"It was only the depth of their love, their trust in one another that led to the truth and their reconciliation. If not for his trust in her... the lies surrounding them would have destroyed them both."
 |
The Inn at Little Bend by Bobbi Groover Melange Books
book review by Wendy Strain
With a title pulled straight out of the old West, Groover creates characters who refuse to conform to summarizing stereotypes: A child born to sin proves herself more than a helpless orphan. A solitary rover reluctantly reveals himself to have a softer side. Their complications are drawn out by a cast of secondary characters who are themselves complex and surprising.
Grayson Ridge is named for the orphanage that took her in on the day she was born. Adopted by an older couple more interested in cheap labor than rearing children, Grayson is forced to run away when her 'step-father' becomes more insistent in his advances. Unprepared to live on her own, unwise in the ways of the world, it isn't long before she finds herself in trouble again.
Drake Somerset prefers to keep company with his own personal demons, but can't ignore the unpleasantness taking place nearby. As he attempts to provide Grayson with the tools she will need to survive on her own, his ghosts begin to lose their hold on his heart, opening his soul to new possibilities.
This is not a simple, uncomplicated love story progressing along predictable lines. The well-developed characters are delightful, always revealing new growth. The plot offers interesting twists difficult to predict, and the romantic tension will keep the pages turning.