The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers

Publisher: Loveswept

Release Date: July 8th, 2012

Source: NetGalley (thank you!!) 

 



I will meet you on Wednesdays at noon in Celebration Park. Kissing only.

Carrie West is happy with her life...isn’t she? But when she sees this provocative online ad, the thirtysomething librarian can’t help but be tempted. After all, the photo of the anonymous poster is far too attractive to ignore. And when Wednesday finally arrives, it brings a first kiss that’s hotter than any she’s ever imagined. Brian Newburgh is an attorney, but there’s more to his life...that he won't share with Carrie. Determined to have more than just Wednesdays, Carrie embarks on a quest to learn Brian’s story, certain that he will be worth the cost. But is she ready to gamble her heart on a man who just might be The One...even though she has no idea how their love story will end?

Review: Once I read some of my fellow YAckers glowing reviews about this e-novella, I knew I had to read it and thankfully, after a few glitches on NG, I was able to download it onto my kindle and devour it within a handful of hours.

What really sold me about this story was how believable Carrie and Brian were as characters. I'm not into insta-romance but the author convinced me to happily suspend my disbelief and ignore that the romance blossoming between these two was so quick. There is also the fact that in a novella so the pace does have to pick up a bit. But my point is, Carrie and Brian read like real individuals, and I so hoped that these two crazy kids would make it because they deserved each other.

Carrie was a fun protagonist and I can't deny that her being a teen librarian isn't an attractive detail about her. I LOVE that she actually mentions YA books in her narration, and how she concerns herself with the programs that her library's teen section plans out. There's also the kickass tattoo that she sports that also has to do with books, and AHH it's a small detail but so cool >_<  I admire how honest Carrie was with herself: she wasn't afraid to admit what she wanted, or to go after it either. As for Brian, his reasons for wanting to keep things purely physical are valid in a sense but it's so sad that he chooses to live a half-life. Thank goodness Carrie decided to shake things up in her life because she inadvertently shook things for Brian too :) I will also say that I enjoyed the frank manner in which the author's dealt with Carrie and Brian's physical relationship. These two aren't burgeoning adolescents who are fumbling along trying to figure it out: they know what they want, and how to get there. Their relationship was sweet, sexy, and complicated all rolled into one. Sigh.

Final Verdict: I don't know if it's still up on NetGalley but if not, The Story Guy is definitely worth buying. Go and get it. This is not me trying to shamelessly plug you the link or anything. I am merely insistent because Mary Ann Rivers' story is so, so worth it. I wish this was available as a paperback because I would pay for it. But it's enough that I was able to read the e-version of this beautiful story. You're in for a fabulous treat once you read The Story Guy. It's like eating a bowl of ice cream: it ends too soon, but you're so satisfied after that last bite. Or page, since this is a story after all ;)

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