"Love Will Find a Way," by Barbara Freethy, is the most predictable romance novel I've read this summer. When Rachel Tanner, a recently widowed mother, is refused the money from her husband Gary's insurance due to suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, she seeks out Gary's best friend, Dylan Prescott. Dylan is nervous about speaking with Rachel because of a kiss the two shared the night before her wedding to Gary, but Rachel insists Dylan help her clear Gary's name.
When Dylan agrees to help, the two work together to prove that Gary did not kill himself, and their tense friendship blossoms into something more. Their relationship causes outrage among the citizens of Rachel's small town, especially since Dylan is more mysterious than Gary was. Dylan feels guilty about being with his best friend's wife, especially since he has been avoiding her since their kiss nine years ago.
Not only is their relationship predictable, but the characters were underdeveloped and flat. The only defining characteristics of the characters were their relationships with each other. As the story unfolds, more is revealed about Rachel, Gary and Dylan's pasts, but none of the information was surprising.
During Rachel and Dylan's investigation into Gary's death, they uncover many secrets from Gary's past, causing them to doubt each other and Gary. Freethy seemed to be trying to keep the reader in the dark, along with Rachel and Dylan, about the events that lead to Gary's untimely death. Unfortunately, her attempt at a mysterious plot line was unsuccessful.
Despite the things that caused me to be frustrated with the novel, there were also many aspects I thought were great. The main theme of the book, family, was covered extensively. Thankfully, Freethy did not just stick to the routine picture-perfect family. She explored the effects of broken homes on future relationships and pointed out that families do not need to be related by blood to be close. The novel also addressed the issue of second chances and how it is never too late to make the right decisions.
If you're looking for an easy read to finish out your summer vacation, Freethy's novel is perfect for you. The writing was decent, if a little dialogue heavy. Extensive dialogue can be a great thing, but it created some problems for me because it stopped me from being able to get into the scene. While this contributed to me not being able to connect with the characters on a deeper level, it helped the story to progress more quickly than many novels, which enhanced the feeling of being light summer reading.
rachelstaats@dailynebraskan.com
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