Love Gently Falling By: Melody Carson

Book Description....

"Rita Jansen is living her dream as a hairstylist in Hollywood when her father calls with news that her mother has suffered a stroke. When she gets home to Chicago, Rita finds her mother is healing but facing a long recovery. Worse, without being able to run their family-owned salon, her mother could lose the business. Rita decides to help, but she only has until Valentine's Day to come up with a plan.
As Rita takes her mother's place at work, the nearby skating rink she loved as a child brings back fond memories. Rita also finds herself renewing friendships with her childhood best friend, Marley, as well as her classmate Johnny. Although they now lead such seemingly different lives, Rita is surprised by how well she and Johnny connect and how far he will go to help her. Though Rita believes Johnny is only being kind, with romance kindling in the air and on the ice, their friendship may just fall into something more." 

Title:  Love Gently Falling
Author:  Melody Carlson
Publisher:  Center Street
Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean
Rating: 5
Review:

"Love Gently Falling" by Melody Carson

What I liked about this novel....

This was a good read of how one family member really makes a difference in her life after her mothers has had a stroke.  I loved how this author show such affection that she [Rita] had for her family. We find that Rita was a hair stylist in  Beverly Hills and  has come back home  to Chicago to be with the family due to the fact that her mom has had a stroke. What I especially liked about this read was after seeing how the bad conditions were in her mom's hair shop Rita decides to do something about it in just the few weeks Rita was to stay in Chicago.  I liked how Rita felt that since her Mom had supported her dreams it was now her turn to help out.   Now, what do you think Rita was wanting to do?  Now, this is the part where I say you will have to pick up "Love Gently Falling" to see what all Rita has in mind to do and will she be able to do it?    It was a great story interest in how Rita was able to get the tasked done in just the short time she was there in Chicago.    I found all the the characters for the most part were all well developed, defined, well portrayed and very believable giving the reader a well told and written storyline.

The story will also dwell on old friendships...well this is the part that gets somewhat sticky for me. Were these really all her friends?  There was one  that  seemed sort of flaky at times, Johnny was a likable person ... [could Rita find love with him?] and then their was another one that wasn't really a pleasant person.  Now, what was really going on in all of this? Were there some fences that needed to be mended and if so by whom?   All I will say is that you will have to pick up the read to see for yourself who really was Rita's friends.

By the end  of "Love Gently Falling" will Rita be able t get her Mom's shop 'Hair and Now' in top shape?   Will she renew old friendships and possibly get a different future than she had planned?  One thing for sure you will get a ending that will have you wondering...at lease it was for me?  

What else I liked...

I found this author wrote a quick, very sweet light hearted love story that was in time for the Valentine Holiday that really fitted very well with the story. Also I liked how including  the return of the skating Ice Ring that had reopened after all these years  that was located outside the 'Hair and Now'  hair shop...would this be  there for Rita to find love?  If you are looking for a clean read where loyalty to the family comes first then you have come to the right place for good read  "Love Gently Falling" that I would recommend as a good read.