Stubborn as a Mule - Book Review

By Juliette Poe

Synopsis

Down in Whynot, NC, there are three things that hold true: 1) life moves just a little bit slower, 2) family means everything, and 3) you don’t mess with history.

When his family decides to sell a home that’s been part of their history for over a century, Lowe Mancinkus is madder than a hornet. To add insult to injury, the woman who purchased it is some fancy pants, city girl looking to fix it up and sell it off. Doesn’t matter that she’s sexy as hell or that just being near her gets his blood racing like never before. That home belongs to his family, or at least it did until she came to town.

Well that just won’t do, now will it?

From the moment that she laid eyes on the historical home in rural North Carolina, Melinda Rothschild knew Mainer House was something special. The perfect escape from life in New York City, Melinda signed the papers and set to work restoring the house to its natural beauty. That is until an angry Lowe showed up on her doorstep one day. With a scowl on his handsome, chiseled face. And a shotgun in his strong, muscular arms.

Is it getting hot in here?

Melinda’s about to get a lesson on life in the south, but Lowe is about to learn a lesson of his own – this city girl doesn’t back down from a fight.

Review

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read STUBBORN AS A MULE, because I knew it was going to be about Lowe and I really disliked him in the previous book. He was rude, bitter and angry, and I just couldn’t see him redeeming himself. Well, it doesn’t happen very often, but I’m happy to say that I was wrong. Very wrong. Once you get inside his head and hear why he was so upset, it is very easy to understand and forgive his behavior. I ended up liking him a lot, especially his sense of humor.

I can’t say much about Melinda, other than the town (including Lowe) judges her a little unfairly simply because she’s an outsider with money. She can be just as stubborn as Lowe, which was why their relationship was so volatile in the beginning. Despite their rocky start, they were both able to quickly calm down and act like grown ups, and I liked watching their affection for each other grow. I loved Morris D—Melinda’s gay, drag queen best friend—and the pranks between him and Lowe were hilarious.

STUBBORN AS A MULE is a very quick and enjoyable read, and I loved how the first chapter really drew me into the story and the battle between Lowe and Melinda. If you’re looking for a steamy read, you won’t find it here because all the action happens behind closed doors. My only complaint is that the conflict towards the end was easily predicted at the halfway mark, so I spent the rest of the book hoping to be surprised, but ultimately not.

STUBBORN AS A MULE is told not just in Lowe’s and Melinda’s POV, but also in the POVs of several of Whynot’s residents, which gives a little extra kick to the story. While it’s part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone as it comes with a HEA for Lowe and Melinda. I’m looking forward to reading BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE, the next book in the Sex and Sweet Tea series.