This is the only Rachel Gibson book that I hadn't re-read and after listening to a few of her books over the last few weeks, I kept thinking about this book and wondering why I hadn't re-read it. Then I did and remembered exactly why. You guys know how much I hate kids and books and this has a kid in the story. So please keep in mind, that while this bothered me, it might not bother most normal readers that aren't bothered by kids in books at all. I don't regret re-reading this book and at the end of the story I didn't hate it, although it did annoy me plenty of times. But Gibson's usual writing charm won me over and I enjoyed this, even though it isn't my favorite book of hers. After losing her husband, Daisy is back in town to help out her sister as she is going through a nasty split-up with that rat bastard Ronnie (he's referenced as that in several books that take place in this town). She was expecting it to be a short trip and although she knew she might run into her high school boyfriend a few times, she didn't expect for all that passion and sexual tension and anger to still be there. Daisy and Jack didn't end their relationship in the best of terms. After Jack broke up with her after high school, Daisy married his best friend and left Lovett Texas for good. But, now 15 years later, she lost her husband to an illness and all those reasons and secrets that she thought she had left behind in Lovett are threatening to come back and bite her in the ass.Another reason Daisy had for coming back to town was to confess a few things to Jack. [spoiler] After Jack broke up years ago, she found out she was pregnant. She was scared and Jack's best friend agreed to marry her and help her raise her baby. They had other reasons for what they did, but their plan was always to tell him the truth about his son. Eventually. But a year turn into two and eventually 15 years went by and they never got around to it. I just can't wrap my mind around the reasoning on why Daisy felt it was okay to keep his son away from him for 15 years. It all works out in the end, but it was a tough road to get there and I was annoyed and angry with Daisy several times throughout the book. [/spoiler] Despite all the bad blood between Jack and Daisy, the attraction and old feelings are back and stronger than ever. I really did enjoy all the flirting and the tension between them and would have loved if the book focused on this more instead of the main issue. As always, I do enjoy Gibson's characters (other than Daisy, cause she annoyed me a few times) and the small town setting that she creates so well. I have to say, that despite my issues, I did enjoy this, just not as much as her other books. Audiobook Comments: I've heard a few books narrated by Kathleen Early at this point. While I think she did a really great job as Daisy, I have the same complaint as always. I really wish they would have had a male narrator for the male pov's. A female narrator for male POV chapters is always one of my pet peeves. I'm really glad that she didn't sound old, which is another pet peeve of mine with adult books. Other than that, this was another great performance by Kathleen and I will be listening to more books narrated by her in the future. Especially if they are Rachel Gibson books.3 out of 5 stars***Read full review & more of my reviews at Mostly YA Book Obsessed Follow me at: Bloglovin│ Twitter│ Tumblr│ Pinterest│ Polyvore
12/30/2014 -- Re-readIf I adjusted ratings on re-reads, I think I'd bump this up a bit to maybe 4.5 Stars. I really liked the story and the relationship between the sisters. Saying this, I thought Daisy an asshole for keeping her secret as long as she did and again, the ending a bit rushed.Overall Rating = 4.5 StarsBook Cover / Book Blurb / Book Title = 3 / 4 / 5 = 4 StarsWriter’s Voice = 4 StarsCharacter / Secondary Character Development = 4 / 4 = 4 Stars“Did I like” Hero / Heroine = 5 / 3 = 4 StarsStory / Background Story Development = 4 / 4 = 4 Stars“Did I like the Damned Thing” = 4 StarsEnding = 3 StarsWorth the Chili = 5 Stars -- [Re-read .. invaluable]Smexy [HEAT] Rating = Mild390 pagesFirst sentence: Heat waves drifted across the concrete as the '63 Thunderbird slid from the shadow of the garage. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++05/01/2012 --4 StarsHave I said before .. Rachel Gibson can write a tale? I know, so much it makes you nauseous, but it is true. This is my first of her Lovett Texas series and I loved it. I can relate to Texas more than I can the northwest; Washington State is another of her venues. This book had the classic car loving Jack. He was a gear head from birth. He and Steven had a third best friend, Daisy. These three were like “three peas in a pod” throughout their childhood. Both Jack and Steven were in love with Daisy but Jack was winning… Then, tragedy strikes on several fronts. Jack’s world was upside down. Daisy gets clingy and he needs some distance from her. Daisy needed Jack in the worst way and when he pushed her away, she didn’t know what to do and turned to Steven, their best friend. Steven was leaving to attend college in Washington State. He and Daisy ran away to get married and left Jack.Skip ahead 15 years. Steven has died – long bout of illness with terminal brain cancer. Daisy comes back to Lovett to make peace with Jack and the rest folks, is stuff of Texas legend. How do these two end up together? Well, it sure wasn’t easy. Just ask Daisy.**Spoiler Alert START**I do have an issue with waiting 15 years to tell a man he has a child when everyone else in the whole blamed world knows it. Even the child [teen-age] knows it and has from the time he was little. He was caught completely unaware. He was madder than a dog stung by a bee, but he had every reason to be. I don’t see how they could have gotten past this whopper. I wondered, if Steven hadn’t died, would she have told Jack anything. She said the timing was never right. Would it have ever been right?If I wanted to get hung up on the story, and I very easily could have, I would lower my rating to 2 stars or less, just to make a point. The way Daisy and Steven handled the baby was wrong no matter how you looked at it. No way to convince yourself it was “the right thing to do” to keep the knowledge of this child from Jack. It would have been Jack’s choice, what he did with the information. It was just so much easier this way. Very screwed up.**Spoiler Alert STOP** I’m through with my rant and will leave my 4 star rating alone.Another really good Rachel Gibson read. I’m on to read the next in the Writer’s series. Starts with the “walk of shame”, and ladies, who out there can say they haven’t had this experience?Happy Reading!!
What do You think about Daisy's Back In Town (2015)?
Daisy's a piece of work, an awful one at that. I am not finished with the book yet but I don't know how she can salvage it. I'm almost at the three quarter mark and I hate Daisy. She is an awful person. It isn't that she just kept a father away from his child, it is her person. Her sister confides in her about her cheating husband and she condescends to her sister by telling her that HER husband is dead. It doesn't invalidate her sister's hurt feelings by comparing two tragedies. Both can be jus
—Zel Polev
I have to say this story surprised me – not at all that I didn’t see Rachel Gibson being able to write something like it, but because she was more known to me as a “chick lit” author! So lets take her out of this drawer and into the ... none at all, she’s obviously an author of many talents.It was a book hard to put aside, but also hard to read while having a big lump in the throat.The main plot is about Daisy, Jack and Steven who were very good friends growing up. And even though both boys (and later teenagers) were both in love with Daisy they agreed that she was “off limits” for both – easier said than done. Jack and Daisy started a crazy roller coaster relationship behind their friend’s back. At the tender age of seventeen Daisy finds out she’s pregnant with Jack’s child, who in turn has just lost his parents and needs some space. With a teenage mind, Daisy freaks out, confides in Steven, who in turn offers to marry her and to look after her and the baby. Fifteen years later – Steven has just died of cancer and it is now Daisy’s turn to tell Jack about his son.Phew! What dilemma and Rachel Gibson has done a wonderful job to stir the readers’ emotions – I went from understanding to anger back to understanding. The dialogues are brilliant and for me were the part where the characters came alive. I think each reader will have a different point of view whether Daisy should have told Jack earlier or not, whether Steven is really the “baddie” in the story by taking advantage of the situation or whether he really helped out of the good of his heart, whether Jack has a right to treat Daisy the way he does or the way he copes with his anger and loss – the loss of the time he had missed out on spending with his son.I really liked Daisy. I think we can all remember how confusing teenage years can be and I can in a way understand why she moved on with Steven, and in a way I can also understand why the decision to tell Jack had always been delayed to tomorrow – don’t we all do that sometimes with things we feel uncomfortable with. I liked her also the way she understands Jacks anger and accepts his anger and accept the fact that there will be no future for them together if he isn’t able to move forward. I loved Jack – for me the testosterone laden Texan man who is portrayed mainly as a sex-driven male, but over the period of the story becomes such a “man” by dealing with his past which is catching up with him, we feel for him that at an early age he did not only lose his parents, but the love of his life, his best friend and his son.I believe Rachel Gibson did a convincing job of showing us how that anger can eat at a person. My favourite quote: "Mom," Nathan called to her.Daisy pulled her gaze from the tent and the fleeting glimpse of Jack's bare back, the smooth planes and indent of his spine, the sliver of the white elastic just above the blue waistband of his jeans..."Hmm?""What's a faaar ant?" he asked just above a whisper."Fire." She chuckled and shook her head. "Fire ant. They have a nasty bite that burns."Nathan smiled. "Well, why didn't he just say fire?""He thinks he did."I loved the book – it got my emotions going. Kudos to Rachel Gibson! Now where's the next book ....PS – Rachel’s trademark of lengthy and detailed sex scenes are included as well
—Iris Blobel
If you like the secret baby theme that is sometimes common in romance novels, then this book was written for you. I personally hated DAISY'S BACK IN TOWN with a passion and would give it less than one star if it were possible. It was poorly written, the characters were not very well developed and the secondary characters grated on my nerves. There were too many holes in the story and the love scenes were weird to say the least. The back cover promised a fun read with hints of pink plastic flamin
—Tammy
