Truly Madly Yours

Delaney Shaw plans to get in and out of her hometown in the time it takes to attend her stepfather Henry's funeral, read the will, and refill the tank of her Miata. Even the pleas of her mother and the tension of an unfinished fling with Henry's bastard son, Nick Allegrezza, can't keep her in Truly, Idaho. But Henry had other plans in mind: Nick and Delaney's inheritance is contingent on her staying in Truly for a year, and him having no "sexual relationship" with Delaney. What's a girl to do? Delaney digs in, starts up a hair salon and prepares to grit her teeth for as long as it takes.

Small-town life is everything that Delaney fears it to be: high school rivalries and old rumors about Delaney and Nick resurrect themselves with predictable immediacy. Gossip nears the truth as the sexual sparks fly between Nick and Delaney. Nick's reputation as a ladies man hasn't changed, either, and Delaney reminds herself that he can love her and leave her just as brutally as he did 10 years ago. But when the two find themselves in close proximity, all their best intentions fly out the window and intense passion consumes them.

Truly Madly Yours has the same originality and sauciness that made Rachel Gibson's first work, Simply Irresistible, popular with readers. While each page brings a new take on the familiar "black sheep, old flame" plot, the main characters are at times a bit unappealing. Delaney's unqualified disgust for Truly becomes a tired mantra and no amount of biker jackets and muttered "wild things" can neutralize Nick's anachronistic womanizing. Gibson wisely focuses her attention on clever dialogue and original situations, and the overall result is a delightful and completely entertaining read. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien