Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck by Molly Harper (Southern Eclectic #.5)
Released: October 26, 2017
Contemporary Novella
Pocket Star
Reviewed by Mandi
It wasn’t until I finished this novella, and went to the series list on Goodreads to see when the first, full length book was coming out, that I realized this is a prequel of sorts to Sweet Tea and Sympathy, a book Tori recently reviewed. Tori loved that book by the way – so I will have to check it out.
This book has a really cute and adorable heroine, a pretty sexy, quiet hero, and quite the extended town and family. What it doesn’t have is a very well done romance. It’s super rushed. It’s almost like the author wanted to get this novella over with, to get to the full length book. I wish the romance had been more of the focus, because otherwise it’s a really cute read.
Carl and Marianne were high school sweethearts. Marianne had big dreams, which didn’t include sticking around her small, southern town. Her and Carl decide to try long distance dating, as Marianne is headed off to college. But when she hears from a friend that Carl was ring shopping, Marianne panics and breaks up with him.
Four years later, Marianne is headed back to her hometown, hoping to work during the summer to save some money before law school starts. She hasn’t spoken to Carl since she broke his heart all those years ago, and he is pretty cold when they are reunited. Her family owns a funeral home and she gets busy with some drama happening there.
All the while, Carl is quietly hanging around in the background, as they slowly become friends again. Carl is sexy – a mechanic, flannel shirts, big muscles. We barely get to know him, which is a shame. A second chance at love story, I was rooting for these two, but like I said, the romance is so rushed, their plans for marriage at the end come out of left field.
This novella has a lot of characters in it. I enjoyed the small town, and the families. I loved Marianne. But for a romance, it falls flat.
I’d skip this and go straight to Sweet Tea and Sympathy.
Grade: C+
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