Retro Friday (3) - Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time!

Not crazy about the cover, though

This week I chose Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson, and since I hadn't review it before, here it goes:

At First Sight: Running out on her wedding and leaving her groom at the altar was the last bad choice in a string or really bad life choices made by Georgeanne Howard, but it might also have been the wisest choice she had made yet. On her way out, she got a ride from bad boy hockey player John Kowalsky, who was leaving the reception at the same time as she. 

Without a fixed plan - and used to depending on other people for everything - Georgeanne is ready to tease and flirt her way into his letting her stay with him for a few days. But John isn't very receptive to the idea, mostly because her now jilted fiance is the owner of the team John plays for and a vindictive SOB. 

But the night was long, and both of them had too many demons too close to the surface. And so, after a night of wild sex, Georgeanne ended up dumped at the Sea-Tac airport with a plane ticket back to Texas and a broken heart. 

That day, when Georgie hit rock bottom, was the day she began to build her life back up and, 7 years later, she's the co-owner of a successful catering company, has a great life and a daughter she cherishes more than anything. And running into John at a charity event is a very unwelcome shock.

John has cleaned up his act as a bad boy, knowing he's damn lucky to be alive and healthy after all the reckless behavior and drinking he indulged in. He's surprised to see Georgie and - when she accidentally drops her check book - decides to drop by her house and return it to her. He's curious to see why she's still in Seattle, and what happened to her after he left her at the airport (not his finest moment, but he thought it was for the best). The last thing he expects to find there is a little six year old girl wearing a fluffy boa, pink cowboy boots and looking at him through blue eyes that are surprisingly like his own.

Second Glance: I first read Simply Irresistible many, many years ago. And I loved it. It holds up well to the re-read and the past of time (it's set in 1989 and 1996). I loved the story of John and Georgie, and loved learning all the things that happened to make them who they are. I loved how John simply falls in love with his daughter and strives to be a good father, even if he's clueless about what little girls do and his daughter scares the crap out of him (as in, I SO don't want to screw this up), and that there is some build up to their relationship. Lexie was an amazing character, one of the best written children ever. And I really liked seeing Georgie's transformation from flirt and tease to a responsible woman.

Woven in, there is also the story of Georgie and John's best friends. Mae Heron - co-owner of Heron Catering - was still trying to recover from the loss of her twin brother when she first met Georgie and hired her as cook for her business, and then Georgie and Lexie became her family, filling up a bit of the void left behind by Ray. Mae hates the jerky-jock type and, upon first meeting Hugh Miner, she's convinced he's just that type. Hugh is John's best friend - the goalie of their hockey team - and he's fascinated by Mae from their first meeting, and pursues her come hell or high water, even though she seems so disinterested. Their relationship is certainly one of the funniest things about this book.

Bottom Line: Over all, Simply Irresistible is lovely contemporary story that you can read, and read and read. It does start a little slowish, but it's fun all the way through.

2/3