And I didn’t stop until I got to the end! It started out with Mai Fagan returning to her hometown to help out her elderly mother while her broken leg heals. Soon she finds herself saddled with not only her mother, but her ditzy great aunt Sylvia and Sylvia’s geriatric boyfriend. Mai has never really settled down in life and she’s still waiting for the groom who ran out on their honeymoon to come back to her. So even though she begins a very profitable resale business, she’s determined not to stick around once her mother’s cast comes off.

New acquaintance Brit Twitchell has other ideas though. Mai can’t imagine having an affair with Brit, never mind a serious relationship. He’s a health nut who gardens in the nude and is expecting his first grandchildren. That’s right, he’s fifty and that’s half her age, even if he doesn’t look it. Brit follows his heart and his instincts and pursues Mai passionately. In spite of her intentions to keep him at a distance, Mai can’t resist the man’s kisses or the friendship his family offers her. After Mai undergoes crises with both families, and is confronted with a dilema of her own, she has to decide once and for all if she can take a chance on loving Brit.

Mai’s Ties is a wonderful read. It has everything – fresh, original characters that you can really care about, a complex plot with some wonderful little twists, an upbeat, very readable style and a little bit of something to think about at the end. This book is definitely a keeper.

Overall rating:
Sensuality rating: Mildly sensual

Reviewer: Kara Lynn Russell
August 13, 2007