Synopsis
Every Girl Deserves A Little Revenge…
Southern bell turned city girl shop owner, Bethany Lange knows a thing or two about gay men. She’s dated five of them. On top of her failed dating life, she’s trying to keep her SoHo boutique ahead of the creditors and on top of the trends. When a friend offers her a consulting job on a new gay makeover show, she snatches up the golden opportunity faster than you can say, “Never wear stripes with paisley.”
Color her déjà blue when one of the cast members turns out to be her latest ex. She doesn’t believe for a second that he’s gay and she’s going to prove it, even if she has to stalk him to get the proof. In the meantime, she’s battling a growing attraction to Chris, the show’s kitchen god. He’s sweet, sexy, and funny. The perfect guy… if only he weren‘t gay.
As the stalking and her attraction to Chris escalate, can Bethany prove to herself, once and for all, that she’s not the closet cleaner she fears she’s become? Can she stop falling for unavailable guys and find one that’s a lifetime keeper? Only time—and stalking—will tell.
Southern bell turned city girl shop owner, Bethany Lange knows a thing or two about gay men. She’s dated five of them. On top of her failed dating life, she’s trying to keep her SoHo boutique ahead of the creditors and on top of the trends. When a friend offers her a consulting job on a new gay makeover show, she snatches up the golden opportunity faster than you can say, “Never wear stripes with paisley.”
Color her déjà blue when one of the cast members turns out to be her latest ex. She doesn’t believe for a second that he’s gay and she’s going to prove it, even if she has to stalk him to get the proof. In the meantime, she’s battling a growing attraction to Chris, the show’s kitchen god. He’s sweet, sexy, and funny. The perfect guy… if only he weren‘t gay.
As the stalking and her attraction to Chris escalate, can Bethany prove to herself, once and for all, that she’s not the closet cleaner she fears she’s become? Can she stop falling for unavailable guys and find one that’s a lifetime keeper? Only time—and stalking—will tell.
My Rating
4
My Review
After reading Eye Candy, I was definitely eager to take a look at Straight Stalk - a romance that is just as sweet as the first book in the series, but manages to be a completely unique stand-alone. I was thrilled to discover that the protagonist was Bethany. In Eye Candy, we didn't see much of her except being the sweet Southern Belle with a boutique in a scene or two. I loved learning more about her through the story, as she has a lot more to her character than initially expected.
Straight Stalk is a perfect romantic comedy that manages to capture it's own attention in a genre littered with cliches. Of course, there were things that were predictable, but the delivery of those plot lines were still fantastic, so the lack of twists can easily be forgiven. Not to mention, having everyone (including the reader) know something that the main character can't seem to accept, adds to the dramatic irony, as well as the humor. Plus, it gives some extra charm to Bethany's character.
There were plenty of things that I adored in Straight Stalk, even aside from the fact that it gave me much needed smiles and laughs. The romance came a lot more naturally. It wasn't a first-sight I'm in love, kind of deal, but grew from a friendship, which was incredibly sweet. For a romantic comedy type novel, the entire story doesn't focus on the romance, which I loved. There's a lot more going on in Bethany's world, which makes the read more realistic and more enjoyable. Aside from having a romantic aspect, the story deeply involves family, friendship, and self-discovery.
Childs continues to craft excellent characters in this City Girls novel. Aside from Bethany, there were plenty of characters that were well-developed and fun to read about. Kat is smart, funny and makes for an excellent friend; I loved seeing that relationship grow between the two women. All five guys from the show differed in personality, which made them more intriguing. From the ones we saw a lot of, to the ones that hardly made an appearance, they all left their mark.
Although, initially, the story may seem like it portrays homosexual men in a stereotypical way, the true case is actually quite the opposite. By the end of the novel, Straight Stalk practically tears down the cliches and stereotypes, showing that your sexual preference doesn't make you a certain type of person with specific interests.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Straight Stalk, a fun novel and a perfect summer read. The big city setting is perfect for these kinds of romances, and the writing is wonderful - with fantastic dialogue from sure-to-be interesting characters. I cannot wait to read more. (Perhaps from Fiona's point of view?)
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