When the Ocotillo Bloom
Linda LaRoqueContemporary romance
Available from Wings ePress
ISBN: 978-1-59705-235-3
January 2007
| Lynn Devry was a divorced, middle-aged, overweight teacher who had just taken a job at a spa ranch where she would be employed 6 hours a day baking bread; the other hours were hers to do as she pleased. Or so she thought! Her daughter and friend, Dr. Art had helped her secure this position. What she did not know was that she was signed (as in contracted) to work at Ocotillo Ranch, a summer camp for troubled kids. Seth Williams, an adolescent psychologist, was fulfilling his life-long dream of running this camp for neglected children. His wife, Barbara, had divorced him seven years ago because she did not like the outback, rural area.
To say Lynn was livid when she found out what kind of a camp she was at would be an understatement! She was furious that, not only did she have to live and work with these kids, ages 7 to teen, but she was required to get into shape, starting with water aerobics daily, including 10 laps after each day’s workout. She could hardly walk to the pool house, let alone swim! She refused to stay any longer than it took for Seth to find a replacement which he did not pursue for a long while. Linda LaRoque has done an exceptional job with this story! She shows how two people who start out at such diabolical ends of the spectrum can actually belong together. They each had thoughts on how to conduct themselves and Ms. LaRoque allowed their personalities to merge into a relationship which worked exceedingly well. The supporting characters were many and varied; each played a wonderful part in the overall plot of this book. The interactions with the many children helped mold many actions they found impossible to resist. I found that this unique story was so interesting that I read it straight through. I absolutely could not stop reading until the very end and then wanted to see it continue. I loved this book and recommend it highly!
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Brenda Talley |
