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Upcoming country
western singer, Bradley Nelson is not having a good day. First his
more-successful girlfriend breaks up with him even as his career looks
headed straight for the toilet. Then, as he forlornly trudges his way to
the Reno casino where his ex-IRS Mom, Harriet is working, he meets a
gorilla, and the next instant is shocked as his kooky mother comes
flying out of the casino, chased by the owner who’s shooting off his
gun! Even before comprehension sinks in, the three of them (yes, the
gorilla comes along for the ride!) pile into Harriet’s RV and from then
on, the chase begins.
Inside the gorilla
suit (no, it isn’t a real live gorilla!) is a beautiful girl, Delphine
Armstrong and she and Bradley have an instant chemistry going on. But
the last thing Bradley wants is a woman who’s seems to be as zany as his
mom. However, want and need are two separate things as he soon
discovers! In Bradley and his mother, Delphine finds the man and his
mother of her dreams – but she has some secrets of her own! Meanwhile,
Harriet defends her embezzling righteously, which explains why the
casino owner Dickie is after them, but not why some very ruthless
killers are on their heels. As the chase moves from Reno to Las Vegas
and ultimately to Nashville, with the thankfully-inept hit men
constantly following them - dark secrets come into light, startling
discoveries are made, emotions run amuck, love and heartbreak climb
onboard, and more besides. All in all, the chase takes the readers on
one of the loopiest but most enjoyable and heart-tugging rides ever!
In general, Beverly
Brandt’s books are characterized by an unique brand of humor which is
hilarious in the extreme but which, at the same time, tugs at the
heartstrings. Here too, laughter and excitement are non-stop, from the
hilarious beginning to the staggering ending. The plot is simply unique
- where else can readers find a gorilla, a country western singer,
ex-IRS vigilante and killers, all in one place?! The story is also an
amazingly beautiful and seamless blend of romance, comedy, pathos and
action. Especially, the chase sequence on the
Las Vegas
strip is enough to keep the readers laughing even after the last page
has been read! Brandt also skillfully explores the growing passion and
emotional turmoil between the main protagonists, Bradley and Delphine.
Their path of romance is not smooth, as ambition and desire wage an
intriguing war and how it’s all resolved holds the readers captivated
until the very thrilling end. There is also a surprising secondary
romance developing between Harriet and another character. While all the
characterizations are equally splendid and lifelike, what makes them
unique is that they present interesting conundrums. For example, Bradley
is a MIT graduate with the musical soul of a country-western singer;
Harriet is a devout ex-IRS officer who embezzles with a legal
purpose(!!), so on and so forth.
Simply put, Ms.
Brandt weaves a magical spell thorough her story that keeps her readers
craving more! She’s quite easily the best new author around.
Reviewed By Rashmi
Srinivas for The Road to Romance
January 26, 2004 |
