MAI'S TIES

Author: C.J. Winters ISBN: 9780759942547 7/2007 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: HARD SHELL WORD FACTORY

When Mai meets Brit, an insurance agent and soon-to-be-grandpa twice her age, the last thing she wants is her relatives playing matchmaker. But what's a girl to do when the guy turns out to be fun, sexy, good looking, a fantastic salesman and the most determined vegetarian she's ever seen gardening in the buff? She can't leave Dubuque until her mother's broken leg heals. The solution? Move Mom and herself into a big, rundown Victorian with other two senior citizens, creating a communal household. And since the oldsters are very generous with their post-garage sale items, why not open a flea market upstairs? Brit is Mr. Helpful—until he discovers Mai's flea market is next door to his new, upscale apartment building. Besides, his plans include turning the Victorian property into a private park for his tenants. Still, some folks think Life-with-Hot-tempered-Grandpa could have its charms. But what about Brian, who disappeared on Mai's honeymoon?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

MAI'S TIES is a funny, romantic tale that is well written and memorable. Highly engaging, right from the very beginning this story had me hooked. As quirky as her name, Mai Fagan (named after the drink, incidentally. Apparently her parents were celebrating the night she was conceived.) is part dutiful daughter, part free spirit. Her sense of humor kept me smiling, and when she sets off to scout out an apartment for her crutch-using mother and meets a naked man in the house's back yard, her life changes in less time than it takes her to pull herself from the oversized urn she's fallen into. The nudist turns out to be Brit Twitchell, landlord, and the two begin something that seems as natural as, well, his unclothed bottom.

I had no idea what to expect from this book, but what I got was laughter and a healthy dose of romance. Mai and Brit are an unlikely couple, but really, are there any likely couples out there? This book is a reminder that even the most dissimilar people have things in common and that love can, indeed, be found anywhere-even from inside a pot filled with squashed geraniums.

Mai is one character I won't easily forget. Her willingness to be open to helping others and experiencing new things are only a few of the admirable traits of this adventuresome young woman. I got a real kick out of MAI'S TIES and a whole new appreciation for the idea of gardening in the nude. Oh, the things that can happen when wearing nothing but a pair of gardening gloves.

Kay James