Review: "Go Small or Go Home" by Heather Wardell

When I first received my Sony eReader for Christmas I have to admit that the thing that I was most excited about was the fact that I could now read all of Heather Wardell's novels (which are now all available in paperback- go figure!). Heather is one of my favourite women's fiction authors, and she's Canadian, which is of course a bonus. She kindly sent me a copy of each of her books that I haven't read yet, including Go Small or Go Home and her upcoming release Stir Until Thoroughly Confused. I couldn't wait to devour both, but Heather suggested that I start with Go Small or Go Home since some of the characters make a reappearance in Stir Until Thoroughly Confused.

This story is about Tess, a massage therapist whose passion is making miniature art in her spare time. When she's hired as a private masseuse for Forrest, a hockey player with injuries that go deeper than the outside, she has no idea what she's getting herself in to. As Forrest starts to heal, externally at least, Tess begins to focus on her art, which she hopes to make a career out of. When Forrest introduces her to his art- gallery- owning mother, it's Tess' dream come true. She has a shot of making a career out of her passion. But when Forrest's mother starts imposing rules and restrictions on her work, can Tess find the passion for it that she once had? And what will she do with the feelings that she finds she has for Forrest?

I'm going to go out on a limb here, since I still have two more of her books to read, but I'm going to say that Go Small or Go Home is my favourite book by Heather Wardell so far. The chemistry was so palpable that I expected my eReader to burst into flame at any moment. And Forrest. Well, swoon. He was the perfect man that you love to love. He's damaged, but underneath it all the fact that he's a genuinely good guy with feelings for Tess clearly comes through.

Heather Wardell is the queen of believable dialogue. One of my biggest bookish pet peeves is when dialogue is choppy or awkward, but the voices of Tess and Forrest and all of the secondary characters were realistic. While I was reading I could almost hear their voices in my head.

Go Small or Go Home also has laugh-out-loud funny scenes and its share of heart-pounding moments, making this one the complete package. It's available in a variety of electronic formats for only $0.99, so what are you waiting for? This one's a must-read for any women's fiction fan.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5
Challenges: 2011 100+ Reading Challenge, 2011 E-Book Challenge, The Canadian Book Challenge 4