Rum & Raindrops by Jean Oram

From Goodreads:
One nature guide. One accidental forest fire. And one steamy investigator hot on her tail.

Jen Kulak's good at running from her problems, so when she finds her best friend and boyfriend in bed together she burns rubber, never looking back. When Jen finds the quirky town of Blueberry Springs, she finally feels as though she's found a place she can call home, settle in, and get to know herself. With help from her boss, she rediscovers her love of nature and begins giving wilderness tours, which would be perfect if it weren’t for the fact that she may have accidentally just burned down the forest she depends upon for her fledgling business. And it would figure that Rob Raine, the man of her dreams, also happens to be the fire investigator hot on the case.

Can Jen find the strength to fight the accusations that could cost her everything? Or will she run again, ignoring the sparks that fly between her and Rob, and torching her chances at a happily ever after?

My Take:
I really like Jean Oram's style. Her books are easy to read, easy to get lost in someone else's world and troubles. This one was no different. I immediately liked Jen and Rob.

Jen is a bit of a mess. She doesn't trust anyone, and yet she's still this likable person. You can feel the hope she still has that she will one day find something better than what her history tells her is life. She struggles to stay in Blueberry Springs when everything starts to fall apart. It feels like home, but she feels responsible for the fire. She's certain she didn't start it, but she figures everyone else thinks she did.

Rob is just an all around good guy. He makes you smile in spite of yourself. He's serious about his job though and he knows getting involved with Jen would make things even worse. His heart doesn't quite listen though. The two of them investigate the fire and things just get worse and worse.

The ending to this one was realistic and worth the wait.

I give Rum & Raindrops a solid 4.

1-5 scale and what it means:
1: I couldn’t even finish it / just plain bad
2: I hope I didn’t pay for this / disappointing
3: I didn’t hate it, but it was still missing something / forgettable but inoffensive
3.5: On the line between good and ok / like, not love
4: Solid mind candy / worth reading
4.5: So very close to perfection! / must read
5: I could not put it down and I’m still thinking about it! / a true treasure