Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Down on his luck is Gideon Joy’s default state. He doesn’t know why he expected anything different on his cross-country trip, but not surprisingly, the hits keep coming—literally this time. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and take a job that’ll pay for the repairs. And in a town so small, Gideon’s always running into Silas. What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more romantic. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth it?

Despite Gideon’s desire to remain in the quaint community that has accepted him as one of their own, past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be waiting in a small town nestled among the great White Mountains.

Do you know what I wanted to see in Joy (States of Love) by C.S. Poe that I  didn’t get?  More length!  More of this wonderful story!  I felt as though I was just settling down into the town and couple when it stopped.  Not abruptly, no that irritates me to no end but just too early.

You see, by the time, the author brings this story to a close, I was emotionally invested in Gideon Joy’s emotional journey, his growth as a person and the happiness he had found in this small town and with the shy wonderful man, Silas Bright.  I had just gotten to know the town regulars, some of their habits and gotten glimpses of the promising future ahead for Gideon and those people coming to care for him.  And ending at 76 pages?  It just wasn’t enough!

Poe had done way too good a job with the characterizations and the location.  I felt as though I knew these people and that town.  While I wasn’t  ready to move in (way too cold up there for me), it was close thing.   The author did a beautiful job of connecting me to all these people, not just the MC’s and then set me loose.  From the opening sequence ~ that darn moose ~ through all the amazing small town feel that Poe brings  alive so vividly right up to looking at the Milky Way spread across the night sky, I felt I was walking, working and, yes, sometimes, wondering with Gideon as he worked things through in his mind and heart.

Sigh.

Is it any wonder I would love to see this couple and town revisited?  Nope, 76 pages wasn’t anywhere near enough.

But while I’m hoping for that to happen, I’m recommending you all pick this up and see for yourself why I  love it so.

Cover Artist: Reese Dante. I love this cover.  It captures the character and attitude perfectly.

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Book Details:

ebook, 76 pages
Expected publication: April 5th 2017 by Dreamspinner Press
ISBN139781635333503
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesStates of Love setting New Hampshire (United States)