- Title: Come a Little Closer
- Classification: Adult Fiction
- Genre: Historical Romance
- Format: Paperback, 400 pages
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (November 23, 2011)
- ISBN-10: 0446540153
- ISBN-13: 978-0446540155
- Author's website: http://www.dorothygarlock.com/
They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but no one comes out of war unscathed. Some are haunted by the images, some retreat into themselves, some retreat to the bottom of a bottle or whatever narcotic can bring them escape, some are permanently scared or damaged by the carnage reaped on their bodies. No, while you might come out alive, you're never the same even if the scars can't be seen.
When Christina came to Longstock, Wisconsin she was looking for a new start. It was the end of World War II and after years spent helping soldiers recover from war injuries, she needed a change. When a fellow nurse declined an offer to work in the small town of Longstock, she asked if she might have the information to apply. While she loved helping others, seeing all the men who passed her way whose lives would never be what they once were left her wanting a job that had a less depressing atmosphere.
Upon arrival to the small town, she wondered if she'd made a mistake. The doctor she works for is addicted to morphine, one of his nephews was suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (although it didn't have a name at the time), and the other was bitter toward his older brother for reasons she didn't yet know. While her new life may not be what she was hoping for, she soon came to realize she was where she was meant to be.
I have to admit the beginning of this book didn't really grab me. I liked it, but it wasn't until later that I got "lost" in this book. I don't always read the description on the book before I start reading, and it'd been awhile since I'd requested it. Originally I wanted Christina to fall in love with the other brother, Holden. To me he was the more intriguing of the two. I liked how he came out of his shell because of her and how the dreams which he had decided would never be, became a possibility again. I wonder if Ms. Garlock will create a happily ever after for him in the near future? *crosses fingers*
Tucker's and Christina's relationship started off rather bumpy. Tucker was not out to impress when he first met her and later realized he'd sort of messed up his chances. He's a rather complicated individual, and Christina had to peel away the layers to get to the heart of the man. I like how they understood each other because each had an older siblings whose shadow they seemed to walk in. Slowly, we get to see the real Tucker which he hid behind snide comments and an abrasive facade.
Garlock added some extra drama by adding some secondary characters who were anything but normal. One had an obsessive compulsion for Tucker and had been for years. The other had an unjustified need for vengeance against Doctor Barlow for the death of his brother.
I enjoyed the poem included at the beginning at the book called the 'Unspoken Words from the Beekeeper'. It was a great tie in to the story--Tucker is a beekeeper. I also loved how the prologue nicely showed how Christina came to be the type of person she was. I felt the words her sister imparted to her years earlier, "Everybody, no matter who they are, no matter how old they are, gets scared sometime." were very profound to what went on in the story. Plus, Charlotte's words of wisdom, "Your going to learn not to turn tail and run away from what scares you." played a key role in how she dealt with Holden. I felt it was a nice way to make the story go full circle.
On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, I gave this one a FAN rating - the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice. Overall, I gave this one 3 1/2 out of 4 roses. I truly enjoyed it.
No comments:
Post a Comment