Pamela Morsi - Love Overdue

Buttoned-up book lover DJ is all sensible shoes, drab skirts and studious glasses. After an ill-advised spring-break-fueled fling left her mortified, she's committed to her prim and proper look. When she's hired by a rural library in middle-of-nowhere Kansas, she finally has the lifestyle to match-and she can't wait to get her admin on.
But it's clear from day one that the small-town library is more interested in circulating rumors than books. DJ has to organize her unloved library, win over oddball employees and avoid her flamboyant landlady's attempts to set her up with the town pharmacist. Especially that last part-because it turns out handsome Scott Sanderson is her old vacation fling! She is not sure whether to be relieved or offended when he doesn't seem to recognize her. But with every meeting, DJ finds herself secretly wondering what it would be like to take off her glasses, unpin her bun and reveal the inner vixen she's been hiding from everyone-including herself.

Comment: I've read a couple of books by the author in the past so I knew her writing is enticing, but it wasn't until I saw this post by Phyl that I got the feeling I really need to read more by this author. This book was wonderful for the most part and I was glad I read it, despite the two things I wish were different.

This book features DJ, a young librarian finally having the chance to be the head of her own library. She doesn't mind traveling to a place she never saw (but like a good librarian, she researched) to have an opportunity like that. DJ is a shy, reserved person and she is a bit put off by the town's curiosity about her and even more by her new boss and landlady's attempts at matchmaking with her own son.

Scott Sanderson is the typical good guy in a small town, he's divorced and the dating market isn't big but despite trying to be nice to DJ she seems to be ice with him. The thing is, DJ has a crazy night with Scott once when on holiday and he doesn't remember her! But is that what she wants?

I really like several aspects of this book. I knew the writing would be interesting and addictive and I was eager to see the story develop. As most readers certainly loved, I also was smiling over the chapters introduction being library references, the Dewey Decimal System. The chapters indication were the library references to what content that subject is, for instance, "631.2: Agriculture: Techniques, Equipment." where the chapter would talk about DJ's dealing with the agriculture side of things in a small town, kind of. It's all cleverly done and the author really tried to do this as closest to a library read as possible. I liked this a lot, because I'm a fan of libraries, always enjoyed being in one, still go to my local one when necessary and when I want and it can be a special place to any book lover. I wish I were a librarian! So, a book with so many library references was bound to be great.

Then the plot. I liked the idea of people living in a small place and still get into so many misunderstandings and miscommunication, because this does happen. But part of the fun is how things are in your eyes and you still don't get it. If it as obvious right away, then the plot wouldn't have any action. Of course it seems unlikely Scott wouldn't remember DJ from their night even more so how special he considered her then, but now she dresses and acts different. How often we only see what we want...

Their romance was funny and slow and they got to really know the other although, for obvious reasons Scott always shared more and when DJ did the same - closer to the end - it wasn't the same thing because he still didn't recognize her.

Then one of my issues with the book, DJ is shy and reserved and keeps to herself despite being nice and honest when it matters. But she had a crazy night and that seems so out of character. I had a hard time coming to terms those were the same. But people change... I just prefer my characters to maintain their personalities.

The secondary characters were funny and full of cliched traits but I liked their role in the situations they had to act and they gave a lot to the story, especially Scott's mother, I liked her a lot.

There's things happening besides the romance and I liked how things were being solved, it's good to see things come to a good end.

This brings me to the main problem with this book, which I'm sure most readers share. There's this increasing tension to when will Scott find out DJ is the woman he can't forget and to whom he measures all others, in a way. When he finally realizes who DJ is...the book ends. We get to see their HEA in an epilogue but come on! It's not the same! I wanted to see them talking, explaining, sharing their POVs with each other! How disappointing that didn't happen....

I feel really cheated of the best part, but the epilogue kind of compensates...still, it could have been done so much better, although I think I understand the author was aiming for different and innovative with this technique. I would still have liked plain old text better.

In the end, a great story, many wonderful things, poor end execution but I got really eager to read more by her and will try to buy more of her books soon.

Grade: 8/10