Review – Sweet Water by Anna Jeffrey

Description:
Though purchasing a remote town in West Texas on eBay sounds crazy, real-estate developer Terry Ledger knows a good deal when he sees it. Now he must curry favor with the town’s unofficial leader, the feisty Marisa Rutherford, who’s fiercely guarding her hometown-and her recently broken heart. With different plans for the town’s future, they find themselves agreeing on one thing: an undeniable attraction.

I bought this book based on the synopsis; a real estate developer buys a small west Texas town on Ebay to build a senior citizen community. This actually happened here in Texas where a town was bought on Ebay, so I had to read this book. I am so glad I did because Sweet Water by Anna Jeffery is an enjoyable and amusing book filled with some of the zaniest characters I’ve read in a long time. The other thing is I’ve been in towns like this, not only in Texas but in Washington, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona as well. So, I can so envision Sweet Water’s main drag and the people who live there.

Marisa Rutherford has moved home to Agua Dulce to take care of her mother who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. She’s running her mother’s antique/flea market/ diner as well as caring for her Mom. She actually enjoys being back in this small town and creating desserts and specials for the locals and tourists who happen by. When news of the town being sold surfaces, she knows this will mean a change for her and her Mom since they don’t own the building their business is located in. It belongs to the town, thus the new owner.

Terry Ledger is a real estate developer who has taken many risks both personally and professionally over the years. He’s just bought a west Texas town sight unseen on Ebay. He knows it’s a gamble but he’s up for the challenge, he’s never failed in business and though he knows this will be his biggest risk he’s up for the job. What he doesn’t expect is to find a town of endearing misfits and their appointed leader, Marisa who knocks him sideways from the first time they meet.

Marisa and Terry have instant combustible chemistry; it just jumps out and grabs you. Thing is they are both dealing with some relationship issues and know it’s not a good time to get involved. When Marisa discovers Terry is the town’s new owner, she’s even more upset. She finds herself time and time again representing the town’s people and questioning Terry’s plans for the town. They dance around each other a lot and then Marisa receives a marriage proposal from a rancher twice her age. This drives Terry crazy and although he pretends he doesn’t care, it’s obvious he does. When they do finally get together it’s crazy sexy and very hot.

It was very easy to like both of these characters. Marisa is determined and strong and I admire her for taking care of her Mom and putting her Mom’s needs above hers. Terry despite being a tough businessman has a heart; he shows it time and time again dealing with the people in the town and Marisa’s mom. Unfortunately when he persuades Marisa to take a short trip, a tragedy back home takes it’s toll on their fledgling relationship.

There is so much about this book that is first-rate. In addition to the main characters all the people in the town have some very out of the ordinary backgrounds. I found them and their stories entertaining and real. The scenes with Marisa’s mom were heartbreaking and very indicative of her disease. I very much appreciated that there wasn’t a rush to happily ever after, both Marisa and Terry had to overcome some obstacles and learn to accept that sometimes life turns your world upside down when you least expect it. Anna Jeffrey is an amazing author and I am really looking forward to reading more of her work.

4.5 Stars