All I Ever Wanted Is A House of My Own: "Biker Babe in Black" by Debra Kayn

With her long hair flying, her leather studded purse swinging, she marched away from him and rode off on a Harley Davidson...and Remy wanted her.Cursed with bad luck, and a stubbornness that gets her nowhere, Margarine Butter wants to shed her biker gypsy lifestyle for a white picket fence and a permanent address. When Remy offers her employment, she gambled with her desire for a new life and her attraction to the millionaire. Could she keep her distance and her identity secret long enough to secure her future?Business conglomerate, Remington Montgomery, couldn't believe the sexy waitress with the long blonde hair turned his money down after he accidentally got her fired from her job. So, when she whacked him with her leather studded purse and rode off on a Harley Davidson, he wanted to learn more about the woman who was not impressed by the size of his wallet. But would the price of loving her be his downfall?

We like to think that being Americans, we don't have to deal with the issue of social "class." But an honest look at the issues that divide citizens of this country along lines of wealth, occupation, and race, and it is evident that social class is a reality. Perhaps not group of individuals comes under suspicion faster than those who live as modern gypsies--the bikers. I know that there are those in my own family who refer to all bikers as "the dirty shirt boys." It has become sort of an in-house family joke, because we know that there are thousands of "bikers" who are well-heeled professionals who have their Harleys and Hondas and Kawasakis, and they don their leathers and half-helmets and take off on road trips. Yet somehow, "polite society" just can't seem to see it that way.

So when Margarine Butter--she prefers to be called "Margie"-- becomes housekeeper for wealthy and affluent, socially prominent and powerful Remington Montgomery, her entrance into polite society as Remy's "date" and sometimes hostess was not only a shock to her but a really big shock to those who were the "regulars" at parties and soirees and such. It also didn't help that the old fiance--one with a really catty way of putting people down and really long claws--made Margie's initial appearances very difficult with her put-downs and her obvious snobbery.

This novel deals very honestly with this issue of what people are in the depths of their own person, their honesty and integrity, their innate goodness, and their equality as human beings that has nothing to do with how much money they earn or have inherited, or what their family of origin may be. Knuckles and Sunflower Butter may not be yours or my idea of ideal parents, but they love each other and they made sure their daughter was loved, educated, and given a wonderful view of the world that was accepting and which saw people who who they really were and not just given value because of their bank accounts or the clothes they wore. Yet Margie is like many of us who allow the outside world to determine how we feel about ourselves. It has been said: "I am not who I think I am. I am not who you think I am. I am who I think you think I am." Thus, Margie almost loses some valuable experiences and people because she gives in to what she thinks others think of her.

This is a beautifully written novel that is entertaining and so well done that I was hooked from the first page. And like the other work from this author I have read and reviewed, I was delighted to have found this story, almost by accident, and found a story that delved deep into some of the insecurities we all face that are based on determining our own worth by what others think or by how we are viewed through their eyes. It's the kind of love story I really enjoy as it not only entertains and satisfies my ever-present desire to read a good story, but it stimulates my thinking and keeps me facing the important issues connected with being human and living in my world. It's a book that is well worth the time and effort to read and one that most lovers of contemporary romance will love. I hope you will check it out. I give it a rating of 4 out of 5.