Beach House No. 9 by Christie Ridgway Edition: Mass Market Paperback Price: $7.19
Predictable Story, April 11, 2013 This review is from: Beach House No. 9 (Mass Market Paperback)   This was an interesting book. It is not one that I particularly liked, but it was interesting. Actually, this particular book reminded me a lot of several different books by Susan Elizabeth Phillips and I couldn't help but compare the two authors. Sadly, Ms Ridgway didn't come out on top with this particular book. The protagonists seemed a bit on the dull side, the story line has been over-done lately and the angst from both Griffin and Jane is almost intolerable for me at times. Jane is a book doctor and is enlisted to help Griffin write his memoir and to apparently help him out of his funk that he is in, from his year that he was imbedded with the troop in Afghanistan. Naturally, it was not pretty and people that seem to be close to him have died. Jane is going to do anything she can do to make Griffin get his butt in gear and start on this book. Griffin is the master of procrastination so this will be the main part of this story line. Jane has also had her own disappointments in life -he Father, her brothers and the last person she was under assignment to. So we have a man who has vowed to NEVER get involved with a woman for more than a one night stand -and a woman who vowed to NEVER fall in love again. Well guess what, did you really think that they are going to stick with their vows? Therefore, what this book is is the perfect story of the hunter/hunted and advance/retreat with the typical ending. The last few chapters are a little less predictable than the bulk of this novel, but I don't think that it is enough to make up for the 'tortured hero/brooding, angst filled macho man' story line. Unfortunately, for me, the writing and everything else did nothing to make up for this trite and clichéd book for me. There is nothing new or fresh here.