"CHASING RED," by Lauren Winder Farnsworth, Bonneville Books, $15.99, 240 pages (f)
Ryder Redmond has decided it’s time to leave the controlling clutches of her mother and take off for the exciting unknown in New York City. A job offer with a prestigious accounting firm means all she needs to do is find a place to live with a, hopefully, somewhat normal roommate as "Chasing Red" opens.
But once in New York, Ryder realizes she isn’t as comfortable with living outside of Utah as she assumed she’d be. As she learns to navigate the necessities, like hailing taxis and choosing between banks of elevators, her out-of-state naivety endears her to many.
Then Ryder meets Damian Wolfe, the most gorgeous hunk of manhood she’s ever laid eyes on. When Damian starts pursuing her, Ryder thinks her dreams have come true. But she can’t understand why both her roommate and work friend seem to mistrust him. Damian takes her out to nice restaurants, treats her like gold and even shares her same faith as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Then Ryder’s mother calls, bent on restoring their damaged relationship, and Ryder finds herself adding a mom with a changed attitude, a hefty work schedule and a new church calling into her life. But she still can’t figure out why everyone seems to favor Hunter Payne, the charismatic lawyer at her work, over her dazzling boyfriend.
Author Lauren Winder Farnsworth’s LDS romance is a well-written, fun read. The characters are memorable and easy to relate with and the witty dialogue makes each page a fun journey. This light-hearted romance novel is a great example of clean writing at its best.
“Chasing Red” has clean language and one minor violent scene. Romance is limited to kissing. Many of the characters in “Chasing Red” are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and try to live its values.
A native Utahn, Farnsworth is a graduate of the University of Utah. She and her husband live in South Jordan.
Elizabeth Reid has bachelor's degrees in economics and history. A wife and mother, she loves learning people's love stories and blogs about her own at agoodreid.blogspot.com.