A Town Called Valentine

December 19, 2011
Cane’s debut contemporary sparkles with charm and gentle humor, buoyed by convincing protagonists who share a passion that slowly, deliciously ramps up. At loose ends, recent divorcée Emily Murphy arrives in Valentine Valley, a homey Colorado mountain town known for its romantic atmosphere, to take care of family business. Cowboy Nate Thalberg becomes an instant irritant yet unavoidable desire. As Emily attempts to recreate her unraveled life and handle staggering secrets while flailing around for the meaning of home, she unintentionally settles deeper into the welcoming town. Nate’s focus on not hurting Emily while trying to tame his own demons throws up realistic roadblocks. With an engaging narrative and charming setting, this cozy tale makes for a pleasurably satisfying read by a crackling fire on cold winter nights. Agent: Eileen Fallon, Fallon Literary Agency.

February 15, 2012

Reeling from a bitterly cruel divorce and needing money to go back to school, Emily Murphy leaves San Francisco and heads to Valentine Valley in the Colorado Rockies to sell her late grandmother's store. But when a storm, vandalism, and an impulsive, sexy pool game with rancher Nate Thalberg result in his taking her to the Widows' Boarding House, home to Nate's grandmother and her friends, Emily sees that there is more to this small mountain town than she'd thought. Then an old diary brings a lie bubbling to the surface. VERDICT A wounded heroine in search of herself, a capable hero who needs to cut himself some slack, a marvelous cadre of engaging secondary characters, and a setting with just the right emphasis on romance and Valentine's Day characterize this touching, family-centered contemporary debut. Cane writes historical romances under her own name, Gayle Callen; she lives in Liverpool, NY.

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