Books like More Than Memory

I feel torn about this book. I really liked the 1950's small-town Iowa feel. I liked the idea of two young lovers meeting again after a few years, more grown up now. And the author is a good writer. So there was a lot to like. But the MC's, as much as I liked them at first, began to irritate me and by the end, despite all the "likes", I just couldn't give it a higher rating.The biggest problem is the hero, Lute. He's hard working, takes care of those around him, helps Nelda out a lot, etc. So what's not to like? Well, every time he and Nelda get close, (and they do get close in this book a few times), he turns on her, yells, calls her terrible names and stomps off. Now I understood the first time - he's conflicted, right? Maybe he feels guilty or unsure of himself? But it happens several times, and every time he's the initiator, yet he always ends up making her feel like scum. Nelda, appropriately, becomes angry and tries to shut him out, but he manages to worm his way back into her life until - it happens again. And again. By the end of the book I wanted her to tell him flat out, "You have a problem. Don't speak to me again until you get your head together. And quit blaming me for your own actions." It didn't help that Lute disliked another man in the book and called him names that fit Lute, too. To give her what's due, Nelda tries to push Lute out of her life but the author manipulates events so it doesn't work. And that's OK - it's what makes the story, after all. But for them to get an HEA he needed to do some heavy soul searching and then grovel. Because she deserved better than what she got. So, 2 stars. :)