Son Of A Preacher Man by Arianna Hart
Romance Contemporary
May 14, 2013
Samhain Publishing
Reviewed by Tori
Favorite Quote: “Sometimes you have to go back in order to move forward.“
Living in poverty and subjected to the prejudices of the small town, Nadya Sarov and her mother left Dale, Georgia twelve years ago and never looked back. Now a successful lawyer, Nadya has come back to Dale to tie up some loose ends and to flaunt her prestige to all those who ever called her a gypsy whore. She plans on getting in and out quickly until she runs into her first love, J.T. McBride.
J.T. McBride, son of the town’s preacher, was Nadya’s first love but circumstances led them down different paths. Now also back in Dale after a stint in Iraq, J.T. is on the Dale police force and when he sees Nadya, he’s determined to not only pick up where they left off, but try and convince her that Dale and he are her future.
As J.T. and Nadya work on reconnecting, someone works on running Nadya out of Dale. Can J.T. keep both Nadya’s heart and life safe? Or will the prejudices of a small town once again tear them apart?
Son Of A Preacher Man by Arianna Hart is a lightweight romantic contemporary that addresses small town prejudice and second chance love in the steamy heat of Georgia in the summer. Classic trope of perceived bad girl falling for good boy. A sweet albeit predictable story that suffers a little from its blatant formulaic layout. From beginning to end you know exactly how it’s going to end. Our protagonists, J.T. and Nadya, met and fell in love as teenagers but life sends them down different paths. Now, years later, they are given a second chance when Nadya comes home for what she thinks is a reading from her mother’s will. Nadya learns it’s actually from her father whom she never knew. Revelations from the will gives Nadya even more reason to stay in Dale when she learns she holds the key to the town’s salvation or final demise.
While coming to terms with the past theme that is easy to follow, the villain is easy to figure out though the motives aren’t revealed until the end. The romance and mystery intertwine and feed off each other as our hero and heroine try to figure out their hearts along with who’s trying to get rid of Nadya. I did feel some plot lines weren’t developed to there full potential.
J.T. and Nadya pick up where they left off, with nary a blink at the 12 years that have passed since they separated. Their romance is convincing though it seems we are fast tracked through it. Nice steamy sex scenes give us a voyeuristic view into the bedroom. And shower. And Kitchen. You get the idea. I would have thought that a 12 year separation would have required a bit more of a “get to know you” period though. No games are played as both are quite happy to be back in each others arms. Conflicts between them are minor and easily resolved.
Interesting secondary characters though presented in a stereotypical small town manner. I would have liked more interaction between Nadya and her former tormentors. What little we saw has a juvenile mean girls feel to it. Nadya’s former best friend is a gregarious individual who brings life and humor to the storyline. I enjoyed the heavy inclusion of the children into the storyline as it helps facilitate Nadya’s need to examine her feelings for J.T. and her future.
The ending is climatic and addresses most of the issues in the story. All in all a decent romantic contemporary for a lazy day.
Overall Rating: C
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