Law Man-Kristen Ashley

Law Man Kristen Ashley Forever, Dec 17 2013, $8.00 ISBN 9781455599226 In Denver, uber-reticent Pierson Mattress and Bed sale clerk Mara Hanover rates from a distance her neighbor Detective Mitch Lawson as a 10.5. Though wildly attracted to him, thirtyish Mara knows nothing will come of it as she considers herself no better than an inflated 2.5 with her rotten Iowa childhood mooring her with the belief no one would ever desire her; even her one relationship with a 6.5 ended when he sought a 9.5. Mara settles for dreams that the Law Man would shower her with love. A leaky faucet sends Mara next door for help, but Mitch walking up the stairs offers to look at it. Mara reacts like an idiot but thanks him for fixing the leak and pays him back with her barbeque chicken pizza, but becomes heartbroken when he cannot make it because of a 9.75. Mitch takes Mara to pick up her single dad cousin Bill’s runaway children, scornful nine year old Billy and fearful six years old Billie, whose respective moms deserted them. To her sputtering shock, Mitch pushes his way into Mara World. The third Dream Man romance (see Mystery Man and Wild Man) is a fabulous contemporary summed up by the title character when he concludes that his beloved cannot accept him being nice to her while turning into a spitfire when he is nasty towards her. Though the traumatized kids and a narcotics mystery enhance the deep storyline, Mara with her negative self-esteem brings freshness as a unique lead female to an engaging tale. Harriet Klausner