Tuesday, July 29, 2008

True Blue-Bernadette Pruitt

True Blue
Bernadette Pruitt
Five Star, Aug 2008, $25.95
ISBN: 1594147019

In Denver, widow graphic designer Hadley Spencer is driving with her infant son Nicky in his child restraining seat in the back when a sharp pain rips her abdomen. Noticing a police station, she pulls in just as detective Drake Matthieson is leaving for his fishing trip vacation. Drake calls for an ambulance; Hadley has an emergency appendectomy with no one around to watch Nicky; so Drake does.

Drake continues to be there for mother and son especially when he learned her spouse died in the line of duty in Dallas. His boss hires Hadley to design new markings for the police cars, which brings her and Drake into further contact. As she is his date at a gala, she recognizes the art work of a cold case artist who vanished that he never solved when he worked on the suburban Mountain Springs PD. As they fall in love, she admits it to herself, but is not sure she can cope with being a cop’s wife a second time; he holds on to his vow of being a good cop, catching trout, and never getting married although he is reconsidering the latter and not just because of the mom as he cherishes the little “big guy” too.

TRUE BLUE is an entertaining contemporary romance in which the relationship between the adults begins with an emergency that leaves the ailing mom with no one to care for her baby due to circumstances of her being new and her aunt and babysitter out of town. This premise raises the issue of single moms in an emergency with no real support system for their kids. Drake is too perfect as he barely mumbles his frustrations of giving up his vacation to become a temporary dad, who needed a bit more spit, vomit, and pee on him. Hadley is a wonderful caring mom who puts Nicky ahead of her needs. Readers will enjoy this fine Colorado romance between the cop and the cop’s widow.

Harriet Klausner

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