If you are looking for a simple, sweet romance, then this book is probably right up your alley. There are a few subplots in it, but on the whole it’s a surprisingly uncomplicated book. It’s just a guy and a girl who have had bad luck in their last relationships and are wary of being hurt again. They do have to work past some things (especially Sophie), but for the most part their fall into love was simple and easy.
I had a hard time connecting with Sophie in the beginning of the book. The author started the book three months after Sophie and her husband had broken up because she caught him cheating. She had just signed the divorce papers right before heading back to town. Given that the first page shows Sophie only just arriving in town, it doesn’t leave a believable amount of time, in my opinion, for her to bounce back. The Sophie I was originally introduced to was emo and whiny and I was dreading being stuck in her head. I’m sure it’s harsh of me to say, but just because I totally understand and sympathize with her feelings doesn’t mean I want to be trapped in her head while she has a pity party. I’d much rather look back and sympathize than be stuck with her in the moment.
As the author led Sophie into public it got easier to deal with. More outside interaction led to more dialogue and less introspection. She did still have an unfortunate habit of mooning over every kid out there, though. She was very unfulfilled by her lack of children (her husband’s fault, of course) and never lost an opportunity to treat the reader to her yearning and aching inside over it when she saw one of her friends with their kids. I sound mean, I know, but she made me grit my teeth.
On page 127 Sophie said,
”The funny thing is,” she said slowly. “I’m not. Sorry, I mean. Not anymore. I wasted too many days waiting for him, believing in him. At least now my life isn’t on hold anymore.”
That is the girl we should have seen in the beginning. A woman who has picked herself up and has come to terms with the past. She’s open to what the future will bring her and doesn’t scream “rebound” anymore. I liked her much, much more after that. Other than the continued baby thing, of course. 
The only thing that troubles me is that Sophie didn’t have enough growth or time to get from the beginning her to that. She just suddenly changed. I liked her more, yes, but it wasn’t believable.
After that, everything settled into an easy, cheerful pattern that was a breeze to sink into. The author has a very simple, inviting style that makes the pages turn quickly. Rafe turned out to be a sweetie and it was easy to see why Sophie was stuck on him when she was a kid and why she ended up stuck on him again when she moved back. Not only did they share the hilarious memories of her and his sister stalking him whenever he tried to make out with one of his girlfriends, he also turned out to be one hell of a man. His dedication to his daughter was admirable and I loved whenever they were together. Usually kids in Romance make me grimace, but I actually enjoyed Ivy. She felt like a natural part of the story and acted like a real kid.
The story spanned quite a bit of time. I enjoyed watching Rafe and Sophie’s relationship stretch out and getting to see where they were at (in terms of feelings) at different points in time, but I felt like I missed out on some of the meat of their relationship. Things skipped along so quickly at times that I really wanted to stop and get more time watching them fall in love. I enjoyed what they had, I just had a little yen for more.
The subplots in this book were a little unnecessary, in my opinion. I didn’t dislike them being included, I just couldn’t really see the point for it. Maybe the author was just trying to add a few more layers? I don’t really know, I’m just guessing here. I felt that way about something else that cropped up toward the end, but that came off more as the author tying a big bow around their romance (which some people will adore) than anything else.
Although I did have some issues with this book, I enjoyed the read overall. It was quick and cheerful and a nice little palette cleanser. I think I’ll look this author up again when I’m in the mood for something simple.
Favorite Quote:
He hadn’t felt this way about any woman ever. He didn’t just want to have sex with her, he wanted to spend time with her, look at her, listen to her. And yeah, have sex with her.
Rating: C+
Sage Creek by Jill Gregory
October 4th 2011 by Berkley
Contemporary Romance
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