Love On The Line by Deeanne Gist- A Review

Love on the Line is a masterfully written tale. Deeanne Gist takes us to small town Texas with this story of switchboard operator Georgie Gail and Texas Ranger Lucious Landrum aka Luke Palmer. Georgie Gail is an independent woman working in a man’s world. She’s headstrong and doesn’t let anyone push her around. She’s also a bit quirky and has an undying love for Birds. Lucious Landrum is a Texas Ranger working undercover to infiltrate a notorious gang of train robbers. He goes to the town of Brenham undercover as Luke Palmer, a telephone repairman. Luke expects to tangle with telephone wires and robbers. What he doesn’t expect is to tangle with the strong willed lady telephone operator.  Luke and Georgie are about as different as you can get. The only thing they have in common is stubbornness! But you know what they always say, opposites attract. ;)
 
This story is part comedy, part romance, and part drama. It’s got everything you could want in a good book. There are parts where you laugh out loud, parts where you swoon with Georgie and Luke, and there are parts that have you at the edge of your seat. I’m not naming specific details because I don’t want to give away any spoilers! Two scenes in particular had me totally in suspense and caught me by surprise. I certainly did not see that ending coming! You HAVE to read it!!
 
 Deeanne Gist is meticulous in her characterization and that's what builds this into a memorable read. Her characters are real and lovable. The dialogue is witty and enjoyable. Gist does her homework and research, this shows in her writing. I loved the Texas Ranger theme Gist used for both this novel and her Fair Play novel. I find the Texas Rangers’ history fascinating, so my interest is always sparked when I hear that a book features the Texas Rangers. 
 
 I find it very easy to relate to and love Gist’s lead male characters. They aren’t perfect, but they’re all genuinely great guys. I also see a trend in her books, where the male tends to bend to the females will. Gist creates strong, independent (sometimes too independent) females, who tend to be a bit stubborn and often refuse to give up their goals and dreams for a man. This means that the man ends up having to give up his goals/dreams in order to be with the lead female. It does work out as far as Gist’s novels go, the stories always ends happily. My only issue would be the fact that I just don’t think it’s fair that the male usually has to give up his job or something else he loves in order to be with the female. I would like to see a few stories where the female makes the sacrifice. But, like I said before, I LOVE Deeanne Gist’s novels and I enjoyed reading every one of them. This novel is no exception. =)
 
 This is a clean romance with a Christian theme to it. There is definitely sexual tension between Luke and Georgie, but they practice self-control. This is another thing I love about Gist’s novels, they are REAL. The characters are like us, they’re not too sugary or fake. The author has a talent for making you feel what the characters are feeling. You’re drawn into the book through the captivating and engaging writing. I’m one of those people who love reading the Author’s note and Acknowledgements as well. Deeanne really gives us insight as to what it takes research wise to write a historical novel.  I’d recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable read. =) 
 
***Stay up to date with Deeanne Gist: www.IWantHerBook.com ******