Small Town Girl: A Novel

Flint Clinton lived life in the fast lane. Music was his mistress and as a composer and guitarist for a popular country band he enjoyed traveling on the road and reaping the benefits of his fame and fortune. Various lawsuits, including his recently deceased ex-wife's divorce, have depleted his funds and after a debilitating accident that leaves his hand damaged Flint vows to start a new life for himself along with his two teenage sons in his hometown of Northfork, North Carolina. With the advance he received from his latest work, composing new music for an up and coming singer, he has just enough money to buy the run down Stardust café. Maybe all he needs is to find a comfortable woman, one who doesn't have stars in her eyes, to settle down and help provide a stable home for him and his boys. Joella Sanderson has had it with two-timing, two-bit musicians. As a waitress in the local café she dreams of the day when she'll makes it big and she can kiss the small town of Northfork good-bye. A horrible case of stage fright leaves her unable to sing on stage, but her gift of writing fun and catchy lyrics will be her ticket to the big-time--until she finds out that her low-down lying ex has copyrighted them as his own. This is a classic example of what a romance should be. The first page alone is worth the price of the book with its effortless demonstration of how to show and not tell. Right away we learn that the hero is the scarred beast who sees his once glorious gift as a curse, that he is a good man who wants to change for the better, yet the music, which he sees as the root of his downfall, still calls to him. He is flawed, but human. Add a dash of intrigue and a hint of sins long past and you have page one of a fabulous novel. This is the first Patricia Rice book I've read. It certainly won't be the last.

His divorce did not shake musician Flynn "Flint" Clinton, but the subsequent death of his ex Melinda and his drunken accident have left their two pre-adolescent boys, John and Adam, shocked and grieving. Flint decides to leave Nashville behind though still a star and he hopes to connect with his sons that he always has loved, but never showed them his feelings; the kids prefer living with their yuppie grandparents in Northfork, North Carolina. Still he returns to the hometown to start anew life as owner of the Stardust Café that he recently purchased. He also needs to know who his former partner and ex best friend RJ stole the lyrics of a hit from. Within five minutes of his vow to stay away from women, he cannot stop looking at Joella Sanderson, who works at the Stardust. She sings amusing tunes to their customers, but rejects Flint's advances as she has not forgotten being ripped off by her former boyfriend Randy before he left town to play Nashville. Still Flint's kindness and nurturing of his kids soften him to her and she gives him back the music that he no longer felt was good for him or the boys. However, the ghost of their "ex" remains between them. SMALL TOWN GIRL is a fine contemporary romance starring a person seeking a second chance to correct his life errors, but needing to escape the spotlights to do so and a woman burned once before by a musician boyfriend. The ensemble cast enhances the tale as they force the lead couple, especially Flint, into reacting to events. Fans will enjoy this solid Carolina tale in which a spoonful magic of love is in the music. Harriet Klausner