cover image Loving You is Easy

Loving You is Easy

Wendy S. Marcus. Loveswept, $2.99 e-book (276p) ISBN 978-0-553-39123-7

Marcus (The V-Spot) introduces Brooke Ellstein, a sweet junior high school teacher who convinces herself that she’s in love with her soldier pen pal, Shane Develen. He’s adamant that he doesn’t want a girlfriend, but he’s not above pressuring Brooke for sexy pictures. When she acquiesces, he flashes them around to his buddies—and when he’s injured in combat, another soldier wastes no time claiming the photos and putting them online. Misunderstandings and exaggerations escalate the embarrassing situation. Brooke flees to Shane’s family for shelter from the media firestorm, but Shane is also at their house recuperating, and the two are thrust into near-constant conflict. Brooke’s unilateral decision that they should be a couple butts up against Shane’s attitude, which vacillates between misogyny and worship, as the two of them try to figure out a future they can live with. While some moments are enlightened and even sweet, most of the story is a sad exploration of immaturity better suited to Brooke’s adolescent students. [em](Dec.) [/em]