1) I love the fake-out. The author begins by making the reader believe that the owner of the big, brown eyes is a woman. That’s a standard opening for a romantic comedy. Then Gerald seems to insult a woman’s derriere. For a second, you hate the guy…until you read the next line and learn that the car accident was caused by Gerald’s attempt to avoid hurting the animal…which makes you love him.
2) The author releases exposition in a graceful manner. It can be strange for a person to list the properties they own and to disclose how much money they have. The strangeness is blunted because Gerald does so in the course of bragging, which really turns out to be a fun discussion with a runaway bovine.
3) I love how the author establishes a fun and relaxed tone. She uses the word “ass” a couple times and the fake-out makes it clear that this is going to be a light and rewarding novel. I would be very surprised, for example, if there were a grisly double murder in the third chapter.
Visit the author’s site and read her book!
