Product Description

Regan O'Riley is a shy software developer who believes she'll never find a woman who can appreciate her self-admitted geekiness. Mel Raines is a lonely cop haunted by a painful past. She has spent years avoiding intimacy with anyone in her life, and she has no intention of changing.

Mel and Regan have a chance meeting in, of all places, a straight bar, and both are surprised at the instant chemistry that springs up between them. But their new connection is put to the test when tragedy strikes Mel's life, forcing her to reconsider her career and her path for the future. When Regan suggests an impromptu road trip to the American Southwest, Mel is eager to grab hold of a temporary escape from reality. But in close company, these two will be tested in ways they never expected. What will happen as they re-examine their choices and their definitions of family? Can Regan and Mel manage to get past obstacles that seem insurmountable?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16868 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-14
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 292 pages

Customer Reviews

A meticulously crafted, sweet journey with depth
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's my first Meghan O'Brien, but on the strength of this outing it will not be the last. The reviews that rate this author as a good story teller are spot on. There wasn't any big drama or plot swirling around these characters. They don't meet because Mel has a case that involved Regan. They aren't thwarting an international conspiracy. This book very softly and sweetly concentrates solely on these two and their burgeoning relationship. We get the details of their thoughts and observations. We experience their hesitations and insecurities. They are real, and behave like real people do. They aren't perfect, but they are distinct.

The strongest part of this book was how it delved into the psychology of its characters. Only occasionally I felt that we were retreading once again an issue that one character or the other had already hashed out, and thus I got a touch impatient. The author has a refreshing take on things, and presents events from a perspective that seemed to stand-out from the average romance novel. She really takes her time to develop and flesh out main characters and secondary characters, and she doesn't miss the significant moments, while at the same time moving the story along. For instance, she doesn't assume the burden of describing every sex scene in intimate detail, but still refers to them having sex frequently enough to convince the reader of the attraction these two women share. Yet at the same time she doesn't neglect the details completely. She hits enough of these scenes with plenty of steamy particulars mixed with the shifting perspectives Regan and Mel experience through their communion that the book achieves a nice balance.

These women deal with issues we all usually face at one time or another: not liking our jobs, having a hard time opening up to our friends, shyness, lonliness, painful childhood experiences. It was nice to have a book about two clear introverts. It was amusing to have Regan be a computer/video-game "geek" and have that be ok. It was so sweet how Mel and Regan were drawn to each other not through games or putting on an act, but through honesty. They genuinely liked who the other woman was, flaws and all, and accepted one another.

I enjoyed the depth of this book, and the meticulous way the author crafted it. There's not much going on apart from the internal journeys of Regan and Mel, but it was a pleasure to take the journey with two decent, intelligent, sensitive women, so that was enough.

Funny
This book was entertaining.

Reagan is a computer geek and Mel is a cop. How do those two fit together?

Come along and see how they go thru funny and serious times.

Refreshingly Different Romance
Infinite Loop by Meghan O'Brien is another refreshingly different romance novel that has hit the bookshelves lately. It is, however, the type of romance story everyone thinks they want to read, but often have second thoughts after she realizes that idealistic novels don't always entertain. It is the perfect romance story. Right? No one leaves, no one gets stalked, no one is stubborn beyond belief, and best of all - no one gets shot in the end. It's great! Well, without all the drama, what's left?

A pretty good romance, that's what. O'Brien pulls it off. Officer Mel Raines meets geeky software engineer Regan O'Riley in a straight bar and immediately they make a connection. Mel's the typical drop dead gorgeous, dark, player type with no intentions of settling down, and Regan is overly shy, geeky, but cute, and too busy to even try to fit in with mainstream society, even if she did have the confidence.

The two both have issues to deal with in their lives, and soon after their meeting they form a bond and a relationship and head off on a cross country journey. The journey represents a growing and awakening process that both must go through. Mel decides that being a cop is not what she really wants to be doing, and Regan decides that sometimes you have to step out and take a chance to find true love. Surprisingly there is still a lot going on in the story. It took me a while to read, but I kept wanting to come back to see how Mel and Regan were doing. There was no rush; they would be there safe and ready to continue their journey.

O'Brien is a good storyteller, slowly revealing bits of information about the characters through dialogue between Mel and Regan while the story progresses. We get to know them as they get to know each other. It makes the reader feel a part of the story almost. This is a great recipe for hot love scenes as well. Nothing is taboo between these two young lovers as they explore and learn about each others body.

At times it did feel a bit too perfect, but it was all very sweet. It was a nice change from all the cliches we all know and love. I don't like to compare, and the stories are not at all alike, but this book reminded me of the classic Curious Wine for some reason.