Truly, Madly Manhattan (2-in-1: Dual Image • Local Hero)

I guess I just don't get Nora Roberts. I don't see the appeal of her books but obviously lots of people do. The romantic situations just seem so pat and I was frankly appalled at the lack of precautions taken for the sexual acts. Although I could understand that better when I realized that, although this book was published in 2003, the original novels were written in the 1980's and heterosexuals then had just not learned the hard lessons about HIV and STDs. I did like the interactions between the child and the adults in both stories. I also learned a fair amount about the acting life from Dual Image.

Contains the two books Local Hero and Dual Image

The First of the two, Local Hero, has a comic book writer as the hero. A fun engaging book. Mitch Dempsey lives downstairs from the single mom Hester Wallace whose son, Radley, is one of Mitch's biggest fans. She's a little marriage and relationship shy from having Radley's Father walk out on their marriage. 4/5

The second is weaker but also fun. An actress who is a force of nature meets a director who has been badly burnt by a previous relationship and has written a film about it. Fun and interesting. 3/5

Cartoonist and writer Mitch Dempsey lives with his dog Taz in an apartment block. Living the next storey down is divorcee Hester and her son Rad. With a little unwitting help from Rad, Mitch uses his charm and wit to overcome Hester's reserve.
Great dialogue between Rad and Mitch, very funny in places.
Entertaining. (Local Hero)

Light reading but nice characters. I especially liked the first of the two stories, Local Hero. What was really nice was the friendship between the lead male Mitch and the lead female's son. That friendship was almost as much a part of the story as the romance. The second story was a romance between opposites. Pleasant reading.

Romance