The View From Here by Cindy Myers

The View from Here
by Cindy Myers
Publisher: Kensington 
Publication date: November 27, 2012
Genre: Adult Contemporary
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

In this heartfelt, beautifully written novel, a woman with nothing left to lose finds the courage to start over in the last place she ever expected…Newly divorced Maggie Carter has little to show for her marriage except a pile of boxes and regrets. So when she learns she’s inherited an old house and an abandoned gold mine in Eureka, Colorado, she doesn’t hesitate to leave Houston behind. In Colorado, she can learn about her estranged father and take stock of her life. After all, where better to decide what your next move should be than in a cabin 10,000 feet above sea level? Eureka is a tiny hamlet with a café, a library, and plenty of intriguing locals. There’s the colorful town mayor, Lucille, and her prodigal daughter Olivia, bitter librarian Cassie, and handsome, enigmatic Jameso Clark, who had a fascinating love-hate relationship with Maggie’s father. Then there are the soaring views of distant mountains and clear blue sky, of aspen trees and endless stars. Piece by piece, Maggie is uncovering her father’s past—and reconciling with her own. And in this small mountain town, she just might find a place where she truly belongs.

The View from Here takes place in the small town of Eureka, Colorado and shares with us Maggie’s story and those of some of the townsfolk. It is the debut novel of Cindy Meyers and it was absolutely delightful. I have to tell you I am very excited to have found this author and look forward to reading more of her work. With fleshed out characters, growth and small town drama this tale completely captivated me and had me longing to see the mountainside of this small mining town.

The tale begins when we meet recently divorced Maggie Carter. She is boxing things up after the sale of her home and planning to travel to recover from the loss and the grief. She receives a package from a lawyer advising her she is the sole heir to a cabin, gold mine and two vehicles. All of it belong to the father she never knew and strangely he left it all to her. With no set plans, she decides to head to Eureka and learn more about her father. She thinks this will be the perfect place to reevaluate her life and what she finds is so much more.

I connected with Maggie and loved the growth we see in her throughout the novel. The author does a great job of fleshing Maggie out and I had a real sense of who she was. Jameso is a biker, a bartender and a ski instructor. He is also smokin’ hot and troubled. In his thirties, and ex-military he was friends with Maggie’s father. The banter and chemistry between these two was funny and the relationship that developed felt genuine. I loved the townsfolk of Eureka and learning the history of each of them. In addition to Maggie’s story thread there were several others. Lucille the mayor is adjusting to having her daughter move back in  with her child. She spends some time contemplating her own parenting skills and working to make amends. Cassie the town librarian is a bitter woman, who once fancied herself in love with Maggie’s father Jake. Her story was interesting and her outrageous behavior had me giggling. We meet other characters who added to the story and simple brought the town to life for me.

From the soaring Aspens to the steep roads and Maggie’s new cabin hanging over the cliffs Meyers brought this town to life. She carefully balanced details about the countryside while sharing it’s townsfolk with us.  The pacing was neither slow nor rushed and I enjoyed reading as the tale unfolded. A few twists, humor and dangerous moments added to the tale. This is so much more than a contemporary romance; it’s about new beginnings, personal growth, family and community. I am sincerely hoping the author takes us back to Eureka soon.

The View from Here is perfect for fans of small town romance with fleshed out characters. Meyers is an author to watch and I look forward to reading her next novel.

I want to thank Kensington for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this tale 4.5 cups of coffee out of 5