Love Remains

I'll just say it right away: I like Kaye Dacus. I noticed her first on the ACFW email loop--a helpful woman who was always willing to answer even the most mundane questions from newbie writers. Her blog is also enjoyable; one of my favorites is when she recasts movies or her own books with Hollywood players. When she started publishing books, I was anxious to read them, and enjoyed her Bonneterre series very much.

I follow her on Facebook, and a few months ago I participated in a discussion for her new series on her blog (one of those brainstorming sessions that turned out to be pretty fun). She sent me the first in her new series to review--which brings me here today.

The first book in the Matchmakers series is Love Remains.

From the press release: "Zarah Mitchell and Bobby Patterson become the matchmaking focus of their well-meaning grandmothers when he moves back to Nashville to work for the Tennessee Criminal Investigations Unit. Zarah believes he chose a military career over her fourteen years ago, while Bobby harbors his own resentment over choices Zarah made that furthered her education. The grandmothers notice the feelings are still there between the couple, but will matters only get worse when Bobby investigates the agency Zarah works for? Will she be the one to leave this time, taking the opportunity of a dream job in DC?"

I enjoyed this contemporary romance. The Matchmaker Grandma Brigade (as I came to think of them) is the set-up for the rest of the series, which is cute. The characters drew me into their world, their conflicts, and their resolution, which was satisfying. For a romance, this was not too sappy or fluffy; for a Christian book, it had some real faith struggles that resonated with me. Overall, a very enjoyable read.

Book 2, The Art of Romance, comes out in May 2011, with Turnabout's Fair Play following in November 2011.