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.)  

Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

I was immediately interested when I heard about this book, one, because I love historical fiction of any and every kind, two, this book takes place not too far from home, in Ashville, NC, and three, it’s by Deeanne Gist, so I knew I would enjoy it. Guess what? I did.

A Maid to Match follows Tillie Reese, who works as a maid at Biltmore Estate. When Mrs. Vanderbilt becomes in need of a personal maid, Tillie is picked as a runner up. She must meet the demands and do whatever it takes for her to win the position-with many siblings at home, the money is running low. Mack is a rough, unsophisticated mountain man that comes to Biltmore to work as a footman. His sister is in an orphanage run by a cruel, abusive beast, and her safety depend on Mack’s submission and success with his job at Biltmore. Both Tillie and Mack have much to concentrate on, but their growing attraction seems to continuously get in the way. Hands at Biltmore are forbidden to court or even romance each other, so Tillie decides that her job is more important than her love for Mack. She fights it hard, but Mack only encourages her. I was engrossed with this steamy romance, and loved every page of it. I loved the plot, and how adamantly Mack pursued Tillie. Forbidden romance is always the best kind! And of course the ending was magnificent. A Maid to Match has definitely become one of my all-time favorites. There is so much more I could gush about this book but let’s leave it at this: I found nothing in this book to be the least bit disagreeable, and highly suggest you try it. I’m positive you’ll love it as much as I do!

Quick Content Review:

Profanity: None

Violence: Minor (A girl is found murdered, hanging by a rope from the ceiling.)

Sexual: Mild (Mack and Tillie kiss passionately behind a barn during a group gathering, but it’s very chaste and done without any ulterior motives. They get into bed together on their wedding night, but the chapter ends there and nothing is described.)

Reply from the author:

Dear Shelby,

Thanks so very much for the lovely blog post and for writing to me.  I appreciate all your encouragement.  It means so much.  

I'm glad you enjoyed Maid to Match.  Be sure to watch for my upcoming release, Love on the Line. It's due to hit the shelves in October and is available for advance purchase from booksellers online now. My eNewsletter will keep you up-to-date about it and any new events that come down the pike.  After having such a blast with my readers at the Getaway With Dee last year, I've decided I much prefer "destination" type events rather than book tours. We just have so much more time to hang out and have fun. So, for 2011, I have two events planned.  

The first one is a cruise in June with the Pulpwood Queens - the largest meeting and discussing Book Club in the world.  Several other authors and I are cruising to CocoCay and the Bahamas and we'd love for you to join us!  

The second event is the RomCon conference in Denver this August.  This one-of-a-kind conference is especially for readers of romance to mix and mingle with their favorite authors.  All of the romance genres are represented, not just inspirational, and it is a huge event.  This year, I'll be putting on a Victorian fashion show featuring other historical authors at the conference.  I'd love to see you there!  

Details for both events are at GetawayWithDee.com.

Thanks again for visiting my website.  The next time you're there, be sure to click on Dee's Circle of Friends. This is a special area in my website with giveaways, video clips, exclusive excerpts from upcoming books, games and a very active chat room.  And if you're on Facebook, you can find me at facebook.com/DeesCircle.  I'd love for you to join me and my circle of friends.

Thanks for writing, and I look forward to seeing you in our eCommunity!

Blessings,

Dee