BOOK REVIEW - CATCH OF THE DAY

CATCH OF THE DAY
By Kristan Higgins
Winner of the 2008 RITA

One of my BFFs attended a conference where Kristan Higgins spoke, and raved about her. So, I checked out one of her books, and have to agree with my friend.

Maggie Beaumont has inherited a diner from her grandfather, much to her mother’s horror. While Maggie’s twin has married a doctor and has a baby, Maggie is single at 32. Worse, she has been publicly humiliated by her ex, then humiliates herself when she publicly announces she’s fallen in love. Gideon’s Cove, Maine is a small town, and no one will let her forget her faux pas. Not only that, since hers is the only decent place to eat in Gideon’s Grove, she sees the man she can’t have daily. Does Maggie mope and complain? No.

Maggie is a kind, compassionate woman who feeds people in her diner, then bakes food for the poor, for shut ins, and for just about every group in town for free. She serves on committees. She pays her cook more than she does herself because he has five kids. Her beloved dog Colonel has a special spot behind the counter in her diner and is her constant companion. This heroine is so admirable she makes saints look like slackers. The one person in town who never sets foot inside the diner is a local fisherman, Malone, tagged Maloner the Loner.

Nothing will satisfy Mrs. Beaumont for her daughter unless Maggie snags her own doctor immediately. Instead, Maggie’s curiosity is aroused by Malone. Heavens, no one even knows his first name, and he won’t tell her. The two have one magical day together before everything gets even crazier.

CATCH OF THE DAY is filled with snappy dialogue and terrific characterizations. I enjoyed this book a great deal. I felt the end was a bit rushed, but it was the correct ending. This was a fun (with one sad part), fast-paced read that I would highly recommend to anyone who loves a good romance.

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