Title: Sweet Talking Man
Author: Liz Talley
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Description/Synopsis:
Leif Lively is the hottest thing to happen to Magnolia Bend. But single mother Abigail Orgeron figures he’s another heartbreaker and does her best to ignore the steamy glances he tosses her way. When he speaks, though, her resistance crumbles! His sweet words, humor and laid-back ways captivate buttoned-up Abigail.
For once, losing control feels so good, and this no-strings arrangement is getting serious. What will she do when Leif solves the family mystery that brought him to town and decides to leave? Because she’s learning that the biggest love means taking the biggest risk.
WARNING – SPOILERS MAY ENSUE BEYOND THIS POINT – REVIEW BELOW
I’ll admit it, going into Sweet Talking Man by Liz Talley, I had my reservations. I’ll be the first one to admit that I’m a bit of a throwback when it comes to my romance reading. I like my men very masculine, even broody. Stepping into this story, I was put off by the nature of Leif, the main male lead who was a bit of an artist, hippy, and vegan. It’s not that I find fault with any of those qualities (I come from a family of artists and hippies, and I was once upon a time, a vegetarian), but in my mind’s eye those qualities come across as a little… well… high maintenance is the closest word I can come up with—and I’m just not interested in reading about high-maintenance men. That being said, I’ve changed my opinion: I loved Leif.
The romance in this book was spot-on. Despite the fact that the couple were older, not my ideal, and were involved in a messy situation with their exes (all of which I tend to avoid in my romances)… I loved every second of it. Leif and Abigail were meant for each other. I felt their romance deep down into my bones. The sex was steamy and not too ridiculously written (which tends to be a bad habit of romance writers), and I felt the attraction Leif and Abigail had for each other. I wanted them to succeed in their relationship with every breath in my body.
The characters were well written for the most part, although I definitely had a bone of contention to pick with Birdie, Abigail’s 12 year old daughter. I have a daughter around the same age as Birdie, and to me, Birdie seemed much older. I half expected her to be 14 or 15, not 12. She was so incredibly disrespectful to her mother, and while yah, I understand that it was written that way as part of the drama for the story, I can’t help but want to give my mom-stare to both Birdie and Abigail, because it’s every bit as much her mother’s fault that her daughter’s turned out that way as it is Birdie’s. Pfft. Look at me discussing these two characters as if they were real and needed a good talking-to about respect; it just goes to show you how well written they were.
Overall, I loved the book. It had a few moments that made me question the writing: such as how quickly the situation regarding Leif’s paternity was wrapped up and Birdie’s nasty attitude despite her young age, but for the most part, I really enjoyed the story. That said, I did received a copy of this book from the publisher before publication in exchange for an honest review—and unfortunately, the copy I received was littered with typos and formatting errors. I can only assume these will be cleaned up before it’s release date on February 2nd (I’ll be sure to pass my notes on to the publisher), and I certainly wouldn’t let it keep me from purchasing the book. If you like contemporary romance stories, this was a good one. I’d encourage you to check it out.
Author Unpublished 