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Well, the ending was real cute. I saw it coming as soon as I read the synopsis. All in all, Grinder is a light read that will leave you smiling at the utter adorableness of Lettie, Bailey and Gage. This may have been a pretty cliche story, but where it lacked in uniqueness, it made up in the cuteness category.
Basically, you have a single dad who’s in the NHL, a close friend who becomes his daughter’s nanny and an absolutely lovable kid. You can practically map out the entire story from that, so I’ll move on to my thoughts.
My Thoughts
The Childhood Friendship
I am a complete sucker for couples with childhood friendships. They never fail to warm my soul, unless we’re talking about A Thousand Boy Kisses. That book uses the childhood friendship against you and turns your eyes into leaky faucets.
I know Grinder was supposed to be about two people with a 20 year friendship, but I wasn’t sold. They honestly could have passed as strangers except when we were explicitly reminded of their childhood or how Gage only trusted Bailey with Lettie.
I don’t know. It would’ve been more believable if they teased each other a bit or taken some trips down memory lane. Instead, it was instant lust between boss and nanny. Not childhood friends.
So that was unfortunate and part of the reason for my 3 star rating.
The Writing
I have nothing against the writing, but there were moments when it felt rushed and seemed to jump around. It didn’t take away from the story in general, but it would’ve flowed much better if the interactions between Bailey and Gage were developed more.
Lettie
Lettie was a 4 year-old bundle of cuteness and the savior of Grinder. She has more wisdom in her pinkie than all the players in the Seattle Sharks combined.
Lettie looked up to Bailey, then me, then back to Helen. “You’re the woman who grew me.”
“Right, and that makes me your mommy,” Helen explained, still standing at her full height so that Lettie had to crane her neck.
“Mommy’s don’t leave,” Lettie said simply with a shake of her head. There was no malice in her voice or judgement, just fact.
Ah this scene right here might have been my favorite simply because of how Lettie handled everything. Also, her obsession with The Sound of Music made so much more sense towards the end. It’s as if she had a feeling all along.
Final Thoughts
Give Grinder a go. There’s an entire team, so if you’re the type of person who likes to commit, well, you’ll be booked for a good week. The Seattle Sharks will take you further and further out to sea until you lose all semblance of sanity. They’re a package deal.
So . . . Have fun!!!