Book Review: Stealing Adda by Tamara Leigh/5 Stars

About the book:

Life for Adda Sinclaire, New York Times best-selling author, Historical Romance Writer Extraordinaire, ironically reads more like a country song than a bodice-bursting, breathless affair. For starters, she has no actual romance in her life. That might have something to do with the fact that her husband--correction-EX husband--ran off with Stick Woman, whom everyone knew would never be more that a mid-list author anyway. To add insult to injury (and another verse to the country song), he not only took their dog but gave it to her. If this isn't enough, Adda's come down with a horrible case of writer's block and finds herself the unwitting target of a romance cover model's misdirected (and completely unreciprocated) amorous advances.

Just when she catches her breath--and quite possibly the eye of a certain fabulously good-looking man--her arch-nemesis gives the pot one final stir.

My thoughts:

Ok, it's time to officially add Tamara Leigh to my list of favorite authors!  I love her stories, her style, and her fabulous sense of humor.  Her books fall a little bit into the chick-lit genre and a little bit into the romance genre, but by the time I finish one, I'm a fan of the "I-don't-care-what-you-call-it-it's-so-good-I-wanna-read-it-again" genre.  (Wow, what a mouthful!)

I became a fan of Tamara's right after reading Splitting Harriet (which was just as great of a read as this one).  But before reading this book, I honestly had no clue that Tamara Leigh had once been a successful, mainstream romance author.  After I read Stealing Adda (along with a few book reviews of it, too), the light bulb went off in my head that this book very easily could've been her journey through the world of writing.  Everything was so spot on--the deadlines, the writing conferences, the agent phone calls, the best-seller lists, the red pen of death from the editor--that I felt like I was in the midst of all that drama right beside Adda.

But let me tell ya...that just barely scratches the surface about how great this book was!  I cannot believe how many times I could not stop laughing!  And I'm not talking about a little chuckle, either.  I'm talking about LOL funny!  Adda had these very "unique" names for people (mostly for people she didn't like) that summed them up to a T.  "Stick Woman" was a personal favorite of mine, as well as Adda's friend, "Puffer"...better known as Joyce.  "Prim" and "Improper" stole the show a few times, too.  :o)

As great as the humor was, the romance was enough to make me weak in the knees.  Goo.... (you'll know what I mean after you read it for yourself).  :o)  "Chocolates" was every girl's dream guy, even if he had a tendency to be non-committal a good portion of the time.  The chemistry between him and Adda was the kind that would have you imagining fireworks in the background...it was that good! 

But seriously....this book is the kind of book I would give to someone that wants a great story, but maybe they're not a Christian.  It showed the journey from non-believer to believer in a very real way that wasn't preachy or "church-ey."  Instead, the Christian characters that were featured had a genuine faith that was just part of their personality.  They weren't trying to witness every 5 minutes, or saying "I'll pray for you" all the time.  They lived their faith by example instead of trying to cram it down your throat.  What a refreshing change.  :o)

So, with all that said, I think there should be a Tamara Leigh Fan Club, and I very seriously doubt that I would be the only member!  Anyone else wanna join?  (Er....maybe we should ask Tamara what she thinks first.....)

5 Stars (as if you had to ask)  :o)

Southern?  No
Sass?  Oh, my!!  Heaping loads of it!

More favorites by Tamara.....

**Click here if you'd like to read my review of Splitting Harriet.
**Click here if you'd like to read my review of Leaving Carolina.