The Crossroads Cafe

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I paid more for this book than I EVER pay for Kindle books. Something about it tugged at me, and I'm so glad it did. It was worth every cent. It is one of the very few books that I've read in the last year that I am sure I'll read again someday. Yes, it was a little schmaltzy. Yes, it was a romance. But, it was oh! so much more.

From the Amazon description:

A Hollywood actress known for her beauty flees to a secluded mountain cabin in North Carolina after being severely scarred in a car accident. There she finds unexpected love and a new life with a man who lost his family in 9-11.

With 4.5 stars out of over 300 reviews, it's obvious that this book tugged at a lot of people. And kept on tugging. Although a couple of reviews called it 'boilerplate' I thought it was anything but. I have not been a big fan of cookie cutter romance novels since I was a teenager. Although I can figure out that two people are attracted to each other and read about their romance without retching, I do not want their romance to be the star of the show. I want dialogue deeper than "oooh, I really shouldn't be attracted to him, but oh, I just can't help myself." Deborah Smith managed to weave a romance in between true angst (not the fake stuff they toss into Harlequins "oh no, I see him with another woman, he doesn't love me any more, woe is me") in a setting that anyone with Southern blood will recognize as "where real people live."

Crossroads Cafe was not only well written, but was well edited and nicely formatted. If I had three thumbs, they would all three be up for this one.