Vintage Housewife Books, $0.99, ISBN 978-1513027906
Contemporary Romance, 2015

One thing that is prevalent in small town romances is that the heroine must be dragged back screaming to her small town, either because she’s a failure or she has to attend someone’s funeral, and be shackled to some local guy. She will then have to pass his purity test: will she stay for good in this small town and hence proves that she is worthy of love?

I don’t see the same trope and purity test imposed on romance heroes often, and I wonder why.

Anyway, Kristi Rose’s Reason to Stay is one such romance.

Shea Baker wants to be a hot songwriter in Nashville, but the boomer upstairs doesn’t like that and smites her mother dead, forcing Shea to come back to the funeral.

Sure, our heroine has terrible memories of growing up here, and just being back is working up her nerves, but whatever. That heartless ho dares to leave her small town, which virtuous people know is just a prelude to ultimate harlotry, so Shea deserves being put through the emotional grinder.

From the moment they meet, our hero Leo Marshall belittles her ambition and appoints himself as the man that will save her from her issues.

This story has a pretty overpowering “Let the man lead the way!” vibe coupled to this take home message that the heroine’s ambition doesn’t matter so long as she has a man to take care of her. I suppose I should be more open-minded and say hey, let some people live however they want, but eh, I actually like Shea and I’d hate to see her become so reliant on a man for everything that she will end up bereft and adrift should she outlive her man.

It is a testament to the author’s style, however, that I don’t experience any severe side effects from reading this one. In fact, my reaction is more of a slight grimace here and there as I turn the pages, but on the whole, I’m okay with it. Sure, the romance feels underdeveloped and the agenda isn’t one that I cozy up to, but I reach the last page without experiencing anything more than a few muttered “Oh, please!”.

I’ll take this as a good thing. Three oogies—and a word of caution in case you guys are similarly not fond of the whole “Let the man guide your way!” take home message.