I freely admit I am mesmerized by the writings of Blayne Cooper and T Novan. I suspect that if I were to read their grocery list, I'd be enthralled. So of course I jumped at the opportunity to review their latest book titled The Road To Glory.

This novel is first and foremost a love story packed with plenty of sexual heat. If you are looking for a storyline comparable to Madam President, you will be disappointed. In The Road to Glory, Cooper and Novan adroitly demonstrate their versatility as writers while creating a very different atmosphere as they weave their tale about two women - both strong, out and proud – one a truck driver, the other a handyman.

Although I found it delightful to have the characters very open and natural about their sexuality, there was still an unreal quality (or perhaps it was quantity) with the overall acceptance from families, friends, co-workers and onlookers. There were a couple situations that demonstrated some realistic homophobic reactions to the lead characters, but the ease in which the characters dispensed with the bigots left it all seeming just a little empty or perhaps half-hearted.

When Leigh Matthews finds herself lost due to an unexpected detour in her normal trucking route, she ends up in the middle of nowhere. As soon as she lays eyes on RJ Fitzgerald, however, a beautiful and intriguing handyman for a lonely country diner, she realizes that nowhere can be a very interesting place. The Road to Glory is a story of two women and the bumpy road from lust to love and the multitude of varied turns along the way.

The interaction between the two women was very realistic. Unlike previous books by Cooper and Novan, the relationship between these women was three dimensional – lust, love, fear, doubt and jealousy were felt, expressed and acted upon in realistic measure.

The storyline itself develops into a delightfully surprising twist that I enjoyed immensely. The characters, dialogue and situations were quite realistic without appearing mundane or boring. And though I found the personification of the cat to be fun, the entire squirrel situation was simply distracting rather than helpful to developing the storyline. That said, I must add that I was disappointed with the story ending; seeming more an apology than a closing, and in my mind, it detracted from the twist that I found so delightful.

All of that said I found this book to be very well written and difficult to put down. The storyline moved at a pace to keep me changing the pages to see what would happen next or how things may develop. I give the book a solid A and recommend it as an good form of entertainment.

Until next time...