I'm always a fan of Debbie Macomber and her novel, 'the sooner the better' comes as no surprise but thrills the reader with this romantic adventure. The author is well-known for her feel-good romances, mostly set at a laid back beach town or centered around a house. She has a knack for building up relationships and mending broken hearts but this novel was adventurous, to my surprise, and a delight to read from start to finish.
With no clue why the police are chasing her, she is stuck with Jack, her dad's best friend, as he assumes the responsibility of taking her safely to the US. The rough Jack who likes to irritate Lorraine with his replies from the time they meet is slowly coming to love her while Lorraine who equally hates him for the way he is, but then finds herself falling for him as time progresses creates magic along the novel.
The transformation of how the prim and proper Lorraine changed into an easy-going lady and how her relationship played a major role in her perception about love is wonderfully portrayed. While the heroine is characterised as someone who likes to stick with one guy for her lifetime but the hero is celebrated as having too many flings (in the past) to even remember is something that flows easily throughout the novel.
The way she builds up the suspense at the end of every chapter intrigues the reader to know what happened next. I felt a little uncomfortable when I guessed young Lorraine is about to fall for a guy who is more or less the age of her dad. But as the story unfolds, the author has created a strong attachment between the two; what started as an unavoidable attraction gradually became an undeniable bond which only seemed to strengthen with time. After reading the way their romance progresses, my serious doubts about the love between couples of huge age gap vanished.
The author has created two strong characters - Lorraine (the heroine) and Jack Keller (the hero) and their descriptions of how they are when they meet to what they become towards the end - the entire transformation comes alive. Thomas Dancy, Lorraine's father is thought to be dead, at first, by her daughter which she finds is a lie and the truth that he is still alive comes as a surprise only after the death of her mother. But I feel a little more light on why he is staying undercover would be nice.
Villains chasing, the hero rushing to save the heroine - this novel is nothing short of a hollywood movie and it really feels like one, to read. The author also mentioned that she was inspired by the movie 'Romancing the stone' to write this novel which came out very well. With the number of stories I came across from this author, so far, this novel is by far very distinguished and engaging in all respects. While most of the stories by this author revolve around a house or residence where the heroine finds heaven, this story is very different. Lorraine goes on a journey to find her dad but unfortunately falls in a trap that keeps the police chasing her as a suspect. not just the police, two villains also chase her with whom she roughed up earlier - enough to keep the reader engaged till the end!
This novel is one of the few earliest novels Macomber wrote in her early years as an author back in 1985 and had done a wonderful job. Previously published as 'Moon over Water', this novel is later renamed 'the sooner the better' which fits the story snuggly.
I picked this novel just because this was the only print book I had on my shelf, at the moment, all others being ebooks. But after reading this, I think I will surely read it a few times to relish in the words of the author.
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