TBR Challenge: Bone Deep

The TBR challenge for June was to read a book you bought because of the buzz about it. I picked Bone Deep for this one.

Title
Bone Deep

Author
Bonnie Dee

Year published
2006

Why did you get this book?
I've read several positive reviews of the book, and the premise sounded unique and interesting

Do you like the cover?
Yes, very much. I'm a fan of April Martinez's covers.

Did you enjoy the book?
I liked it quite a bit. 4 out of 5.

Sarah Cassidy lost her husband in WWII, and has resigned herself to a life of solitude. During a visit to a travelling carnival, she is strangely drawn to the Tattooed Man in the Freak Show. When he shows up on her farm after having escaped the clutches of the carnival owner, against her better judgement, Sarah offers him a job as a handyman.

Sarah is fascinated by this man who has been kept prisoner by the carnival owner since his mother's death. But the more he reveals about his mysterious past and demonstrates his gentle nature, Sarah finds herself fighting a powerful sexual attraction.

When Tom's presence on her farm is revealed, Sarah's neighbors are hesitant to trust the exotic stranger in their midst. Threatened by small-town prejudice and the reappearance of the carnival owner, the lovers must rise above the fear and hate to create the family they've always longed for.

The pacing of the story was excellent, making it easy to read in one evening. Sarah and Tom are both memorable characters. In fact, my main complaint about the story is that I wanted more of it. I'd love to have read more scenes with Sarah and Tom--they would have made the story richer.

One part of the story had me weeping copiously. I don't know what it is about reading books where a character has to learn to read, but when I saw Tom's misspelled note, I burst into tears. (I had a similar reaction to reading the heroine's poem in Megan Chance's The Way Home.) I'm not sure why I always have such a strong reaction to scenes like this. Maybe because reading has brought me so much pleasure.

Dee does a great job of showing us who Tom is even though we don't get any scenes from his point of view. I thought he was a wonderful beta hero.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again?
Yes and yes. In fact, I just need to decide what to get. Anyone have any recommendations with Dee's other books?

Are you keeping it or passing it on?
Keeping it. (I bought a print copy, but I'm still keeping it.)

Anything else?
Other reviewers have commented that the ending was unrealistic as the town came to accept Tom too easily. I didn't see it that way. I saw the ending as more optimistic than anything else, more a start of being accepted by the rest of the town rather than a complete embracing.

I'm not officially signing up for the July challenge, since I won't have time to read or review for at least two of the four weeks. This way, if I complete it, fine, but at least I won't go on the wall of shame if I don't.