"Love in the New Year" by Lisa Farmer

"Love in the New Year"
180 pages; published by Stillwater River Publications, ©2023

Lisa Farmer's "Love in the New Year" takes place in a quiet Massachusetts town, Leah Preston runs a dance studio. Her job is a busy one, but she is fortunate to have a great staff and friends at every turn who are willing to help any way they can. Leah is grateful for the help extended to her and her autistic son, JJ.

Leah is doing all she can to balance her work and personal life. She and JJ get no help from JJ's dad, making the support from the community that much more meaningful. Leah does all she can to give back to the community, including organizing a seasonal drive where used goods are donated to those in need. It's a busy life, and her son can be a handful, but she takes it in stride and lives one day at a time.

JJ goes to music therapy at "Bridge of Music" while Leah is at work at the dance studio. The 11-year-old has an amazing time whenever he is there, and the vivacious boy is always excited to go to his classes, and even more excited when he sees his mother.

A New Person

Then, a new person comes to "Bridge of Music" and begins to work with JJ. Enter Eric Hynes, a music instructor and speech pathologist. Eric takes a liking to all of the students, especially JJ. Eric convinces Leah to agree to private lessons so he can work more with JJ, whom Eric says he has grown fond of. Leah is hesitant, given the additional costs of these lessons, but agrees in the end when she sees the progress Eric and JJ have made together. JJ welcomes "Mister Eric" into his home and likes it when he stays for dinner. Eric has travelled the world over, gaining insights and learning valuable lessons along the way. As much as he loves his job, he isn't sure if he's ready to settle down and establish roots. Leah, on the other hand, is still hurting from JJ's father leaving. She sees how JJ takes to the instructor, and she sees how handsome he is. The whole town is noticing something growing between Leah and Eric, but is she willing to open her heart again? She has her son to think about. A man leaving her before was painful enough, but how would she explain it to her "Sweet Face"?

My Overall Opinion

There are lots of good qualities to this book. The charm and allure of a small Massachusetts town is one of the first things that come to mind. It's easy to imagine the scenes described by Farmer when Leah is closing up the studio for the night and when she meets Eric for breakfast. The books side characters, those who have helped Leah during her struggles, offer a friendly background to Leah and JJ as the navigate their daily life. The dialogue can be sometimes corny, and the reader could wonder how a teacher can talk his way into an apartment for a trial lesson when there is a classroom nearby. Then again, such plot devices are necessary for a romance novel.

Leah is trying to protect her heart, which makes Eric convincing her to let him over the apartment a little incredible. Some of the dialogue seems a little out of a Hallmark Channel movie, but it can be humorous. It's cold out there. Farmer does a good job of describing the bone-chilling weather and the warmth from the indoors and the romance. It's not a terrible book to pick up and pass the winter with.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Curse of the Fairfield Witch" by Paul Ferrante

Image
239 pages; Published by Fire and Ice , ©2015 In the idyllic, picturesque town of Fairfield, Connecticut , T.J., his cousin LouAnne, and best buddy Bortnicker have found themselves to be local celebrities thanks to their local television show "Junior Gonzo Ghost Chasers". Their local fame has spread beyond the borders of the Constitution State thanks to previous ghost hunts the friends have taken on, but the three teenagers have somehow found time for other pursuits. T.J. is playing Legion Ball and Beatlemaniac Bortnicker can always find time listen to some deep tracks or brush up on trivia regarding his favorite band. In "Curse of the Fairfield Witch", Paul Ferrante's fourth installment of the T.J. Jackson series,  "Curse" starts in 1662, where Charity Blessing finds herself accused of witchcraft. The young woman faces hostility from the entire town of Fairfield, including her father, who is a respected member of the community and seems to be more i...
Read more

"No Sleep Till Wonderland" by Paul Tremblay

Image
290 pages; Published by William Morrow, ©2010 Mark Genevich , Massachusetts' favorite wise-cracking, narcoleptic private eye is back, and this time he has some friends. Well, he has group therapy. It wasn't his idea. It came from an ultimatum his mother gave him. Being a private eye means you can get work from the strangest of places. For Mark, his latest job comes from someone he meets in group therapy named Gus. Genevich drinks with a man named Gus and the result is a job. Easy or not, Genevich can't afford to turn down work. Life hasn't been easy for him. Business leads have been drying up, and he is facing a lawsuit. Not only that, but a Boston Police detective wants to talk to him about a nearby fire. His questions are almost accusatory. If you read "The Little Sleep" , you know how congenial and professional Genevich is with Detective Owolewa. It's not just Owolewa. There's also a bouncer Genevich rubs the wrong way and people who want to give th...
Read more

Rachel Silber Devlin Speaks at the Needham Public Library

Image
Eager readers and listeners were on hand at the Needham Public Library's Community Room this week to hear Rachel Silber Devlin speak about her book "Snapshots of my Father John Silber" and to find out from Silber's oldest daughter what the former President of Boston University was really like. The event was hosted by Matt Robinson of The Robinson Reporter , who that night wore the class ring of his late grandfather, who attended Boston University. Rachel Silber Devlin at the  Needham Public Library The evening opened with a six-minute slide show that featured pictures of Silber at various times in his public and private lives. Devlin said in her opening remarks following the slideshow that the abundance of pictures is, "one of the nice things in her book. Narrowing it down was difficult." Work Ethic and Expectations There were times John Silber would come home for dinner, and then return to his office to finish the day's work. Devlin spoke for a little ...
Read more