Daisy's Back in Town

This is one of my favorite Rachel Gibson books, and I've read them all. I think the old ones (like this and SEE JANE SCORE) are far better than the newer ones which have way too much white space and too little writing. I've read the negative reviews and can understand the impatience with the outline of the plot but what carries this book is the writing; the right-on characterizations of everyone from teen-age Nathan to man-hating Lily to bitter Jack to clear-eyed brother Billy; and the believable dialogue and situations. Tired of Daisy's mother's run-on stories? Well, that's her personality and her personality doesn't change through the book just because the reader "got it" the first time. Daisy should have told Jack the story the first time she saw him? Sure, in a perfect world. What makes the book work is that neither the world nor the people are perfect. Daisy gives in to her attraction to Jack, is uncomfortable with blurting out the truth, delays on purpose....so what? That is what real people do. I've reread this book several times and enjoy getting reacquainted with the characters each time.....and the not sex scenes don't hurt either.

This is my second Rachel Gibson book (I read See Jane Score first) and I loved them both so much that I bought all the books she's written. This book had mixed reviews, so I didn't know what to expect, but I loved it. My favorite thing about Gibson's books is her love scenes. They're written more realistically than some other authors (Janet Dailey comes to mind). And she seems to favor characters in their thirties (at least the two books I read) which is nice. I liked the premise, that Daisy, Jack, and Steven were best friends growing up and betrayal separated them. I'm not giving anything away to say that Steven and Daisy's 15 year-old son Nathan is really Jack's. The book begins with Daisy going to Jack's house to tell him the secret she's kept for all those years. She's only supposed to be in town for a week, but Jack's bitterness won't allow him to hear her out, so it takes several tries on Daisy's part to talk to him. The more they interact, the more Jack finds he still can't resist her, even though he doesn't want to want her. The scenes where they briefly re-unite, almost against their own wills, are so hot! But when Jack finally learns the truth about Nathan, he's furious. He feels robbed of all those years he's missed with his son. Jack is a likable, sexy, strong character, one most women would be attracted to. He's bitter, but anyone can understand that, considering what his two best friends did to him. But the reader sees Daisy's point, too, and how scared she must have been to be eighteen, pregnant, and thinking her boyfriend doesn't love her anymore. The thing that saves Daisy as a character is that she's very remorseful and never tries to defend her actions. She really wants Jack to get to know his son. The later part of the book, where Jack and Nathan get to know each other is very sweet. I really enjoyed this book, and if it's not Gibson's best work, then the others must be pure gold!

I almost passed on this one because of the bad reviews. Boy am I glad I didn't. Once again Ms. Gibson creates a wonderful novel filled with real people, living real lives, and making real mistakes. I don't agree with some of the reviewers who have said that this book isn't AS funny as Ms. Gibson's other books. I wonder if we were all reading the same book. Daisy's Back In Town is filled with Gibson's trademark humor. It's also hot and steamy and filled with raw emotion. My only complaint with Ms. Gibson is that she doesn't write fast enough. I highly recommend this book.

I am a huge Rachel Gibson fan and I can't believe any of her fans rated this book poorly. I literally did not put the book down once I started, it was that good. The book was full of passion and drama.Yes, I thought what Daisy did all those years back was pretty bad but she and Jack had so much history together that they just had to work it out and stay together. They had awesome chemistry and they definately belonged together. Hopefully they end up having another child that they can raise together (An epilogue would have been nice).Keep it up, Ms. Gibson. You've got a fan for life.

I'm surprised at the negative reviews for this book. I bought it and read it in one sitting. I laughed, I cried, and yes, I cringed at some of the decisions that were made, but I still liked the characters and enjoyed the story. I didn't see it as Daisy pulling a stunt but rather as being young, scared and accepting help from one of the two people she trused and cared for. I think sometimes we expect too much from our favorite authors and set ourselves up to be disappointed. It's a great story, maybe not her best, but I highly recommend it.