Boston, Massachusetts and Scheintown, New York – Present Day

Pushing thirty with nothing to show for it but a string of broken romances and a host of failed careers, Flynn Daly is finally forced to do something she swore she never would -- work for her father. A successful real estate developer, his next acquisition is by inheritance rather than design. It seems Flynn’s late great-aunt Esther owned an inn in the backwaters of upstate New York, which she left to Flynn’s family. Her father wants Flynn to run The Goodhouse Arms Inn until it can be sold. Of course, she knows nothing about business, even less about the hospitality industry, and she cannot abide the country. But hey, what could go wrong in the few weeks it should take to unload the hotel? Nothing, except upon her arrival, Aunt Esther immediately begins to haunt Flynn; there are some dubious circumstances surrounding her aunt’s death, and the inn’s cute bartender, Jake Tucker, is wreaking havoc with Flynn’s fragile heart.

Once a cop, Jake Tucker lost his job, and now he serves drinks at The Goodhouse Arms. However, he won’t rest until he brings down the man who not only cost him his job, but who is also a crook and may have even had a hand in Esther’s death. He knows that Gordon Chase wants The Goodhouse Arms, and Jake knows Chase will waste no time moving in on the new owner. But Jake is hoping to befriend her first and use her to help him further his investigation into the crimes he suspects Chase committed. But it’s not long after meeting Flynn that he decides he doesn’t want her anywhere near Chase. She may be flighty and a bit odd, but she’s also open and honest, and she has completely gotten under Jake’s skin.

CRAZY IN LOVE begins as one woman’s journey to find her place and steadily turns into a small-town whodunit. The blending of mystery with romance is a welcome turn for it gives our quirky heroine Flynn a chance to evolve into a somewhat more appealing character. Even though the story is full of droll moments, Flynn’s habit of hitting the bottle when things get rough is unappealing and falls short of being humorous. Still, Jake is a hero worth reading about. Steady and honest, he’s an interesting character with flaws. The fact that he made a careless mistake that cost him his job makes him human, and his desire to get back what he lost is believable.

By story’s end, Flynn never fully sheds her immaturity, and she doesn’t truly convince that she can succeed at much of anything, but with enough witty moments and a few twists in the mystery to liven things up, CRAZY IN LOVE is an amusing romp.

Sandra Brill