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Pages: 109
Goes Well With: Black coffee and a leisurely lunch
“It’s you and me, Baby,” said Janet to her unborn child when Martin turned her out. It’s the title of Rose Gorham’s enjoyable mystery romance novella, and it’s a line that takes on special meaning as the reader gets to know this young and successful single mother.
Children’s author Janet Sanderson wasn’t the sort of girl to sleep with every man she fancied. But Martin had swept her off her feet, wooed her, waited for her, and finally beguiled her with promises of marriage. Then, suddenly, he was out of her life for good. He didn’t even reply when she told him that his baby had been born. But now Janet has successfully moved on. She has a new life and a future—with a sweet little daughter, a very happy dog, and an enjoyable career.
Just as Janet expands that career, branching out into plotting and writing her first cozy mystery, real-world mystery of a different kind knocks on her door. Brad Temple, brother to betrayer Martin, turns out to be another victim lied to and misused—and Martin is dead.
Rose Gorham’s It’s You and Me, Baby blends mystery, romance, and suspense, all stirred together with convincing small-town drama. The story opens with Janet’s own pleasantly real and inviting extended family. Janet herself is an enjoyably strong character, so well set for independent success that I was almost disappointed to see her embark so quickly on a new physical relationship. But perhaps she and Brad had always been made for each other, held apart through the years by misunderstandings and Martin’s cruel betrayals. The wonderfully wise Red Hat sisters add smiles and delight to the story. Janet’s father is convincingly strong and supportive. Brad turns out to be a generous son and lover. And, all in all, author Rose Gorham proves to be a wise observer and writer of great characters.
The story arc travels comfortably from renewed relationships to dangerous investigation via convincing conversations, well-drawn communication, sabotage, murder, police work, and warm bedroom scenes. The inevitable feeling of “No, don’t go there!” evokes scary movies as the final pages turn, but the danger is pleasingly and quickly resolved, making this an enjoyable romance with a well-painted background of treachery, color-washed with mystery and streaked with just the right touch of suspense. At 109 pages, it’s the perfect length for a long lunch-break, and it will send you back to work with a nicely raised heart-rate and a positive outlook on the rest of the day.
Ed. Note: For more on It’s You and Me, Baby, visit The Wild Rose Press.
