Marilee James is many things to many people. She is dependable and
caring. She's a good mother, daughter, sister, fiancée, and friend. But,
she isn't very happy.
Marilee has a special-needs son and is caring for her abandoned niece.
Her happiest moments are spent with them and their new dog, a recent and
unexpected addition to the family. She becomes engaged to Parker, who
she cares for very much, but it becomes increasingly apparent to her
that he may not be as "engaged" in the relationship as she is.
Marilee's problems and concerns are not earth-shaking by any means, but
they are real. Her dismay at her sister's lack of involvement in raising
her own child, her resentment at feeling as if she must explain why she
places so much importance on her children, and her fears about starting
a new relationship all resonate for the reader.
At the start of the story, Marilee has been running the local newspaper
temporarily until a new editor arrives in town. When he does arrive, he
brings big changes with him, in Marilee's life and in the running of the
newspaper. Tate Holloway, with his warm southern drawl and passion for
running a small town newspaper, becomes a welcome addition to the
neighborhood.
Tate soon decides that he'd like to be more than Marilee's friend. "Life
is good," is his outlook and he would like to share his life with
Marilee, but her engagement to Parker stands in the way. Beginning with
cold tea on hot days, Tate shows Marilee how life can be good, one
little thing at a time.
I wanted to read slow and fast at the same time with this one. There
were times that I couldn't decide if I should take my time and savor the
developing relationship between Tate and Marilee, or hurry up to find
out what was going to happen next!
This is the first of Ms. Matlock's novels that I have read. I enjoyed it
very much and it left me feeling good about life in general when I
finished. This is a good one if you are looking for something to lift
your spirits. I will definitely read more of her work and highly
recommend this one!
Click here to buy this book, or read more about it at Amazon.com: Cold Tea on a Hot Day
Marilee James is many things to many people. She is dependable and
caring. She's a good mother, daughter, sister, fiancée, and friend. But,
she isn't very happy.