Title: Absolutely, Positively
Author: Heather Webber
ISBN: 9781429993487
No. of Pages: 320
Genre: Mystery
Origins: Mine. All mine.
Release Date: 1 February 2011

Synopsis:

“‘Exposed’ by a Boston Herald reporter, Lucy Valentine is suddenly the talk of the town. Long back-story short: Even though the rest of her Valentine ancestors were blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, Lucy’s only special power lies in her ability to find things. This skill has proven quite a blessing for those who come to her matchmaking agency in search of finding their long-lost loves. Now that Lucy’s secret is out, she has more new clients than she knows what to do with. But soon a certain man of mystery steals Lucy’s spotlight…

No, it’s not Sean Donahue, the sexy fireman-turned-private-eye who’s stolen Lucy’s heart. It’s a masked man in a cowboy hat, dubbed ‘The Lone Ranger,’ who’s been throwing handfuls of cash across the Common. Now all of Beantown’s abuzz. Can Lucy unmask the mysterious money man, track down all her clients’ old flames, and turn up the heat on her love life? Absolutely, positively…”

My Thoughts: The Lucy Valentine series is as close to cozy mysteries as I get. Now, I have nothing against cozy mysteries; I think they are perfectly lovely, and I can see the appeal. However, I like my mysteries with a little more oomph to them. I thought that Lucy’s telepathy was that little extra which would allow me to enjoy this series. After all, I do love me some supernatural powers.

As with most stories within this genre, the story is cute and the heroine is even cuter. There are no surprises within the story. The identity of “The Lone Ranger” is obvious upon first mention. Similarly, Sean’s commitment to their current client is equally discernible. The thing with cozy mysteries are that no one is reading them for the shock value; so, in these instances, the predictability of Absolutely, Positively is perfectly acceptable and even welcome as it allows you to focus more on Lucy and her foibles, of which there are many.

Lucy spends much of the novel loving on her pets, which is as charming as it sounds, and trying to figure out the next steps of her relationship with Sean. Her constant waffling and worry about these next steps are where the story begins to falter, unfortunately. There are only so many pages that one should devote to such obsessive worrying, and Ms. Webber exceeds that limit. There does come a time when you will want to yell to Lucy to get on with it already and just enjoy what she has. This then leads you down a path where you wonder exactly what Sean sees in such a neurotic, commitment-phobic mess. This is not exactly the vibe you want or expect in a romantic, comedic mystery.

I read the first few Lucy Valentine novels and found them sweet and quick. I have had Absolutely, Positively languishing on my electronic bookshelf for years, and I am glad that #ReadMyOwnDamnBooks pushed me to finally get to it. I was not necessarily disappointed with the faults I found so much as it confirmed that this is just not the genre for me. There is no danger, no excitement, and no real mystery. Not even Lucy’s powers could shake the “meh” feeling I had while reading. So, I will end my little flirtation with Lucy and remember it fondly as an enjoyable interlude that helped me focus my reading by an inch or two.

BOTTOM LINE: A quirky romantic cozy mystery that only proves that this genre is just not for me, even though I can see the appeal.

L