Review: How to Knit a Love Song

Summary: Abigail is more than ready for a change when she inherits a cottage from her beloved mentor, knitting guru Eliza Carpenter. Leaving the oppressive city for the greener pastures of a small California beach town, she intends to turn her cozy little windfall into a knitting shop and spend her days spinning, designing, and purling. But she's not going to be welcomed with open arms by her new neighbor. Eliza's disgruntled nephew, the gorgeous Cade, now owns everything surrounding Abigail's ramshackle new home, and he views this sexy city girl as an unwanted interloper.

But chemistry working overtime is drawing two very different people closer than they ever thought possible. And when the past that Abigail thought she'd left behind comes calling, she'll have to somehow learn to trust her handsome adversary with much more than just her heart.-- Avon

When Book Club Girl announced that she was hosting Rachael Herron, author of HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG on her radio show, I jumped at the chance to read this novel. I love books that include knitting and yarn, and I thought a chick-lit/romance book might be a good break from some of the more intense books that I've been reading lately. I have to say that, while romance isn't really my thing, I did enjoy HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG. It was a cute and fun book that was a great way to escape for a few hours.

I enjoy the occasional chick-lit/romance book, and HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG was certainly that. There weren't a lot of surprises, and I have to say it was pretty predictable (and I had no problem seeing where it was going.) However, that's exactly what I was expecting when I picked up this book. I think people who enjoy the romance genre aren't necessarily looking for a book that has a complex plot and lots of twist and turns. Rather, I think they read romances for an escape and because they want to relate to the characters.

There is no doubt that the characters in HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG are terrific. I had no problems liking Abigail and Cade (although I do wish I could have "met" Eliza because she sounded like an amazing character.) I also liked the sexual tension that the author created between them as well as their on-again/off-again relationship. In addition, I enjoyed the supporting characters especially Abigail's best friend Janet (now she was a hoot!)

There were a few things about this book that stood out for me besides the love story. I liked that Ms. Herron incorporated so much humor into the story. I think because I'm not a big fan of romances, I enjoyed that this book was kept light and the characters didn't take themselves to seriously. In addition, I appreciated that the author did incorporate a little suspense into the story with Abigail's past. There is no doubt that the book was mainly a love story, there were some other elements to it that gave it a little more depth.

The book's cover is also very cute -- but I am a sucker for books with yarn on the cover. I also really liked that there was a quote from Eliza at the beginning of each chapter. These helpful hints were not only insightful about knitting, but about life in general (and there were very appropriate to the happenings in the upcoming chapter.) Another thing I really liked was that there is a section in the back of the book called A+ Author Insights, Extras, & More... (as is the case with many Avon original paperbacks.) This section was especially appealing to me because it featured a knitting pattern for the Love Song Sweater. Now this pattern is way beyond my ability, but it sure is cute -- especially in that raspberry color!

HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG is Rachael Herron's debut novel, but many of you will know her because of her blog - Yarnagogo. I am a relatively new follower to her blog, but I just love reading about her and her knitting projects. I think because I am such a lame knitter (basically simple afghans and scarfs for me), I like to live vicariously through her projects! What some people might not know about Ms. Herron is that she received her MFA in writing, so this whole writing thing is not really new to her. I definitely appreciated her writing style and storytelling abilities, and I am looking forward to more from the Cypress Hollow Yarn series.

This evening (Wednesday, March 17th) at 7:00 p.m. ET, Rachael Herron will be Book Club Girl's guest on her BlogTalk Radio show. Set your reminder for the show here. Be sure to register at Blog Talk Radio before the show so that you can start chatting right away. You can also call in to ask questions directly at (347) 945-6149 or you can type questions into the chat area of the show. I'm really looking forward to this show, and I hope to "hear" you there!

HOW TO KNIT A LOVE SONG is a cute, fun book that will have a lot of appeal for readers who enjoy contemporary romances. Plus, it includes all those gorgeous descriptions of yarn and fibers that yarn enthusiasts won't be able to resist!

Thanks to Book Club Girl for sending me a copy of this novel.