Lane Bennett’s life as a small town cop is pretty close to perfect. He’s got his dog, a pretty date when he needs one, and plenty of time to fish on the weekends. No other place can compare to his hometown and he’s happy to devote his life to keeping the folks of Liberty safe. When Marie passes away, Lane knows one of the best parts about living in Liberty is gone, along with the old Carnegie library. It needs repairs the city can’t afford and the city managers won’t pay the new flood insurance. It’s too bad, but safety comes first.
When Daisy comes home for Marie’s funeral and hears the only safe place she knew as a child is going to close, she refuses to let it happen. She hatches a plan to save the old library, run the summer reading program, and keep Marie’s legacy alive.
She once vowed never to come home and he’s vowed never to leave. Daisy and Lane discover together that true love happens when you least expect it and you should never say never in Liberty.
My Thoughts:
I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm guilty of judging this book by it's cover...in a good way! When I saw the cover of Leaving Liberty, I was immediately intrigued, even without knowing the plot. I just knew it would be my kind of book, and as it turns out, I did end up enjoying it.
I admit that it did take me a while to get fully immersed in the story...initially I was just kind of "so-so" about it, though I can't pinpoint the exact reason. However, by time the half-way mark rolled around, I found myself solidly interested in the outcome of the will-they-or-won't-they relationship between Daisy and Lane. The library also plays a large part in the plot, and it's interesting to see the things Daisy tries in her attempts to keep it from being shut down. I kept trying to predict if she would succeed or not, but I couldn't easily guess the outcome. I really didn't know how things would turn out until I actually got to the end!
I was quite intrigued by the angle the story takes on Daisy and Lane's relationship. They are obviously attracted to each other, but knowing that Daisy is leaving town at the end of Summer, they both try to guard their hearts by ignoring the flying sparks. In all honesty, I generally get annoyed when a couple starts a relationship when they know there is a time limit.... but in this case my opinion was flipped up-side-down, and I was actually rooting for them to start something, despite the time limit! I found it very compelling that the story was able to punch through my preconceived ideas and change my thoughts around in such a way.
Never before have I come across a guy who likens his heart to an old patched pair of pants (Lane), but now that I have, I wish there were more out there like him! ;) Virginia Carmichael definitely has a creative mind to come up with the unique analogies and ideas that are found in the story. This is the first of her works that I've picked up, but I found her writing style to be enjoyable. If small towns, libraries, or will-they-or-won't-they relationships are of interest to you, this book is worth checking out.
My Rating: 4 stars
Aw, sounds like a cute, fun summertime read. :)
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