Review: Absolutely, Positively

Absolutely, Positively
Heather Webber
Romantic Mystery
Lucy Valentine/Book 3
St. Martins/February 1, 2011

*Possible Spoilers for Previous Books*

From the back cover ~

"Exposed" by a Boston Herald reporter, Lucy is suddenly the talk of the town. Long back-story short: Even though the rest of her Valentine ancestors were blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, Lucy's only special power lies in her ability to find things. This skill has proven quite a blessing for those who come to her matchmaking agency in search of finding their long-lost loves. Now that Lucy's secret is out, she has more new clients than she knows what to do with. But soon a certain man of mystery steals Lucy's spotlight...

No, it's not Sean Donahue, the sexy fireman-turned-private-eye who's stolen Lucy's heart. It's a masked man in a cowboy hat, dubbed "The Lone Ranger," who's been throwing handfuls of cash across the Common. Now all of Beantown's abuzz. Can Lucy unmask the mysterious money man, track down all her clients' old flames, and turn up the heat on her love life? Absolutely, positively...

The third book in the irresistible Lucy Valentine series takes Lucy one step further in her relationship with Sean and sees her gain more confidence in her ability to find lost loves. I really like the progression of growth in both Lucy and Sean and love the world that Webber has created at Valentine, Inc. It's funny, quirky and emotional without being over the top unbelievable.

Lucy has two new cases to work on plus her relationship with Sean is front and center. She's not sure if she's ready to take the next step with Sean by suggesting he move in with her. Throughout the book, we see how Lucy goes through the pros and cons of living with Sean. I really liked that Webber didn't have Lucy take this decision lightly but rather worked it out in her head as well as her heart.

The first case of young love reunited was interesting although I wasn't always sure of the woman's motives. For some reason I thought Meaghan might have a more sinister reason for wanting to find Tristan. Looking back, it surprises me how detailed the plot and characters are considering the length of the book. Both Meaghan and Tristan are well developed for secondary characters given how much page time the get. I thought Tristan was even more so and enjoyed him matching wits with Lucy.

The second case of the missing recluse also had it's share of secondary characters, giving insight into what recluse Mac Gladstone's life was like and what might have caused him to disappear. I don't think the outcome was surprising but I did enjoy the journey to it.

Lucy's parents are always interesting to see but this time there is more going on there. I'd say that Lucy's father is my least favorite character, primarily because he comes across as very selfish with the occasional outpouring of love for Lucy. He doesn't come off as much of a father figure for her and that's where I have problems with him. I do however like Lucy's mother and her grandmother Dovie. They both add that eclectic flavor to the series.

Once again, Heather Webber has added an entertaining installment in the Lucy Valentine series. I'm really curious to see where Lucy and Sean's relationship goes and where their next case takes them. And what's with Preston and Cutter? That's one thing that I really appreciate about this series - the endless possibilities of where the author can take me.

Rating: A-

Books in this series ~

Truly, Madly
Deeply, Desperately
Absolutely, Positively