Reviewed by Francine Zane for Readers' Favorite

In Slightly Off Balance by Kaylie Hunter, Deanna, aka Tweedle, is more than slightly clumsy, but she makes up for it with her baking ability and charisma. When childhood sweetheart Reel Thurmon comes home on the heels of one more personal disaster, this might not be due to her clumsiness. Someone may be trying to kill her. While struggling to stay alive, Tweedle battles the alpha males in her life for the autonomy she so strongly desires.

Slightly Off Balance by Kaylie Hunter is a lighthearted read filled with fun dialogue and a spider web of loosely identified clues that miraculously come together in a satisfying resolution, which ends on as clumsy a note as it begins. Tweedle will remind you of someone you know. You will see what sometimes comes across as 'dumb blonde' moments are affectionate reminders that there are really good people out there who, for all their positive qualities, still end up in the biggest messes.

As a mystery, it does not take a genius to see where the story is heading. What makes Slightly Off Balance truly spectacular is the interaction among the characters. The way the family, friends, and townsfolk pull together is downright inspirational. I would be ready to move there myself if all the good men were not already taken. I also appreciate that the love between Tweedle and Reel is not the flash of hot fire that so often dwindles to ash over time. Rather it is the strong, lasting love that will burn steady during even the darkest night.