Journeys usually come in two varieties: a trip to somewhere new or a return to somewhere you’ve been in the past. The journey also can be looked at as an exploration of the outside world or self-examination. Occasionally a journey looks at all four destinations, as in the case of Toni Blake’s newest romantic novel, Sugar Creek.

Rachel Farris, a small-town girl who moved to the big city 15 years ago to follow her dreams, finds herself reluctantly returning to her hometown of Destiny, Ohio, to help her grandmother harvest the fall crop of apples. Leaving her exciting life as an advertising executive behind for a few weeks, Rachel visits her eccentric grandmother as a goodwill gesture.

Before she even reaches town, however, she gets stopped for speeding by the hunky (but overly zealous) cop, Mike Romo, who just happens to be a member of a family with whom the Farrises have a long-standing feud. Despite her ingrained aversion to all things Romo, Rachel finds herself drawn to Mike, which leads to an inappropriate sexual encounter on forbidden high school grounds. Disgusted with herself, Rachel vows never to succumb to such desires again, yet naturally she does indeed give in to their mutual attraction.

Interwoven throughout Rachel’s narrative is grandma Edna’s story, which involves a decades old romantic interlude with Mike’s grandfather. Bits of her earlier adventure tease their way through Sugar Creek, enticing readers to figure out how Edna and Rachel’s stories will end. The book delivers a down-home tale of love with plenty of small-town shenanigans. Although Rachel’s big-city life provides an interesting contrast to her current environment, it’s easy to see what her heart truly desires.

As in her earlier novels Letters to a Secret Lover (reviewed on MyShelf May 2008) and One Reckless Summer (reviewed on MyShelf June 2009) Blake presents emotionally damaged men with traumatic pasts who must tame their inner demons and open themselves to change in order to find love. Her latest novel also includes the same kind of romantic verbal sparring and highly descriptive physical encounters as in her previous books. Sugar Creek makes lively reading for fans of small towns, contemporary romance, and pop psychology.

Destiny Series

One Reckless Summer, No 1 [review]
Sugar Creek, No 2 [review]
Whisper Falls, No 3 [amazon]
Holly Lane, No 4 [review]