Book Review: Danger Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson

Danger Sweetheart by MaryJanice Davidson is a parody that takes jabs at every romance trope out there. I highly suggest reading the author’s note before diving into the “story” because it describes how this book came to be and what exactly it is all about.

Blake Tarbell has a town to save. Rich, carefree, and used to the Vegas party lifestyle, Blake is thrown for a curve when his former cocktail-waitress mother pleads he go back to her roots to save the town she grew up in. Blake's used to using money to solve his problems, but when he arrives in Sweetheart, North Dakota, this city boy has to trade in his high-priced shoes for a pair of cowboy boots. Natalie Lane's got no time for newbies, and there's nothing she can't do to keep a farm up and running. But when a handsome city-slicker rolls into town with nothing but bad farmer's instincts and good intentions, Natalie's heartstrings are pulled. She's about to teach him a thing or two about how to survive in Sweetheart. And he's about to teach her a thing or two about love...

Danger Sweetheart takes jabs at just about every romance trope out there- but frankly without having read the author’s forward I would have just thought the book was silly, trying too hard, and likely would not have finished it. Even having read the explanation of the book I was not impressed. There were a couple fun moments that kept me reading, but I think the effort to achieve a parody or satire felt too forced to make it really work for me. I almost put it down, but I was too curious to see how one of the promise tropes was worked in to walk away. The characters occasionally offered the quirky fun I expect from Davidson, in such an over the top way necessary in a parody, and that was the other thing that kept me reading when I might have otherwise given up.

Danger Sweetheart made me sad. I love the writing style of Davidson, how her characters are quirky and can laugh at themselves (and each other) and move forward. I think in trying so hard to be funny the charm that usually keeps me happily read was lost.