I am always on the look out for new up and coming authors and this debut novel by Katie Shepard caught my eye for a couple of reasons. One I love that it takes place in the Montana wilderness and two, I love how traditional gender roles in romantic comedies are going to get flipped! In most romance books or romantic comedies, it’s almost ALWAYS the woman who is saved by a man, but in this book Teagan is going to be saved quite literally by Darcy and I am so excited to read something like. this!
In this book, Teagan seems like he is going to be the more emotionally vulnerable one this books and I am SO EXCITED for that! I am also looking forward to the mental health angle in this book. A lot of books tend to shy away from some of those harder topics but in this book it sounds like the author is going to meet things head on and address some of those topics like addiction, trauma, and anxiety. I am really excited to see how this one unfolds and see how the author balances the book with romance and come comic relief.
While looking at books for your spring and summer reading, I think readers will want to keep this one in mind. It addresses some big issues not normally seen in the romance genre and it also takes traditional roles of characters in the genre and flips the script making the woman the savior of the man and I am so here for that! If you are looking for a brand new author with a bold story telling style, then I think this book is going to be for you and I am super excited to read it a little later on this spring!
Summary
Two people are ready for their lives to get a little wilder in this romantic comedy by debut author Katie Shepard.
After being hospitalized for panic attacks two years after his mother’s death, charitable foundation executive Teagan van Zijl is dragged by his sister to a wilderness therapy retreat in Montana. Lost in the woods, Teagan nearly gets eaten by a bear but is saved by an angel in muddy hiking boots—the program’s handywoman, Darcy Albano, that is. After spending the summer with Darcy, Teagan realizes he doesn’t want to return to New York without her. He hires Darcy as his sober companion—a position he doesn’t actually need filled and for which Darcy is completely unqualified—hoping she can help him figure out how to move forward. But once they get to the city, all Teagan can think of is how to confess the truth while keeping her in his life.
Darcy Albano thought she was going to work as a wilderness guide when she was hired on the camp staff, but ended up a handywoman instead—only the latest screwing-over she’s endured since her ex stole her car and her parents ruined her credit score. But Teagan van Zijl is the silver lining she didn’t expect to appear—clearly going through something but willing to commit to Darcy’s unique brand of wilderness education as the cure for what ails him. They form an unlikely bond based on the unexpected support they provide each other. Darcy never imagined staying in the city, but with Teagan’s unshakeable belief in her abilities, anything seems possible. (summary from Goodreads)
The Lit Bitch 