Left at the Altar

September 12, 2016
Brownley’s 19th-century western romance leaves much to be desired. When Tommy Farrell leaves Meg Lockwood at the altar in Two-Time, Tex., her father files a $10,000 breach-of-promise lawsuit against him. Humiliated by her father’s insistence that she is now “damaged goods,” Meg is also horrified by her attraction to Grant Garrison, the new-to-town lawyer Tommy hires. The two friends were marrying to end their fathers’ long-standing feud; as the town’s two jewelers, they set time locally, and each worked on a different clock. The feud’s genesis is anything but mysterious, and the townsfolk fulfill roles straight out of Central Casting, from Meg’s suffragist sister to the outlaw awaiting hangin’. Choppy storytelling does not serve the romance. Agent: Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency.

September 15, 2016
When Meg Lockwood's fiance abandons her at the altar, he dashes her hopes for healing the family feud that split their Old West town--and things become even more complicated when her father sues the groom, bringing a handsome East Coast lawyer into her life.The Farrells and the Lockwoods have issues, which means the town of Two-Time, Texas, has issues, since Mr. Farrell and Mr. Lockwood are the local jewelers, and their animosity means the town is divided into two time zones--Lockwood time and Farrell time. No one knows why the two men detest each other, but it's had a divisive and confusing effect on their neighbors. Lockwood's middle daughter has agreed to marry Farrell's son, her lifelong friend, under the condition that the two men bury the hatchet, but when Tommy balks at the last minute, Meg's father sues him for breach of promise. She doesn't approve of the lawsuit, but her father won't drop it, and most of the town's condemnation comes down on her rather than on him. Even more problematic, the lawyer who takes Tommy's case is Grant Garrison, the compelling East Coast attorney who's recently moved to town. Despite being adversaries, Meg and Grant often find themselves thrown together and realize they share both values and an attraction. However, as the lawsuit progresses and the town becomes increasingly hostile, Meg begins to question Grant's intentions, until a tragic event forces everyone to re-evaluate their beliefs and attitudes. This chaste (kisses only) historical romance has a unique hook, a quirky Old West town chock full of interesting characters, and some unexpected twists that make the story refreshingly original. A sweet, touching love story that revisits a fascinating and overlooked aspect of history: the confounding way time was kept and how it could cause more problems than it solved.

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October 1, 2016
The citizens in Two-Time, Texas, in 1880, have to contend with two different time zones, 40 minutes apart. The pending marriage between the offspring of two rival watchmakers was supposed to end the feud and discrepancy, but Tommy jilts Meg on their wedding day. Meg's powerful father sues him in her name for breach of promise, seeking $10,000 in damages, which is when a handsome newcomer, lawyer Grant Garrison, gets involved. Meg is much more interested in Grant than the lawsuit. When the time divide causes a tragedy, all the characters realize that they need to make the most of the time they have. The time-zone theme and broken-vow lawsuit offer unique historical insights, while Brownley's many well-developed characters keep it lively and warm. This sweet, fun historical western, the first in Brownley's A Match Made in Texas series, will be popular with romance fans and is a welcome addition to a sparse yet popular subgenre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)