You know how people say that you can't judge a book by it's cover? Well, I was seriously hoping whoever said that was wrong when I picked up and bought Blue-Eyed Devil. The front cover is 80% teal blue with the author's name and the book's title covering that space. Then, in that last 20% at the bottom is a man wearing jeans and no shirt walking down a dirt road that is flanked by dry yellow and brown fields. When I bought it, I was seriously hoping for a spring break night table book. That's what it looks like from the cover. But, that's not at all what I got.
The back cover lets you know that the man is Hardy Cates (what a name) and he is an oil man from Texas (OK--now I am hooked, if I wasn't already). He's a self-made millionaire (really hooked) from the wrong side of the tracks. His co-lead in this story is the beautiful Haven, a woman who knows what she wants, but what she wants is typically the exact opposite of what her family--including her 3 older brothers--wants for her. She doesn't want Hardy, she wants Nick, who, honestly, I liked at first. But once they get married, things suddenly turn very wrong.
The book I thought was going to be a light read, turned into one very heavy story. It explores Narcissistic Personality Disorder in two different characters (you will have to read to find out who they are) and it turns what I thought was going to be a steamy romance between Hardy and Haven, into something completely different. With that said, it really was a page turner and an easy read (keep some tissues closeby, though). I read a little more than 100 pages in the car last night in right around an hour and a half and then finished the rest this morning (328 total). Again, I felt compelled to find out how the story resolved itself and the rest of my life stopped until the book was finished. It ends up being a complicated story that somehow touches upon lots of issues: family dynamics, NPD, rich vs poor, the oil industry and conservation, work place politics, babies, and even a flood. Phew--I get tired just thinking about how packed this books was. And silly me thought it was just a romance novel. Ha! The joke is on me.
For those friends who follow this blog to get ideas for spring break and summer books, this is a good one for your beach bag. It's quick, action packed, and just a good story that ends up turning out exactly as you hoped it would, but with enough twists and turns along the way to keep you wondering if it ever will. Read it. You won't be sorry!
Happy Reading!
:) Dodie
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