1. Of course a romance series that takes place in Pittsburgh is in my library! I've read some very creative scenes that took place in the Cathedral of Learning---Chloe T Barlow is responsible for one of them.
2. Like any other Pittsburgh lifer (I am not a yinzer. . .I am not a yinzer. . .I am not a yinzer), I am always surprised when our city sounds as fair as it really is, especially in January when we have more than our share of grey days, and we pray at night that we have either a snow day or no snow at all the next morning. But we forget that PPG Place and the skating rink are a show place of glass and light, that our stadiums are first class, that Pittsburgh is an educational and research mecca, and our restaurants and skyline can't be beat.
3. Finally, I am a fan of Chloe T Barlow. She is genuine. That's why she fits in with the rest of us so well--no pretense, just a bright woman who is a talented writer, who is open to her fans, and open about her own life and struggles. She's figuring things out just like the rest of us--and with each novel in the Gateway to Love series, she gets better.
Naturally, a good romance is based on secrets--spending most of the book thinking, "just tell him," is the general common sense approach that prevents the book from going anywhere very quickly. It also keeps us guessing as the twists keep turning as the story moves ahead. In A Steel Town--Trey and Claudia have secrets. Trey's are almost criminal. Actually, they are criminal--the cyber genius that Trey is has kept him straddling that line for a while as both a case consultant for the Pittsburgh office of the FBI and as a computer hacker whose actions have been life threatening in the past.
Claudia is an FBI rookie--feisty and petite, smart and a cyber genius in her own right, but with hard-to-control Type 1 diabetes is preventing her from becoming an active field agent for the FBI. An episode of low-blood sugar while on a training exercise has given the FBI pause before putting her in harms' way. Claudia hides her insulin pump under bulky sweaters, carries Skittles in her pocket like the rest of us might carry loose change, and recognises that her condition is a full-time job in itself--one that she's dealt with since childhood. That her family is protective is an understatement, and the fact that her older brother, Wyatt, is a force to be reckoned with doesn't make life easy. But neither does her attraction to tatted, pierced and hot Trey.
While no love is lost between Trey and Wyatt, Trey has a bond with Wyatt's girlfriend, Jenna, a sports physician who asks Trey to secretly watch out for Claudia. She keeps Claudia's secret (it is the law after all) as well, which complicates Trey's developing attraction to the determined rookie as he shadows her on a tip she follows in an abandoned steel mill.
The suspense in this novel is part of the continuing investigation into the murder of Althea's husband, Jack Taylor, from Three Rivers, the first book in the series. Chloe shines in developing the action in this story--her descriptions when the story comes to a head is spot on and held me to do more than glance over the words until the scene is resolved.
Of course, we get to keep up with the rest of the crew--Althea and Griffin, Jenna and Wyatt, and what about that Aubrey? And Bax--what is he all about? And Carol--making an effort? So we have a chance to not only get updated, but also to look forward to Book 4.
The books are each standalone with the novella, Shanghai Wind, as a bridge between City of Champions and A Steel Town, and possibly the hottest of the four stories so far. Having read each, I am thrilled to see how Chloe's writing is developing--her story telling is superb, and her sensitivity to the emotions and physical struggles of her characters is honest and real. The prologue to each book sets up everything in these books every time, and that initial heartbreak is the beginning of the happy ending.
So, again, no secrets. Trey and Claudia are my favorite couple in this series--but I said that about Wyatt and Jenna is City of Champions. So, will I abandon Trey and Claudia for the next Gateway to Love couple?
And yes, I 'm biased. Chloe T Barlow has become one of my favorite people in this city--a good friend and a great Pittsburgher (and she's doesn't use yinz, either!) But if the books tanked, I wouldn't lie about them, I'd just shut up. And this series deserves a shout-out, not a shut-up!
