In THE MISSING LINK, Shanna Taylor, a divorcee with two teenage boys, rents out her studio, against her better judgment, to a man whose pure masculinity confuses her and sets her heart racing, much to her annoyance. Shanna has already had one man in her life and she has no intention of letting another wreak havoc with her comfortable, orderly life. Not immune to the magnetism flowing between them, Craig Boyd finds himself drawn to Shanna's beauty, quiet composure and affectionate spirit. Her teenage boys remind him of his estranged relationship with his own son, a casualty of his bitter divorce.

As both Shanna and Craig find their mutual attraction increasingly difficult to resist, they must deal with issues of trust, interfering ex-partners and family. Only after they are able to rid themselves of the baggage of their previous marriage experiences, will they finally be able to truly enjoy the magic of true love.

THE MISSING LINK sees Shanna and Craig dealing not only with their undeniable attraction, but also with the vagaries of teenage life. The bond between Shanna's sons is palpable. Even as they argue and tease each other, the underlying love is obvious and helps to draw the reader into the precious warmth of this small family unit. The side stories involving their children add to the entertainment value of this warm love story.

THE MISSING LINK is the one of those warm, sweet love stories – the novel equivalent to your warm and fuzzy bedroom slippers. There's not a lot of tension in the story, just sufficient to maintain interest. The characters are real and could easily be the boy or girl next door. Tenderness and warmth permeate the tale. However, while the story left me with a comfortable, warm, fuzzy feeling, it failed to draw from me the emotional response I have grown to expect of this kind of romance novel. Also, the element of “sneaking around” which characterized many of the romantic encounters between Shanna and Craig, took away some of the impact which these scenes would otherwise have had. Also, I didn't think each of these scenes had to be described in detail, as they were very similar and therefore became a little repetitive.

I feel very odd reviewing a book by a retired professor of English Literature. I somehow feel that I should be asking Dr. Dickerson for writing tips rather than attempting to review the novel of one so accomplished. I believe that in THE MISSING LINK Dr. Charlyne Dickerson has created the kind of love story that is perfect for relaxing – a good, down to earth, uncomplicated story of love. Enjoy.