February 6, 2012
Once readers get past the good ol’ boy banter, they’ll appreciate the rewarding, if not terribly deep, love story between high-spirited Shirlene Dalton and her redneck neighbor, Billy “Bubba” Wilkes, in Lane’s third Deep in the Heart of Texas contemporary western. Nouveau riche Shirlene has to return to her trailer park roots when the bank forecloses on the ostentatious mansion she shared with her late oil baron husband. As she tries to get her home back, she also has to deal with the four foster children squatting in her ramshackle trailer. Bubba finds Shirlene amusing, but vows to avoid offering her a “tour of Wilkesville” because of his own questionable plans for the town of Bramble. He doesn’t expect her tough exterior to reveal a tenderhearted, mothering woman just trying to make her way. This slow-paced story is perfect for a lazy summer afternoon. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency.