has just returned home from New York City with her tail between her legs. Something awful happened with her job as a chef, and it was the demise of both her career and the relationship with a man she thought loved her. Of course, Bailey belongs to the family Ryder’s family is feuding with…
However, the two meet one night, and let their physical attraction start something they know their families won’t approve of. When they team up to help each other get what they are wanting, pitting them against their own families, sparks fly and the relationship moves pretty fast.
Like I said, I’ve read Barbara Freethy before, and liked what I read. But this book just didn’t work for me at all. The story seemed contrived and ridiculous, and mostly silly. I liked the characters, and the dialogue between them was good, but the faux Romeo and Juliet plot fell flat. Besides being hot for each other, and needing the other to help get what they want from the other side of the feuding families, I couldn’t understand why they fell in love.
So, despite my initial excitement about this series, I’ll now be a little more discerning about downloading and reading these other books. I’ll definitely be reading samples beforehand, because I’m just not willing to spend $3.99 and several hours reading something that wasn’t that entertaining to me.