Published: June 09, 2011
Words: 99,392 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452450520

Short description

In this controversial novel, you'll meet Lyssa Smith, a woman trying to maintain a code of ethics in the cutthroat business of land development. When she stands up to a greedy developer, the truth about her offbeat family comes out, shattering her veneer of normalcy—and her dreams for the future. Her best chance to remake herself lies with Dane Callicott, a man with secrets of his own.

Extended description

Free-spirited Lyssa Smith sees her life thrown into chaos when she unwittingly exposes a plot devised by "Tank" Turnbull, a powerful land developer. But doing the right thing comes at a price, as Turnbull and his conspirators seek to save themselves by destroying her reputation, ruining her career, and exposing her secrets. With her carefully constructed life crumbling around her, Lyssa seizes the opportunity to salvage her dreams by forging an unlikely alliance with Dane Callicott.

Still grappling with the failure of his latest venture, the unconventional Highline Resort, Dane is presented with another maverick proposition, but he’ll need Lyssa’s help to carry it off. Should Dane listen to his muse and risk his family’s fortune on another visionary project, or will he return to the safe but unsustainable practices of his father?

Shackled by family expectations, battered by a series of betrayals, and blinded by impossible choices, Dane and Lyssa might very well bulldoze over.. (Read more) Free-spirited Lyssa Smith sees her life thrown into chaos when she unwittingly exposes a plot devised by "Tank" Turnbull, a powerful land developer. But doing the right thing comes at a price, as Turnbull and his conspirators seek to save themselves by destroying her reputation, ruining her career, and exposing her secrets. With her carefully constructed life crumbling around her, Lyssa seizes the opportunity to salvage her dreams by forging an unlikely alliance with Dane Callicott.

Still grappling with the failure of his latest venture, the unconventional Highline Resort, Dane is presented with another maverick proposition, but he’ll need Lyssa’s help to carry it off. Should Dane listen to his muse and risk his family’s fortune on another visionary project, or will he return to the safe but unsustainable practices of his father?

Shackled by family expectations, battered by a series of betrayals, and blinded by impossible choices, Dane and Lyssa might very well bulldoze over their one chance for happiness—unless together they can blaze a new trail forward.

This controversial novel contains strong language, love scenes, and provocative themes that some readers may find objectionable.
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Tags

womens fiction, art, controversial, baseball, phoenix, development, arizona, artists, environmentalism, land development, southwest, organic farming, green building, gay families, southwestern

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Reviews

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Review by: Sheila Deeth on Oct. 16, 2011 :
Lysistrata Smith—how could anyone be called Lysistrata? But Lyssa’s soon a very real character in Sally Bennet's Homegrown Muse, and her muse-born name is delightfully apt. She treads the complex world of ecology and development with confident skill—not to mention dealing with high finance, jealous lovers, cheating businessmen and family misunderstandings. Meanwhile she scrimps and saves her wages in hopes of saving her family, and eats ice-cream with a generous neighbor who pulls all available strings to help find Mr. Right. Unfortunately the world’s Mr. Right’s are often cunningly disguised as Mr. Wrong, and this is one of those novels where the urge to sit the characters down at a table and tell them what’s what can become almost overwhelming. Almost, but pleasingly not quite.

A new development near Phoenix blends high-tech, conservation and beauty into something Dane Callicott can surely be proud of. But why is he so unsure of himself, and why so eager to accept the complaints of his backers that he’s going to lose money? Sometimes risks have to be taken, in business and in love, and sometimes the traditional route to success leads to the wrong result.

Dane and Lyssa’s relationship mirrors the relationships between buildings and the land. When the rubble clears something beautiful will arise, something well worth waiting for. Meanwhile the reader meets two very different families and learns the strengths and weaknesses of both. Independence is good. So is a sense of belonging. And the earth is our home.

I enjoyed the characters of this book, drawn deeply enough to have flaws like the flaws in the landscape. The story’s fun. The gentle hints of marketing and finance intrigue. The family dynamics are pleasantly surprising. And the whole is an enjoyable romance with that extra something that makes it worthwhile.



Disclosure: I obtained a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
(reviewed long after purchase)

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