Truly, Madly by Heather Webber

Title: Truly, Madly: A Lucy Valentine Novel
Author: Heather Webber
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Lucy Valentine is as smart as can be, as single as you can get, and so not qualified to run a matchmaking service. But when her parents temporarily step down from the family business, Valentine, Inc., it’s Lucy’s turn to step up and help out—in the name of love.

Plus, her rent is due.

Here’s the problem: Lucy doesn’t have the knack for matchmaking. According to family legend, every Valentine has been blessed by Cupid with the ability to read “auras” and pair up perfect couples. But not Lucy. Her skills were zapped away years ago in an electrical surge, and now all she can do is find lost objects. What good is that in the matchmaking world? You’d be surprised. In a city like Boston, everyone’s looking for something. So when Lucy locates a missing wedding ring—on a dead body—she asks the sexy private eye who lives upstairs to help her solve the perfect crime. And who knows? Maybe she’ll find the perfect love while she’s at it…

Truly, Madly is a pleasant mixture of mystery, chick lit and romance with a drop of magical realism.  It arrives just in time for Valentine’s day as the first book in a new series by Heather Webber.  The reader is introduced to Lucy Valentine, her family, her close friends, and the former firefighter turned private detective that makes her swoon every time she touches him.

Unlike some other books I’ve read that combine multiple genres, the character of Lucy is realistic.  She thinks, talks and acts like her age.  Lucy is a practicing realist with the heart of a romantic.  She tries her best to nudge romance along for even her toughest clients.

The highlight of the book is a double-date scene straight out of a screwball comedy.  I was simultaneously giggling and cringing while reading it.  The buildup and comedic timing…. perfection.  I’m looking forward to the next Lucy Valentine book.

Heather Webber grew up in a suburb of Boston, where she learned early on how to ride the T, skip rocks in the ocean, and root for the Red Sox. As a young mother, she tried her hand at writing novels and is now an Agatha Award-nominated author. Heather now lives in southwestern Ohio with her high school sweetheart and their three children.