The Marriage Miracle.
If this is the quality of RITA books, then sign me up. I'm a believer. No wonder Cataromance chose it as the best Tender of the year. I loved the heroine - spunky, snarky, and real. Add in a hero who is actually attracted to a woman for her mind, listening abilities, and sassy mouth? Perfection. As a reader I loved it, and as I writer it is a great lesson on the depth and permeability of characterization. And dialogue! The BEST witty banter!
Mattie Lang loves to flirt, because she knows she won't have to back up her suggestions to wrestle around in the bushes. As soon as men see her wheelchair, they're tripping over themselves to get away. or at the very least making stilted conversation. She knows Sebastian Wolseley hasn't seen her chair when she begins to play with him, but his reaction when the tablecloth is pulled aside is completely unexpected. He continues to tease, and then asks her to dinner! Thankfully her cousin pulls her away to chat up the book she illustrated to a journalist.
Unaccustomed to taking no for an answer, and neck deep in salvaging his uncles greeting card business, Sebastion is captivated by Matty's unaffected sense of humor. He was so comfortable talking with her, he wants to do it again - but she is too busy. So, he arms himself with sandwiches and business ideas and charms her into listening, and then living without limits again.
If this is the standard for RITA nominees, I am sold. The rest of the books have a hard act to live up to. I loved the biting wit of the heroine, the romantic charm of the hero, the changes of scenery (London, countryside, ocean), and the playful banter between the two which helped to keep some very serious matters light and realistic. This book broke my stereotype for what could go on in a Romance (skinny dipping, and lovemaking, and X rated thoughts!), but each element was handled with such class it remained sweet.
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