A woman finds a journal, and it leads her into a lot of trouble...
Maddy Harlow leaves San Fransisco to visit her grandmother in northern Canada in hopes of persuading her to come back with her.
But during her visit to Red River, Maddy finds a journal full of poems that captivates her, and she vows to find the one who penned it.
In between struggling to find a safe place for her grandmother to live, and finding true love, she has her ex-boyfriend to contend with.
Can Maddy finally find peace and love? Find out in this action romance novelette!
A woman finds a journal, and it leads her into a lot of trouble...
Maddy Harlow leaves San Fransisco to visit her grandmother in northern Canada in hopes of persuading her to come back with her.
But during her visit to Red River, Maddy finds a journal full of poems that captivates her, and she vows to find the one who penned it.
In between struggling to find a safe place for her grandmother to live, and finding true love, she has her ex-boyfriend to contend with.
Can Maddy finally find peace and love? Find out in this action romance novelette!
       Maddy Harlowâs green eyes were fixated on a large canvas showcased beneath the bright spotlight. Behind her, the door was propped open to not only let in the fresh autumn air, but to also welcome pedestrians into Hinata Haus, an art gallery in downtown San Francisco. But the noise of the busy streets faded as her imagination pulled her into the picture.
The chalet sat contentedly by the snow-covered lake, smoke twirling from the chimney as if the log cabin was enjoying a cigar on a lazy winterâs day. White snow glistened all around, trees in the background ensuring solitude for potential guests seeking peace.
âThatâs the last place I could picture you at,â Himari Holden said from behind her.
Maddy jumped, her bossâs voice breaking into her daydream.
âWhere exactly do you picture me?â Maddy turned around, crossing her arms but smiling.
Himariâs mouth was as taut as her bun and as tight as the collar of her suit. âI see you with a billionaire, flying or sailing the world.â
Maddy laughed softly. âSeriously? A thirty-five-year-old artist agent. Guys like that fly around with young models looking for fun, not women like me.â
Himari raised an eyebrow. âWell certainly not while youâre still holding onto Mark.â
Maddy exhaled before she pointed at the picture. âThe real reason I was looking at that is because I was thinking about granny Beth. She has a house that looks just like that in Red River and itâs been years since Iâve visited her. Now that Iâm going to see her, I feelâŚI donât know.â
âDonât feel guilty; family always understands how busy we can get in life. Just focus on how happy you two will be when you see each other.â
Maddy nodded and gave her a grateful smile.
 Customers walked into the gallery showroom. Himari threw Maddy a glance to indicate customers come first and they would talk later.
Maddy regarded her boss and friend of twenty years as she showed potential buyers around the spacious room elegantly showcasing fine glass art, ceramics, and paintings. Himari moved from Japan to America with her parents when she was young and lived in San Francisco all her life, starting her business at the age of twenty. Five years ago, Himari married a German engineer whose brother was a police officer. It was through his brother that Maddy met Mark two years later.
Maddy glanced at her watch and made her way to the staff room. Her flight wasnât until seven in the evening, so she had time to chat with Himari before she left.
Fifteen minutes later, Himari hurried into the staff room. âWe just sold two of our most expensive paintings!â She poured coffee and drank it, spilling it on her suit.
Maddy laughed. âThatâs great news. That doesnât mean you can ruin all your suits and go on a shopping spree.â She put her mug in the sink. âOr does it?â
Himari wiped her pants earnestly with a dishcloth. âI could use that as an excuse butâŚâ she threw the cloth in the sink, âit looks like I got it out. So, I guess the answer is an unfortunate no.â
They stood in a moment of silence before Maddy spoke.
âListen, are you sure youâll be okay running things here for a few days?â
âIâll be fine while you see your dear grandmother. I can take care of things here. Just keep in touch, okay?â
âThanks, Himari.â She hugged her friend.
Maddy finished packing her suitcases. She hadnât been to Red River in years and wasnât sure what she needed. She didnât want to put on her winter outerwear now; it was too warm out. She could just do it at the airport when she landed.
She went to the dresser and gazed into the mirror. She let loose her light brown hair that had been bound up in a braided bun all day. Her hair fell in waves around her face that was wrinkle-free so far. She could almost hear Himariâs voice chastising her for looking for wrinkles at her age.
âChargers, books, tablet, lip gloss, toothbrush,â she muttered, doing her mental checklist.
She was missing a cell charger. She ran around her condo, searching everywhere for it. She looked under the throw on the brown suede sofa. She checked beside the plants on the tables, taking a moment to water them; Mark couldnât be bothered. She found her charger in a bowl above the fridge.
Maddy returned to the bedroom and looked at her pink luggage sitting on the king-sized bed. She glanced at her cell. She didnât even want to wish Mark Hastings goodbye.
âThis is it,â she breathed, âtime to go.â
The door opened and Maddy was startled to see her boyfriend walk in. His hulking frame covered the doorway of their bedroom.
âLeaving so fast?â
âYes, Iâm running late. I thought you had to be in New York for a police conference.â
The brown-haired man crossed his arms, and his blue eyes studied her for a few minutes. âIt got postponed so I got to come back to see you before you left, sugar-plume. And here you are leaving without even giving me a moment to say goodbye?â
âI was going to call you while I was in the taxi.â
Not answering her, he went to her suitcases, opened them, and rummaged through her clothes.
âWhat are you doing? I told you Iâm running late!â She ran to him, and he shoved her away so hard she fell against the dresser, banging her shin on a handle.
âJust making sure youâre packing normal stuff for a trip to grammaâs.â
âWhat?â She shook her head. âYour years in the military messed with your head!â She went back to Mark, but he raised a fist and she backed off.
âNo sexy panties or menâs toiletries,â he mumbled.
Seeming satisfied, he threw her stuff back into the luggage and closed them. He eyed her from head to toe. âYouâre not dressed for a flight to Red River with just your skirt and pantyhose.â
âLike I said, I donât have time.â She held her chin up. âSay goodbye now or Iâll miss my flight and you donât want my grandmother upset, do you?â
Mark frowned. âNo, we donât want your sweet granny upset. But we didnât want Mark upset either. Are you sure you donât want me to come?â
âI need to be alone with Granny Beth to talk to her. Besides, itâs boring being up in the cold north.â She hesitated before she went to him. In a calm voice she said: âKiss me goodbye.â
He grabbed her into a tight embrace and kissed her roughly. Her lips felt bruised when he stopped.
âIf youâre not back by Saturday Iâll come looking for you,â he said.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched him leave. While the door closed behind him, the door in her chest opened and she exhaled a deep, shaky breath. She had it with Mark. First, he shoved her. He threatened further physical abuse by raising his fist at her. When she gets back from her trip, she will break up with him and get a restraining order if need be. Thatâll never work on a police officer, she thought. And running away wouldnât work, either; she loved her life here in San Francisco.
Looking at the time, she cursed, grabbed her bags, and hurried out of the building. Luckily, she found a cab right away and climbed in. She told the older man to make a stop and wait a moment while she ran inside Cosmic Coffee; they didnât make java like this anywhere else, especially up north, so it was best to grab one now while she can. She sipped on a soothing hot coffee as her cab made its way through the bustling downtown art district. She wondered if it wouldâve been faster to walk to the airport; there were so many cars her ride was crawling through the city at a snailâs pace. She finished her coffee and rubbed her aching shin. She then realized her stocking had a large rip and cursed again. She went into her purse and pulled out her Popper, a pink plastic relic she had kept from her childhood. She bent it to and fro, producing a popping sound.
The cab driver glanced at her through the rear-view mirror.
Maddy sighed and sank back in the seat, all the sounds of busy downtown San Francisco disappearing as she concentrated on the rhythmic sound of her Popper.Â
Maddy Harlow has a full plate. The San Francisco art gallery manager has issues with her grandmother, problems with her ex-boyfriend, and feelings for a mysterious dark-haired stranger. All of the above comes to a head in this lithe and agile read by Marie Montine.
Itâs been years since Maddy last visited the land of âcalm beautyâ up north and the rustic town  Red River where her grandmother lives. But Granny Beth needs her. So Maddyâs heading back for a visit. Maddyâs uber controlling ex-boyfriend, Mark Hastings, is none too happy with the idea. To put it mildly. In fact, Maddyâs thinking about getting a restraining order against Mark. But how can she get a restraining order on a police officer? When Mark gets obsessive and threatening, Maddy flees to Granny Bethâs.
Upon arrival in Red River, Maddy soon meets an enigmatic character named âBill.â Sparks fly. Bill and Maddy spend some time exploring the frozen outdoors. Drinking whiskey. Smoking weed. Reading poetry. There seems to be more than meets the eye with Bill. Thereâs something hidden. Something⌠secret? But what? And why?
Meanwhile, Maddy finds a journal filled with evocative poetry. Could it beâŚ.? Wait. Thereâs a big surprise later along these lines. But I wonât give it away here. Youâll have to read the book yourself to find out what happens next.
The plot hurtles to an explosive showdown between Maddyâs ex-boyfriend, Mark, and her new main squeeze, Bill. (This feels a bit contrived, but it works.)
The wolfdog with the white fur in the pattern of a heart on its forehead is a nice touch. It will resonate with dog lovers. Nature lovers will also enjoy the crisp descriptions of outdoor scenes. (You may want to bring an extra blanket. Or two.) Also, you may not want to read this book on an empty stomach. The food descriptions will have you drooling. The cover art is excellent!
Alert readers may note occasional typos such as Mark calling Maddy âsugar plumeâ and âIâve donât this a few times.â And âOh yea?â But these are minor and donât detract from the overall read.
I wouldâve liked to have seen the city girl/fish out of water in the sticks angle developed and played up a little more. Ditto the friendship with art gallery owner Himari. But this is a fun and light read overall. Itâs a clever blend of romance and mystery and will appeal to chick lit aficionados.
Red River is a worthwhile read on the whole. So keep an eye out for more from this talented author.