I’m more than halfway through reading Tied to the Tracks by Rosina Lippi.

In general, I like the book.  It kept me going on the treadmill for a lot longer than I originally intended (note to self: a good book is key to a good workout on the treadmill). 

The novel is kind of a southern chick-lit romance.  Our heroine, Angie, is hired to produce a documentary on a famous writer who lives in the small, charming and quirky southern town of Ogilivie–which also happens to be the place where the love of Angie’s life has recently returned to. 

Can you see where this is going? 

As I said, the book is a page-turner.  It has this wierd quality, though, that I as a writer probably notice more than lay readers.  The scenes often turn on what I would call unearned emotion.  There was a scene when Angie was going to see John for the first time.  She sets off in emotional turmoil, yet relatively calm.  However, by the time she gets to John, she is hopping mad–and I couldn’t quite figure out why.  Same thing happens in a scene with the town cop.  All of a sudden, halfway through, she is blazingly pissed off at him.  Huh.

But the novel is full of fun, charming characters–I love Tony, the 50-year-old who can’t stay out of married women’s bed, and Rivera, Angie and Tony’s kick-ass lesbian partner in the documentary business.  And the southern town is charminly evoked. 

I do beg to differ with Angie, though–she professes her love for sweet tea.  I cannot stand the stuff.