Lone Tree
Author
Bobbie O'Keefe
Publisher
Five Star
4 Review Copies Left
Three strong plot lines run through Lone Tree, a family saga involving three generations and stretching from California to Texas.
After her mother's death, Lainie Johnson travels to West Texas in order to meet her maternal grandfather, who doesn't even know she exists. Because of the twenty-five year estrangement between her mother and grandfather, she doesn't reveal their familial relationship, which sets up an unveiling down the road--possibly an explosive one.
Lainie bonds with Jackie Lyn, a local woman who was involved with a man who's now in prison. The man holds grudges against both Jackie and Lainie's grandfather ... and parole is right around the corner.
Romance also plays a part in this California girl messes with Texas novel. Reed is the foreman of her grandfather's ranch, decides immediately that Lainie is the woman for him, and he's accustomed to getting what he wants. Because of the secrets she's holding, and despite the fact that the attraction is mutual, Lainie puts up a strong resistance to the strong-willed cowboy. Which sets up the question, who's going to blink first?
Reviews
I had the pleasure of reading Bobbie O’Keefe’s Lone Tree. As a Texas girl myself, it was like having a taste of home for me. I loved reading some of the things those guys would say, certain phrases that are so Texas. Later in the book, when Lainie returns to California, and everyone notices her accent, put a smile on my face. Having been well into my talking years before my family moved to Texas, I know how easily that accent is picked up, and all these years after leaving Texas, I still have my twang and key phrases that mark me as a Texas girl.
Lainie’s reason for visiting Texas was a powerful one. Every encounter between her and Miles leaves you holding your breath. You anticipate how this meeting will go. You may be wrong, but you are never disappointed. You are suspicious of everyone’s motives, actions and thoughts. At times, you want to scream at Lainie for the choices she is making, but she seems to have a good reason for each of those decisions.
Enter in the sexy, Texas cowboy. I love the way O’Keefe introduced him to the story. I wonder if she always planned for him to be a major part of Lainie’s adventure or if he was originally meant as a piece of eye candy for her to get a taste of Texas. Whatever her original intent, she did a wonderful job building his character and the secondary (or was it the primary) storyline.
Night after night, I hated to put Lone Tree down. I found myself lying in bed, speculating on where the Lone Tree Ranch was going to lead me tomorrow. When the story lines began to explode, one right after the other, it was in a totally unexpected way. I was caught off guard when Lainie was caught off guard. This is what makes a story all the better to me.
I try to anticipate where a writer is going; sometimes I have the whole story figured out within the first few pages. This was definitely not the case with Bobbie O’Keefe’s Lone Tree. She left me wanting to see more of life on Lone Tree Ranch. This is not to say the story is incomplete, rather that more stories could be told.
O’Keefe did an excellent job with this story. I recommend it to all who love a good romance or a good story of coming home again.
Reviewed on 08/14/2011 by ReviewTheBook.com Member Tiffany Higgins
