Synopsis:
Montana real estate agent Quint McCoy will tell you that the most
important thing is location, location, location. It's a lesson he learns
all too well when he goes incommunicado for a four-week fishing trip to
Alaska. While he's away, his mother Molly turns his office into the pie
shop she has always dreamed of, Big Sky Pie. But that's not the only
surprise in store for him.
On her way out of town, Callee McCoy only wants to say a fond farewell to her beloved mother-in-law. But Molly soon persuades Callee to stay and lend a hand at the new shop, even if it means heating up the kitchen with her soon-to-be ex. As Callee and Quint rediscover their recipe for love, they realize that some couples are so sinfully good together that one delectable taste is never enough . . .
On her way out of town, Callee McCoy only wants to say a fond farewell to her beloved mother-in-law. But Molly soon persuades Callee to stay and lend a hand at the new shop, even if it means heating up the kitchen with her soon-to-be ex. As Callee and Quint rediscover their recipe for love, they realize that some couples are so sinfully good together that one delectable taste is never enough . . .
Review:
To
be perfectly honest, this was not my type of book. It resembles those family
sagas where every character seems to be on an emotional roller coaster with
more downs than ups. It’s a swamp filled with negative emotions – grief,
abandonment, guilt, despair, resentment, blame, fear of commitment and fear of
love. Some people love that kind of thing and they will enjoy this one because
it is well written, the setting is interesting, and the characters are
believable [if in need of a good counselor.]
This
trip into the slough of despond was triggered by the sudden heart attack and death
of the male lead’s father. Notice I didn’t say hero because his actions through
most of the book are not remotely hero-like. His father’s sudden death makes
him feel guilty about not spending more time with him so he immediately blames
his wife, who has issues of her own since his father had been the only father
figure she had ever known. Among other things he keeps disappearing to go
fishing [it was something his Dad always wanted him to join him at], abandons
his business, his mother and his wife. He repeatedly behaves badly, she’s
leaving him, and then her mother-in-law has a heart attack and is hospitalized.
The two of them try to hold it together so they can open Mom’s pie shop and
stay solvent.
The
light slowly dawns on the soon-to-be ex-husband and he tries to get it together
and convince the wife that they can still make a go of their marriage. She
informs him she’s leaving anyway. He let’s her go, feeling she ‘has to figure
it out for herself.’
I
don’t know how credible it is when Quint goes from a major crash and burn to
coping at least moderately well so quickly. I’m not sure how you get from ‘I
don’t care. Divorce me.’ to a believable reconciliation in such a short time. I
really didn’t feel their chemistry or their love, and I REALLY didn’t feel
their healing. All I can say is I sure hope they find a good counselor and put
him or her on speed dial…
The
book was not a particularly well-balanced one – we see a lot of Quint’s
suffering and not much of Caylee’s. She seems more a supporting character than
a lead. I enjoyed the setting, Kallispell MT is very beautiful. Some of the pie
details were interesting – not that I bake pies much these days. For me this
book was only OK – not my cup of tea.
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