A Downtown Diva's Romance
Dianna Dann
Wayward Cat Publishing (July 17, 2015)
331 pages, $14.99 Print, $2.99 Kindle
ISBN #10 : 1938999223
ISBN #13: 978-1938999222
331 pages
A 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award & Honorable Mention
Review by: Christina Francine
Dictionary.com describes “Bookish” as “of or relating to books; literary,” as “given or devoted to reading or study,” and as “stilted (stiffly dignified or formal)” and pedantic (overly concerned with minute details).” The title of Dann’s story certainly shows how titles and assumptions are not always correct. Just because her main character loves books does not mean she fits the “bookish” profile. She is outspoken. Yes, she also loves cats, but that still doesn’t mean she fits the profile and Dann shows how in her fun story.
Young spunky Sophie Childers works in a bookstore with her grandfather and she enjoys the life. Ever since her beau left her six months ago for one of her friends, she’s resolved to be single, and she liked it that way. A few people referred to Sophie “bookish” and she wore the title proudly. Her other safe love was seven stray cats who lived behind an abandoned storefront on Mangrove Street in Central Florida. She stops to feed them every day. Though she’d sworn off men and instead loved seven felines, she secretly wished for a good man she could trust.
A perfectly handsome young man “with silky hair” and “gorgeous laughing eyes” comes into the bookstore one day. This is when bookish meets boy, and it happens when she accidentally rains armfuls of books down on top of him. They soon go on a date and everything seems wonderful until Reese tells her he is buying the abandoned storefront and wants the cats out of there. How dare anyone not care about her cats! Now, she has to trade one love for the other, and the cats were more important than any cat-hater. Sophie will not have anything further to do with him, but Reese continues to try because he really likes Sophie.
Sophie decides that is how her luck usually goes, and then her luck gets worse. Cal wants her back and seems to really try, but he doesn’t make her feel like Reese does. He begins saying all the right things, but her heart won’t feel differently. Sophie decides to stay safe in the bookstore and away from her gossiping friends and men. She also needs to find homes for her cats because she simply couldn’t keep them all. Her bad luck continues when nobody wants the cats. Life grows more and more complicated, even though all she wanted was for things to be simple.
The title of the book describes the story perfectly. A good-heated, colorful and fun read. Sophie feels like a friend, or someone who could be. Readers will root for Sophie and laugh out loud at times. For readers who like humor blended with romance. A perfect read for young adults and beyond.