Sam Reed is surprised when he reads the personal ad in the paper - and intrigued. For weeks, he has been incredibly drawn to the ace reporter at the Sentinal, and now he sees his chance to get to know her better. Sam convinces Molly to pretend that they have been seeing each other for a while, so the townspeople and editorial staff at the paper will believe that they only had a lover's quarrel that led to the publication of the now-notorious want ad. Only Sam doesn't want this relationship to be a pretend one at all...
Sam and Molly were both interesting characters. Molly is impulsive (as evidenced in the want ad placement), energetic, and warm. Sam, on the other hand, holds himself aloof, likes to think things through (sometimes he thinks way too much), and more sedate. Not only are Molly's and Sam's personalities completely opposite, but they come from different environments and have different goals in life. Molly loves her small-town life, her close-knit family, and the people of Payne. Sam grew up in Boston, the illegitimate son of a newspaper tycoon, and is not nearly as trusting as Molly. He also has little sense of permanence and forever - and those are the two things Molly wants most.
Their differences set up a lot of conflict, and Molly's temper was quite interesting to watch. The book didn't sag in the middle, as so many do, and in fact the entire story was pretty fast-paced and interesting. The secondary characters were good, and I especially liked Sam's flamboyant half-sister, Taylor Reed. Best of all, this book seemed real, almost like it could really happen. So many times in romance novels, everything seems like it's taking place in some alternate universe. This book felt like something that could happen to you, or your best friend. I like that :) Excellent book, excellent love story, and a definite keeper!
Molly writes her letter of resignation in lieu of his firing her. However, Sam, already under pressure from his family since his brother Ben married to settle down, punishes Molly in a worse manner than simply canning her. After reminiscing about paper routes, he asks her to dinner as he offers her the opportunity to meet the ad's requirements. Molly seeing a new side to her employer agrees. While investigating local corruption, they fall in love, but his silver spoon past has demons that make anything permanent seem doubtful.
WANT AD WEDDING is a fun journalistic romance that fans will enjoy due to the lead couple. Molly and Sam are a fine pair sharing a love for newspapers and each other. Though the corruption subplot never fully pans out, contemporary readers will report that this novel consists of plenty of heart.
Harriet Klausner