Then Came You (Gamblers of Craven's: Book One): Lisa Kleypas *UPDATED*

Ah...rereading my original review of this book (back from when I was eighteen...) really makes me cringe.  Should you be so inclined, you can find it HERE, thought I certainly don't recommend (or commend) the review.  It's rather short and somewhat painful.  Though I liked it and my younger self was able to discern some of the nuances in the plot, I think it's certainly lacking in much critical thinking.

First of all, I actually finished reading this book in June, so my obsessive-self is a bit peeved that I'm only now getting around to reviewing it.  I hate it when my monthly book count is thrown off!  I've been on my rereading kick lately and, this being one of the earlier books written by Kleypas (and available in my somewhat-lacking local library), I thought I'd give this one another go.  One thing I will say is that these characters certainly are memorable.  They made an impact on me almost a decade ago and, remarkably, they've stuck with me through the years.  I was almost instantly reminded of their nuances and quirks.  The tension -- oh the tension! -- is perhaps the real star of this book.  Very few books achieve the depth of tension that Kleypas crafted between Alex and Lily.  This personalities, lifestyles -- just about everything -- clash and brings them into constant conflict.  Their rows are powerful; almost as powerful as the invisible forces inexorably driving them together.  I really appreciate the well-disguised nature of Lily's driving force.  It made her more real and caused me to sympathize for her when I would have otherwise found her grating or far too over the top to be believable.  Alex was harsh and unforgiving, but his backstory was quite well-crafted as well, though I didn't care all that much for the ease with which he healed once Lily, er, kept him occupied enough where he couldn't distract himself from his tragic history.  I very much liked the relationship he had with his younger brother as it made him much more human (both to me, a reader, and Lily).  There is one secondary character who made an excellent impact.  Craven's dialect was artfully crafted and his personality was captivating.  His relationship with Lily was complex and, at times, it added a bit of levity to some situations.  If I remember correctly, he gets his own book in this series, though I could be mistaken.  If so, I can easily see him cast in the role of romantic hero, despite his extremely rough backstory and harsh outlook on life.

Overall, bits of the story did drag a bit.  Recovery happened whenever Alex and Lily would clash in one of their glorious battles.  This book is filled with interesting twists, feisty characters, and passion. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Kleypas.  Now that I'm reading more of her works again, I can say that I seem to prefer her older works over her newer ones -- just a thought.  Happy reading!

Note:  The name of the series in this post is slightly different than the original, which reads "Gamblers Series."  I've gotten this new title from the "book bible" (AKA FantasticFiction.com), an excellent site I reference when trying to organize books in a series and choose which one I should read next.