Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Girl Back Home by R.E. Bradshaw


Publisher:                CreateSpace


Jamie Basnight is on her way home in disgrace.  She was an expensive, successful lawyer in Durham, NC, and then threw away a long term relationship with a woman she thought she loved.  Now Jamie has returned to her childhood home on the Outer Banks to become a country lawyer and try to recover from what she has done.  As she begins to rebuild her life she reconnects with old friends, including the woman who was the object of her first crush.  Though she is hoping for reconciliation with her lover Mary Ann, Jamie can't deny her feelings for Sandy, who is married with grandchildren.  What follows is a swirl of events and emotions, complicated by Sandy's marriage and Mary Ann's reappearance.  Whatever the result is, Jamie's life is never going to be the same. 



Bradshaw's book is a treat for anyone from southeastern Virginia or the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  It's full of references to places that are familiar and cultural traits of the area.  Bradshaw does an excellent job of describing them.  That's also may be one of the book's drawbacks. The descriptive passages are extensive.  For someone who isn't that interested in the geography of the area, there are long stretches that may be jumped over.  There are also mistakes that would be picked up with more careful editing.



The rest of the book is what is expected of a typical romance.  The pacing and the characters are well handled and the reading moves quickly.  There is a particular scene of confrontation near the end that is told very well and shows Bradshaw's ability to write.  The love that the author has for the area comes through in the story and almost becomes a character itself, adding to the richness of the tale.  In all it's an enjoyable read.


 

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