25. The Hellion

By LaVyrle Spencer (293 pp)

I have developed a terrible habit of grabbing category romance when I'm out and about peeking into Little Free Libraries. This one is from 1984 -- how could I resist? Sadly, this book hasn't aged well and felt overly melodramatic. It's a second chane about Tommy Lee and Rachel, in small town Alabama, who grew up together and fell in love as teens. There was an unplanned pregnancy and the parents sent Rachel off to have the baby somewhere else and went to great lengths to keep them apart. The story opens 20 year later after Rachel is widowed. Tommy Lee has been the town hellraiser with a number of wives but when Rachel is free he is determined to win her back. It's hard to believe there was a time when a hero could be a heavy smoker. I loved the descriptions of the home furnishings and the clothes -- so 80s. The story had some great heart twisting moments but it a little much.