Reviewer: Casee The Girl Most Likely To... by Susan Donovan
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: December 30th 2008
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 340
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Kat Cavanaugh was sixteen when she hitchhiked out of Persuasion, West Virginia and vowed never to return. Who could blame her? She'd just stumbled upon her father's adulterous affair, found out she was pregnant, got dumped by her boyfriend, and kicked out of her house and school . . . all in a single afternoon. Twenty years have gone by and Kat's back—gorgeous, rich, and looking for an apology from everyone who'd turned their backs on her. First on that list is Riley Bohland, the boy who broke her heart before she could tell him about the baby.
But Kat didn't count on Riley having his own axe to grind, or that he'd be just as delicious as he was at sixteen. She also didn't count on her heart opening at the sight of him. When their anger ignites a passion intense enough to burn through two decades of secrets and lies, Kat must question everything she thought she knew about her past. And what about her future? The only place to find the answers may be in Riley's arms…
***Every Thursday in 2018 we will be posting throwback reviews of our favorite and not-so-favorite books.
I adore Susan Donovan. She writes some of the best contemporaries I’ve ever read. He Loves Lucy and Take a Chance on Me are a few of my favorite contemps of all time. That’s why I was so disappointed when I read that this would be Susan’s last contemporary. I mean, wtf?
Kat Cavanaugh left home at sixteen, alone and pregnant. When she went to tell her boyfriend that she was going to have a baby, he dumped her before she got the chance. Kat left town that night and has never returned. Until now, twenty years later. After coming into some unexpected money, Kat decides to return Persuasion to show her parents and Riley Bohland that she made it just fine without them. Little did she know what she would find.
Riley never knew that Kat was pregnant that long ago night. Being pressured by his father to break-up with Kat, he only did it to appease his father and fully intended to get back together with her. He had known that Kat was the one for him years ago, but everyone said that they were too young to know that. So when he found out that Kat left town without a word, he was devestated. That’s until he found out her secret a little more than eighteen years later.
Kat is stunned at Riley’s anamosity toward her. What right does he have to act like he was wronged? She was the one that was dumped, pregnant and alone at sixteen. To Kat’s dismay, the explosive attraction between them at sixteen was even more prominent at thirty six. Even with all the unsolved issues between them, Riley and Kat can’t stay away from each other.
While this book wasn’t up there with He Loves Lucy and Take a Chance on Me, it still had Donovan’s trademark humor. There were a few things the book could have gone without, including Kat’s psychotic father. There was already Riley’s stalker ex-girlfriend and the Bed-and-Breakfast owner who decided that she wanted Riley’s brother, even though he was already taken. Any one of these things by itself would have been okay, but all three together was a tad over the top.
Another thing I think Donovan did a great job on was the confrontation between Kat and her son, Aidan. Finding out he had a father after twenty years is not something that Aidan easily accepts. Especially since the mother he has loved so deeply lied to him. The book wouldn’t have been as good if Aidan would have easily accepted that Kat lied to him. Also, the reunion between father and son is “awwww” inducing.
Overall, I loved this book which makes me that much more disappointed that it will be her last contemp. Boo. and am so excited that she’s coming out with a new trilogy next year. w00t!
Rating: 4.25 out of 5.
What’s this???? Her last contemporary?? What is she going to be writing instead??
Myself, I HATED He Loves Lucy, but I’ve loved every other book she’s written – specially Take A Chance on Me (and now I have that damn ABBA song running through my head again!)
Did you read Daisy’s Back In Town by Rachel Gibson? B/c this book sounds an awful lot like that.
I can’t believe it’s her last contemp either. So sad. 🙁
I love her contemps, that stinks that ths will be her last one. I wonder why…
I will look for this one. Great review.
This was a good read. This is a first book by her that I’ve read. I took a chance on this based on reviews and I’m glad I did. (recommendations on other books by her are welcomed. :D)
I’m sad though that she’s not writing any more contemps…though why is this her last contemp??
I started Daisy’s Back in Town, but I didn’t like it – AT ALL. It sounds similar though the reasons the heroine didn’t say anything are different and for some reason that seems to make the Donovan book sound better – cause I HATE the ‘heroine doesn’t tell the hero he’s a daddy’ storyline unless there is a Very Good Reason and the fact that he broke up with her works – unlike the Rachel Gibson book. Another one I HATED with a passion ’cause there was no good reason for the heroine to keep ‘daddy’ from child was Everyday Average Jones by Suzanne Brockman.
But the hero broke up with the heroine in DBIT, too, Kristie. Remember? How is it different?
(I’m just curious. I think I liked DBIT, but it’s been forever since I read it so I can’t say for sure)
Kristie, you didn’t like He Loves Lucy???? Why not? I loved Take a Chance on Me. All the scenes with the dog cracked me up.
It is sad that it’s her last contemp. Especially b/c she’s so good.
I haven’t read Daisy’s Back in Town forever, so I don’t remember. Wasn’t there a secret baby, too?
No more contemporaries? On her website’s blog she posted that her next project is a trilogy about three women living in San Francisco who have chosen the companion of their dogs over men, and of course one by one each woman finds a man. That sounds contemporary to me. Has things changed? I not only love her books, she was one of the very first romance authors I read. It was her books that got me hooked on this genre!!
And since we are also commenting on Daisy’s Back in Town by Rachel Gibson, I have to say it was the only book by that author that I really didn’t like. (Hated the heroine.) But the rest of her books are gems.
Anon, I thought there was a newsletter awhile back or something on her site. I remember Holly and I discussing it.
Thanks for the info, though. I’m thrilled that she’s going to continue writing contemps!
I couldn’t stand He Loves Lucy from the very beginning when she chocked on the candy and the whole scene was played for laughs. I’m super sensitive when it comes to overweight heroines (my own personal bugaboo since I’m one myself – well not the heroine type) and I’ve yet to read one where they get it right for me.
And I’m afraid I didn’t get far enough into Daisy’s Back in Town. I was put off by the hero’s anger and the heroine’s actions and I don’t think I made it past the first chapter.