If you’re new to Lucy Score, here is a quick backgrounder: self-published romance writer is noticed by small, indie press, strikes a chord with women all across America and becomes New York Times bestselling author. Her books are perky, bubbly and promise cosy escapism with a large serving of sex. Her latest, Story of My Life, marks the start of a new series that will take place in Story Lake, a picturesque town in rural Pennsylvania.
Our heroine is Hazel Hart, a hit romance writer who has had the passion sucked out of her by her divorce. We meet Hazel when she is in the midst of a messy hiatus, sinking deep into depression in her Manhattan flat. When her publisher threatens to drop her, and her landlord announces she’s evicted, Hazel is forced to take drastic action. With the help of her best-friend and agent Zoey, she pulls herself out of her funk and purchases a stately house in the town of Story Lake, sight-unseen, via an online auction.
Hazel and Zoey’s antics are fun and easy to read. The two best friends exchange pithy observations, like, “That man is a red flag waving several smaller red flags”, and the books flies along with snappy dialogue and easy-to-read scenes. It has a caper, buddy-comedy feel until Hazel lands in trouble the moment she reaches Story Lake, where Bingo is a spectator’s sport and everyone knows everybody else’s business. Or at least thinks they do.
The meet-cute is more meet-comedy. Hazel and Zoey ram their rental car into the town sign and are rescued by Cam Bishop, a local building contractor, with strapping muscles and a chip on his shoulder. When Hazel discovers her tree-scrape dream home is not quite as picturesque as she was led to believe, she hires Cam and his brothers, Gage and Levi, to make it livable. She and Cam clash, but their growing attraction is undeniable.
Cam grunts, growls and swears his way through the courtship. His gallantry takes the form of ignoring Hazel for her own good. He warns her that he wants to ravish her, but he doesn’t want her expecting more. His family business is in trouble. Hazel replies that she has bigger things on her mind than settling into a relationship. She fears she will never be able to write a love story again, but she does find Cam irresistibly … inspiring.
A cast of smalltown characters fill-out the world and give the story colour and life beyond the central flirtation. An underage Mayor is one of Hazel’s allies (her house comes with a seat on the local council) a bossy racoon adopts her and ads to the comedy. Hazel and Cam “the eighth shirtless wonder of the world” Bishop inch towards each other. Lucy waits until halfway through the book until the hero and heroine throw down, and when they do, no detail is spared.
Hazel Hart is sure to win some fans when readers pick up Story of My Life, but perhaps not quite as many as the well-built Cam Bishop does.
Read the interview with Lucy Score here.
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