From The Hat Down by Andi Marquette

A follow on from the novella From The Boots Up

It’s ten years on from the last time we met with Meg Tallmadge. A lot has happened during those ten years. Meg is now a qualified veterinarian working in a clinic in Laramie, Wyoming. Meg loves her job, has lots of friends and goes home frequently to the family ranch, the Diamond Rock, her father, Stan owns.

There is one fly in the ointment of Meg’s mostly well ordered life. Well, two if you count her recent break up with her ex girlfriend Kate. Meg’s mother Irene is the biggest fly. Her constant homophobic remarks, her denial of Meg’s lifestyle and the way she keeps on setting Meg up with various eligible men, really gets Meg down.

After Meg’s break up with Kate, she begins to wonder why she is so unsuccessful with maintaining relationships. Which in turn sets her thinking about her past.

Ten years previously, Meg had met Gina, the woman she thought was the love of her life, her soul mate. Meg and Gina had been together two years when circumstances forced them to part. Meg hadn’t really got over her.

Gina is a successful journalist, living and working across the world. Although Gina always sends Meg a birthday card, they have very little contact at all. So, why is Meg thinking so much about Gina now? Second chances, even supposing Meg and Gina wanted one, only belongs in films and books, where the audience wants and expects a happy ever after ending.............Doesn’t it?

I loved From The Boots Up and was eagerly waiting for From The Hat Down to be published. It was well worth the wait. If you love a well written and edited, heart warming, modern day western with cowgirls and romance, I’m sure you’ll love this book. There is no need to read From The Boots Up first, although you will be missing out on a great story if you don’t.

The two main characters, Meg and Gina are simply meant for each other. But, will they see this or will they miss their chance of true love? We follow their story in this beautifully described scenic book. Follow their ups and downs and every day lives with never a boring moment. They are both fully developed characters and there is a wealth of secondary characters bolstering up the story. My all time favorite is the dog, Moonshine, a typical old and faithful dog with a mind of his own.

There is so much going on in this book. It is not fast paced, but slow and sensual allowing the reader to really get the feel of the story. Although there is a lot of angst, there is also a lot of laugh out loud moments and good fun throughout.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Andi Marquette in the future.