Could've Said Yes A Thistle Bend Novel by Tracy March

Tracy March continues her series about romance in a small, mountain town in Colorado with Could've Said Yes. This one features an attractive artist, Ellie London, who encounters a nunky EPA inspector, Collin Cooper who is temporarily in town to investigate pollution leaking from a site in the area. The two meet up when he’s out mountain biking and she encounters him and takes his photograph. She has an art technique of painting in photographs that I really had a hard time picturing, but we’re assured that the touched-up photos are striking.

The two are attracted to each other and find that they share a lot especially in their love of nature. Then there is a terrible environmental accident that threatens the economy of the town and Collin seems to be at fault. Think of last year’s horrible Gold King Mine disaster in which the EPA truly was at fault. He has to fight to minimize the damage as well as the politicking from the EPA. I thought it was rather interesting that, for a book with a definite environmentalist focus, it was still very critical of the work by the EPA.

Collin has to overcome his own fear of serious romance since he’s coming off of a failed engagement to a woman who is nothing like Ellie. He’s rather chicken, but we know he’ll come around in the end. I’m not too fond of the plot device where one of the characters has such cold feet from a former relationship that he or she thinks the best thing is just to abandon the new love interest for her/his own good. Do people really do that these days? But the interactions between the two are basically enjoyable so, overall, I recommend this book.

I was provided a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.