Friday, August 2, 2013

A Fresh Beginning

by Jenn Walker from the August 5, 2013 issue

Tagline: If it hadn't been for her sleepy little niece, Aimee might not have met the handsome stranger!

In a Nutshell: The new guy in the apartment building insists Aimee use the dryer in the complex's laundromat first. She has a cranky niece in her arms and he's happy to read a book on his tablet computer. They connect while waiting for the clothes to dry.

Observations: I've been meaning to say this for a while but kept forgetting. I'm noticing more and more non-traditional names cropping up in the stories, so I may have to go back and delete the tip about using traditional names from my class lectures.

Besides the somewhat trendier names, there was also some nifty technology that showed up in this story, mentioned by brand name, even--an iPad. This surprised me, but in a good way. It makes sense that young people, such as Aimee and Carter, would be comfortable using gadgets like the iPad.

I absolutely loved Carter. If you're looking to create a likeable hero that readers and the heroine can fall in love with, this guy is a good example. He was just the right amount of everything. He was:
  • kind
  • confident
  • a reader!
  • good with kids
  • cute sense of humor
If Aimee is smart, she'll reel this one in right away.

My two favorite parts were when he took the initiative to ask her to stay after her laundry was done and when he faked surprise that his clothes were dry.

Photo by LOLren (cc)

11 comments:

Chris said...

I really enjoyed this story, thought it had that magic ingredient, charm. I like that it took a fresh approach to the boy meets girl scenario, giving the characters up to date names and using modern technology that placed it firmly in the the 21st century. I think we are definitely seeing a shift in the sort of stories WW uses now and I'm all for that.

Mary Jo said...

I am ambivalent about this story. On the one hand, it is about nice people and seems fairly current. On the other, what is it? Two people sitting around doing their laundry and chatting. I got no sense of romantic attraction between them. Did you?

Unknown said...

Liked the story, the setting felt comfortable and real-life.
I was a little startled when she said 'nope' to his request for caramel popcorn.

At the start of romance, both parties usually try to please—if you want it to move forward. Are is that too old fashioned?

Pat said...

I loved this story. I agree with what Chris, Mary and Kate said except for the modern names. I thought Aimee is an traditional name spelled differently. It is a middle America story with middle America characters. I live in the northeast and I can't imagine a young guy slowing down long enough to give away his dryer time so it made me love the hero more. A simple but perfect romance.

Tamara said...

I was a little startled that she was handling his laundry without knowing him better.

Betsi said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mary Ann said...

Mary Ann said...
I was a little startled also with her handling his laundry and also her handing off the fussy baby to a stranger. Seemed a little odd to me, but then, WW bought it, and there is definitely some "suspension of belief" in these little romances. Other than that, I thought it was very cute, the hero is sweet and likeable and it's a tiny look at a chance meeting. Perfect for WW.

Betsi said...

I was more startled by the heroine handling his laundry than by the guy holding the baby. Can you imagine if it was the other way around, and he started pulling her bras and panties out of the dryer? I guess she discovered the answer to the "briefs or boxers" question. ;-)

Betsi said...

Kate, you have a voting box up for "Sunshine Tomorrow," but the story in the current issue is "Leah Makes a Plan." Did you miss an issue? Did I??

Kate Willoughby said...

Whoops. That issue got shuffled under a pile of stuff. Fixing...

Kate Willoughby said...

I lied. I can't find the Leah Makes a Plan issue, but I'm on vacation, so it may be at home. My apologies!