Kristie J’s review of Inconsolable (Love Triumphs, Book 3) by Ainslie Paton
Contemporary romance Published by Escape Publishing Aug 1, 2015
I’ve read a couple of this author’s books with a great deal of success; I gave both at least a B+ (Grease Monkey Jive and Offensive Behavior were the two in case of curiosity. They were both delightful).
Unfortunately, Inconsolable doesn’t get as high a grade. It’s not the writing; I think Ms. Paton is a wonderful writer. It’s not the story, nope. I thought the premise fascinating and very unusual. What wasn’t so good about this one is an issue I’ve had with other books, though not this author, that has lowered my enjoyment.
Alas, the problem lies completely on the shoulders of the heroine, Foley. Foley works for the city the book is set in. It’s her job to somehow get rid of a homeless person, at least temporarily, who is living in a cave along the beach, before a big event starts, since it wouldn’t look good for the town to have a homeless person lurking so close. She goes to see him in his ‘cave’ and is astonished at who she finds.
Drum is the hero and what a dear hero he is. I feel such compassion for him. He’s not really homeless, it’s more like he broken inside. He used to be a high-powered executive for a pharmaceutical company he and his father started. And he was quite the womanizer. Though he was engaged, that didn’t seem to keep him faithful. Then, without trying to give too much away, something happened and it was like an elastic or something inside broke and now he feels he needs to punish himself, and what he’s doing is kind of his way of wearing a hair shirt.
Because of this, because of his need to punish himself, in his mind he simply can’t move on, no matter how much Foley and the town want him to. But, in true romance style, his growing attraction to Foley, and hers to Drum, forces him to make adjustments to his self-punishment plans. They are only made for Foley, mind you.
The book is going along wonderfully well, right along with the other books I’ve enjoyed, but then it hits some snags. Foley has a roommate who is constantly warning her away from Drum. Mind you, the roommate has never met Drum, has never seen what a gentle soul he is. And Foley listens to her. As a result, she’s almost cruel to him at times, and that I had a hard time dealing with.
At one point he is accused of doing something very bad. By this time Foley knows he’s not the kind of person who would do this. She knows him, the inner, broken Drum, and rather than stand by him, she turns against him. And while my grade was already sliding, this made sure of it. Then later, after the truth comes out, Drum takes on the responsibility for the stand Foley takes.
Because this is just one of my own personal hot buttons, though, it doesn’t discourage me at all from reading other books by Ainslie Paton. In fact, I have a couple more on my Kindle, one I purchased even after reading Inconsolable. She has a nice sized back list and I’m looking forward to delving into it more. So this review is more of a ‘it’s not the book, it’s me’ review. And Drum is wonderful. I have to let readers know this. He’s wonderful.
Grade: C+
Summary:
Sometimes the only way to forgiveness is through love
Foley has a new boss she doesn’t like, a flatmate who’s been known to wear odd shoes, and a car that’s ready to pack it in. She hasn’t met a guy worth lipstick in forever, and though she planned a life less ordinary, the only thing unique about her is a badly thought through tattoo.
Until Drum.
Drum wasn’t always the cliff guy, a homeless man sheltering in a cave tucked above a popular tourist beach. He wanted to get as far away from his previous life as possible. Now he wakes with the sun, runs on the beach, does odd jobs for cash to buy food, and is at peace.
Until Foley.
It’s Foley’s job to find Drum a safer place to live, but the only home Drum wants is the one place he can never stay: Foley’s heart.
No excerpt available.
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