Ponder Post: Ten Good Reasons

Ten Good Reasons is the second published novel by the author Lauren Christopher. It is set in Dana Point, CA, like her first novel, The Red Bikini, (which I reviewed in my post for January 5th, 2015). The setting is fun and special for me because, when my son and daughter-in-law were married in 2011, it is where we stayed and where some wedding weekend activities were held. My daughter-in-law is a member of the same women's book club as the author and I have been invited to and enjoyed participating in a couple of their meetings.

Ten Good Reasons is a light romance that is an enjoyable non-taxing read. It has an overarching storyline of the establishment and growth of a whale watching business. The heroine, Lia, is an optimistic, cheerful, workaholic public relations manager who crosses paths with a brooding ex-Coast Guard captain, Evan, who is reluctantly pressed into piloting the whale touring catamaran. The whale sightings and interactions are exciting and action filled.

Lia and Evan are both likable, believable, main characters, not too complex but intriguing enough to get me invested in how they fared. Where their relationship is going is predictable, but the path to get them there is a fun, quirky, twisty, moderately suspenseful ride. There is a good mix of well-defined characters – a spoiled young millionaire admirer, a "found-meditative-religion" type boyfriend in absentia, and a Cruella Deville type boss – to stir up some conflict. This was a welcome change of pace for me since, in the previous book I read, I did not like any of the characters. I will admit, the instant physical attraction of Lia for Evan is a stretch, but I believe this to be a necessary ingredient, no matter how improbable, of any light romance novel. At least Lia is not a total idiot about it, and just maybe I am a bit of a cynic with the whole lust-at-first-sight thing. In both of Lauren Christopher's novels, I like that the women were not total ditzes. They had their foibles, but they were self-sufficient, with decent brains. I enjoyed this book. Reading it was a very pleasant way to pass a few hours. I will watch for and read her next novel.