A contemporary romance novel with a heart of gold.
How do you find your way in the world when everything in your life is changing? That is the bittersweet riddle Laramie Buchanan is working through. Sure, not every change is bad. Getting a job where she can use her new art history degree is satisfying. Moving toward her own independence is also a good thing. But losing her mom unexpectedly is crushing. And falling head-over-heels in love with rich, handsome, persuasive Vick Varela, a man accustomed to getting everything he wants? Only time will tell. But Vick isn’t in Boulder to stay, and Laramie doesn’t want to leave, so disappointment looms. Her mother would have sound advice to help Laramie figure things out. But the only way to find out what’s ahead is to keep moving forward, no matter how painful each step feels. Laramie puts on her bravest face and tries to adapt to each new change with the curiosity and earnestness she brings to everything she does. What she wants is love and stability, but she’ll need to get her heart and mind straightened out first. What she finds is an unusual way to connect with her mother, surprising truths about her family’s past, an unexpected helping hand, and the strength to face the future.
With a delicate touch and striking fidelity, Cynthia L. Clark captures the beautiful emotional frenzy and jittery inclinations of first love in Being Laramie Buchanan. Vick is the quintessential love interest, a heady figure cast opposite a young woman so full of passion and curiosity that her feelings for him feel inevitable, despite how mismatched they are. Laramie’s enthusiasm for life and love is contagious and endearing. However, this isn’t simply a story of young love. As anyone can attest, falling in love doesn’t shield the heart from other bruises. Loss, abandonment, and the unsteady attempts at adulthood are common to the human experience, and Clark approaches those moments with an empathetic eye. Even the late-book scenes of dramatic suspense help emphasize all the ways things can go wrong, and how the right person can help steady the ground beneath our feet. A tender look at how love and uncertainty can coexist, and how a young woman learns to carry both, Being Laramie Buchanan is a contemporary romance novel with a heart of gold.
