Judy Baer Be My Neat-Heart

Be My Neat-Heart

Judy Baer

Steeple Hill, May 2006, $4.99

ISBN: 0373873670

Twenty-nine years old Samantha Smith has made a living out of her obsession for neatness. She is the queen of clutter busters and an anathema to the chaotic messes many people possess because for whatever reason they never toss or give away anything. Carver Advertising executive Ethan Carver hires Sam to organize his files before his new partner arrives next week. His friend Jared Hamilton tells him he is nuts to employ an organizer. However, Sam successfully completes the mission on time.

Jared and his partner his sister Molly are opposites as he is organized and she is clutter. When she misplaces key business papers, he heeds Ethan's advice and hires Sam to clean up the "poop". As Sam works on putting in order Molly's mess, she and Jared fall in love though he wonders how someone so efficiently organized could turn his ordered life into chaos.

BE MY NEAT-HEART is a great "Love Inspired" romance that amusingly yet poignantly focuses on the realistic issue of cluttering in and out of the office (trust me I understand Molly first hand). The lead pair is a terrific couple as he cannot comprehend why intelligent people need her consulting services and she wonders if she has found her clutter-free soulmate, but worries he will flee in terror once he meets her cat, dog, and sibling as pandemonium is their forte. Readers will appreciate this fine inspirational tale and look forward to Judy Baer's offbeat but welcome next story starring a woman who wonders whether you have hugged your iguana lately.

Harriet Klausner