The Outer Edge of Heaven

Her parents want a clout wielding attorney, safely enthroned in an appropriately high end Mercedes sedan and a tailored business suit.  She just wants to teach kindergarten.

When her "all-powerful" parents actually choose her future husband, who just happens to be a divorce lawyer named Elroy, Charlie opts out and heads for Big Sky Country.  After all, who marries a divorce lawyer?  She and her best friend, Fo, who have been buddies since the third grade, go to work on his cousin's sprawling ranch in the heart of the Montana Rockies.

Filled with colorful characters of all shapes, sizes and species, including an orphaned baby pig, most of the Langston family put the fun in dysfunctional, -give or take a couple of black sheep. There's one in every family, isn't there? Add to that glorious scenery, a horse of her own, and one extremely attractive cousin rancher, Luke Lanston, and it makes for a summer Charlie will never forget. Which might not be a good thing. She has the time of her life, but her heart may never recover.

So happy to be a part of this blog tour for The Outer Edge of Heaven, an LDS fiction book.  First I have to say that I really love the cover of this book.  It brings to my mind all the things I love in a good western set romance.

I love the setting of Montana on a big ranch.  There is just something about a hunk of a hard working cowboy that sets my heart to pittering.  (I'm pretty sure that isn't even a word)  Luke was exactly that kind of cowboy.  Honorable, hardworking and HOT.  He was my favorite character by far.

Charlie seems to be a no nonsense, take charge kind of girl.  She jumps right into her role at the ranch with gusto and does what she needs to do.  I enjoyed the easy friendship between Charlie and Fo.  

The author packs a lot of "stuff" into her story.  Very open infidelity, an unwed mother who is considering adoption, drug abuse, stalkers, sexual harassment, an absentee mother, single parenting...  At times it seemed like a lot stuff without allowing me to really feel with the characters about the seriousness of those situations.  

I frequently found myself having to go back and re-read sentences because they were just written awkwardly.  It lacked some of the flow that I find in most books.

I really enjoyed the pantry scene and wished there were more of those in the book!  I was disappointed that the only kisses I got were at the very end of the book.  The beach would have been an excellent place for a steamy kiss that would have really cemented Charlie's later confusion at Luke's behavior.

Overall, a good romance.  :)

You can buy The Outer Edge of Heaven here.