Throwback Thursday: Dream Man by Judy Griffith Gill

Author: Judy Griffith Gill
First published in 1990 by Loveswept.  
Reissued by Open Road Media in October 2012

Wanted: Tall, mature (35-45) man, heroic in nature, preferably dark haired and blue eyed, capable of making long-term commitment. Must like children, country life, and classical music. Ability to play one or more instruments an asset. Term of employment three weekends. Apply in person to Ms. Leslie.

I have never read anything by Ms. Gill before, so when Open Road Media re-issued Dream Man, I thought I'd give her a try. One thing I did note about the original cover is that it is definitely more risque than most Loveswept from that time frame.  I enjoyed the story.  Max McKenzie is a writer who is doing a story on unusual job advertisements.  He sees Jeanie Leslie's ad in the paper and is intrigued.  He is even more intrigued by the woman herself when they meet.  

The story was definitely a little dated in Jeanie's thinking that she can't be married and still be free to pursue her dreams.  Even for 1990, I thought the thinking was a bit old fashioned.   I did like Max, though.  He works hard to get Jeanie to fall for him and he is such a likable guy that you can't help but fall for him as well. I loved his love letters to Jeanie. There is a little bit of adventure when the two get caught in a cave-in that leaves them trapped.  Do they get out?  You'll have to read to find out.  

It did seem like attempts to update the book were made, with the addition of cell phones here and there.  They really seemed out of place and unnecessary, especially since the clothing and other references weren't updated.   Dream Man is a quick read.  It is the first in a trilogy with the other two books featuring characters that show up in this one.  I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and I'll make sure to include them in a Throwback Thursday post!