Love on the Line by Deeanne Gist

Publisher: Bethany House

Pages: 368

Rating: 4/5

Rural switchboard operator Georgie Gail is proud of her independence in a man's world ... which makes it twice as vexing when the telephone company sends a man to look over her shoulder.

          Dashing Luke Palmer is more than he appears though.  He's a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers.  Repairing telephones and tangling with this tempestuous woman is the last thing he wants to do.  But when his stakeout puts Georgie in peril, he realizes more than his job is on the line. [Book description from Amazon]

My review:

This was classic Gist. I love love love all her books and was so thrilled when I was finally able to read this one. I don’t think it’s as amazing as some of her other books, like Beguiled or Maid to Match, though. Although I loved Luke and Georgie, Luke wasn’t as romantic as I prefer my guy characters to be, and I didn’t like Georgie’s character as much as I’ve liked past Gist characters. She seemed too frivolous, childish, and impractical at times and as much I tried to get over it, it got on my nerves. Her “bird hobby” was too obsessive (staying up all night to keep an eye on baby cardinals?!). And the ending felt like a Hallmark movie, if you know what I mean. At some parts, I felt like I was just trying to get through.

But on a brighter note, the historical aspect of Love on the Line was just as remarkable as ever. It’s like reading a history textbook in romantic-fiction form! I always learn so much from Gist’s novels, and this book didn’t let me down.

So, to sum things up, although Love on the Line wasn’t as much of a page-turner as some of Deeanne’s other books, the delicious mix of edgy romance + amazing historical detail + heart-pounding action will leave you breathless.

Maybe not *completely* satisfied, but definitely breathless.

Quick Content Review:

Language: None

Violence: None/Mild [Luke is a Texas Ranger (yeehaw!) so you can expect a bit of shooting and chasing and such. Georgie is tied up to her bed by a group of rogues, but no other harm is done to her.]

Sexual: Mild (Luke and Georgie spark a passionate romance, but aside from some moderately passionate kissing and touching, nothing happens. Georgie puts a stop to the physical aspects of their relationship when she starts to doubt whether the relationship is going anywhere. Gist is famous for weaving melting romances without them becoming ungodly or dirty, and she uses that talent well in this book as she did her others.)