Her Singapore Fling (Kelly Hunter)

Title: Her Singapore Fling
UK Title: Red-Hot Renegade
Author: Kelly Hunter
UK ISBN: 978-0-263-87743-4
UK Publisher: Mills & Boon
UK Series: Modern Heat
N. A. ISBN: 978-0-373-52807-3
N. A. Publisher: Harlequin
Series: Harlequin Presents Extra #143; Bennett Family #5
Copyright: 2011; 184 pgs
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Summary: Jacob “Jake” Bennett and Jianne Xang married young. He was already raising four younger siblings and pursuing his dreams of winning a world title in martial arts. Though she tried to adapt, Jianne was ill-prepared for life in the Bennett household. Their personalities, their ways, and her own history played a part in her decision to leave. Twelve years later, Jianne finds herself back in Jake’s life. A rather insistent, and unwanted, suitor is trying to court her. He’s been sending her gifts and invitations, and has even followed her to Singapore. She believes that if it looks like she’s reuniting with her husband, then her suitor will give up and go back to Shanghai.

Comments: I’ve put off reading this because I know it is the last Bennett family book and I’m sad to see it end. I’ve enjoyed the series and I’ve become a fan of the author.

Red-Hot Renegade

Jake and his failed marriage have been in the background throughout the series, so it was good to finally learn more about him and the woman he loved, and what drove her to leave him. Having read the other books featuring Luke, Pete and Tris, I can well imagine how overwhelmed Jianne must have felt.

Sometimes, I have a hard time articulating what I loved about a book and end up spending a lot of time trying to write it down, only to have wasted hours getting nowhere.  So, I’ve decided to pick two quotes from the book.  The first is Jianne, talking to Jake:

“I’m sorry I brought my problems down on you.  I’m so sorry for what this fight has cost you, body and soul.  But I’m thankful for everything that makes you what you are.  For your integrity, and your honour, and your strength that you so often put at other people’s disposal.  If Zhi Fu needs a reason as to why I could never love him, he need only to look at you.”

The second is Jake talking to Jianne.  It’s actually part of longer speech.

“I was their rock, you said, and maybe I was, but you were my rock, and things got a lot worse after you left.  For all of us.”  He took a deep breath.  “I’m sorry I neglected you.  I wish things had worked out differently.  Jianne, if there is one thing about your memory of our past that I would change it’d be your belief that you were a burden to me.  That you weren’t of any help to the family you were burdened with.  You did help.  More than you’ll ever know.”

Like the other books in this mini series, there are the light, funny moments and snappy dialogue, much of which involves Jianne’s new-found desire to shop for household items.

“We’re not talking about buying the man an island, Jianne.  We’re talking about buying him a couch.  And possibly a lamp.”

“A sideboard would work in that space too,” said Jianne.

All in all, a satisfying end to a fun series.

Start: 1 January 2012
Finished: 1 January 2012

Rating:

Loved It!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

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Not Without Her Family (Beth Andrews)

Title: Not Without Her Family
Author: Beth Andrews
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 243 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-71496-4
Series: Super Romance #1496
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Jack Marin: Serenity Springs’ police chief. A fair and honorable man. Suspects that Dillon Ward may be the murderer, as the initial evidence suggests, but the feeling he’s missing something important makes him hesitant to make an arrest — in spite of the pressure to do so. An error in judgment nearly ruined his career and he’s not going to let that happen again. Jack’s also a widower with six-year-old daughter named Emma.

Kelsey Reagan: Dillon Ward’s younger half-sister. Arrives in Serenity Springs before the murder takes place. She’s there to reconnect with her brother. The pair of them had a rough childhood. With their mother having recently passed on, all they have is each other and Kelsey is tired of being alone. However, Dillon isn’t interested in reconnecting with Kelsey. Antagonizes Jack Martin within minutes of meeting him. Has no idea how to cope with the cute, and somewhat talkative, Emma.

Roadblocks to Romance: Besides the fact he’s the police chief, she’s the prime suspect’s sister? Kelsey keeps people at arm’s length and doesn’t let people get close enough to hurt her. She was a rebellious teenager, always getting into trouble with the law. Kelsey’s deeply held belief that her behavior eventually resulted in Dillon being sent to prison has affected her self-worth. She believes herself unworthy of someone as decent as Jack Martin. And to top it all off, Kelsey’s abusive step-father was a cop, so she has a hard time trusting them.

Comments: I had a hard time warming up to Kelsey. She was almost too prickly for me. Oddly enough, it was her uneasiness around Emma that help sooth the edges for me. She didn’t develop maternal feelings for Emma five seconds after meeting her. It takes time, and some of her internal commentary is funny. Speaking of the little chatterbox, I liked the fact that Emma was a well-adjusted, normal six-year-old. I also liked the fact the Jack’s doing just fine raising Emma by himself, regardless of his ability to make cookies. He’s not out looking for a mother for his daughter.

I enjoyed the story and I really was shocked to learn who the murderer was. I didn’t guess beforehand, which is always a plus. I have two more books by this author, Wade’s story and Allie’s story. Hopefully I’ll get to them this year.

Start: 16 January 2011
Finished: 24 January 2011

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Untameable Rogue by Kelly Hunter

Title:  Untameable Rogue
Author:  Kelly Hunter
UK ISBN: 978-0-263-87735-9
UK Publisher:  Mills & Boon
UK Series:  Modern Heat
N. A. ISBN: 978-0-373-52792-2
N. A. Publisher: Harlequin
Series:   Harlequin Presents Extra #128
Copyright: 2010; 185 pgs
Sensuality:  Warm
Genre:  Contemporary Romance:

Him: Luke Bennett is the middle Bennett child — younger than Jake and Pete, older than Tristan and Hallie.  Like his immediate older and younger brothers, Luke is in a dangerous profession — explosive ordnance disposal (EOD).  Unlike Pete and Tristan, he isn’t coming off a job-gone-bad.  He freelances, so he only works when he gets a call.  However, he is feeling restless and world-wary.  Initially, Luke had planned on being in Singapore for only a week, visiting his brother.  Once he gets involved with Madeline Delacourte, he extends his stay longer and longer — in fact, a lot of time passes in this story, which sets it apart for the others.

Her:  Madeline Delacourte is a business woman.  He late husband taught her how to run a business and she’s been very successful keeping his empire up and running.  She hasn’t had any real desire to get involved with another man.  Though she has known Jacob “Jake” Bennett for ten years, she considers him a friend.  When the book opens, Madeline is visiting Jake’s dojo to ask him to take one of her homeless boys — Po — under his wing, as an apprentice.  It’s during this visit that she first meets Luke.  Right off, she can tell he is a bit wild and she’d be better off not getting involved with such a man, even for an exciting fling.

An important digression:  You really can’t talk about this book without mentioning the eldest Bennett brother, Jake.  Unlike the previous books in this mini-series, a character other than the main couple gets a lot of page time.  Luke lives with him, initially, and they have more than than one conversation.  Madeline placed one of her foundlings in his care, so she has a reason to see him and talk with him.  Another factor that makes this book different is that it sets up the next — Jake’s — book.  Both Luke and Madeline get roped into a situation that involves Jake’s estranged wife.

Untameable Rogue (HP)

The Relationship: Luke is attracted to Madeline on sight.  She’s beautiful, kind, compassionate, funny, smart.  As long as she’s not involved with Jake (Luke doesn’t poach), he wouldn’t mind getting to know her better.  The attraction is mutual.  Madeline is drawn in by his golden eyes and lazy, reckless smile.  She knows up front that he’s only supposed to be in Singapore for a week and that he’s not looking for long-term.  Neither is she.  In this way, they are very much like Pete and Serena.

The Conflict:  Luke has a knee-jerk initial reaction to learning that Madeline married a wealthy, and much older, man that she did not love.  It bothers him to know that she married for security.  He works through that issue, as he gets to know her better, but it turns into insecurity on his part.  How can he compete with a generous, good man who was able to give her all the comforts of life?  Luke makes good money, but he’s not in the same league financially as either Madeline or her late husband.  He has a simple life and he’s not sure how he can fit into her world.

For all her self-confidence, Madeline can still be hurt by the spiteful, nasty things that polite, upper-crust society says about her.  Usually, she can brush it off.  But, knowing Luke’s initial feelings in regards to her marriage, she has doubts as to his reaction to those same comments.  Would he believe them?  Would he think less of her?  Plus, there’s his job.  This passage sums up Madeline’s doubts:

“You need a woman whose honour can equal your own.  A woman with strength enough to let you go when you have to go and do what you need to do.  I can’t even manage honour, let alone the strength I’d need to love you.”

(kept the British spelling of “honor”)

What I liked:  I loved this book!  I’ll admit that Luke’s attitude in the beginning had me worried, but his obvious effort to come to terms with Madeline’s first marriage won me over.  Madeline takes him to task, early on, about judging her without knowing a thing about her, which helped.

Ms. Hunter’s books are usually a fun read, and this one is no exception.  Snappy dialog. Humorous characters and/or situations. Tristan had a love-struck cockatoo, Pete had a village of busy-body chaperons, and Luke has Yun.  Yun is Madeline’s housekeeper.  She’s an expert in fen shui and the Chinese zodiac, she’s a superb cook, and she’s very protective of Madeline.  Naturally, she’s going to be leery of Luke.

As I mentioned above, a lot of time passes in this book.  Luke does get called out on a mission and is gone for quiet a bit of time, which means Madeline gets to experience what life can be like with him, and that the couple gets their HEA after knowing each other for a few months instead of a week or two.

I wonder why there’s a Christmas bow on the Presents cover, since as far as I can tell, it doesn’t take place around Christmas at all.  I hope nobody reads this book expecting a Christmas theme.

What I didn’t like:  Uh, nothing to add.  Really.

Started: 9 October 2010
Finished: 9 October 2010

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

For the Love of Pete

Title: For the Love of Pete
Author: Julia Harper
Copyright: 2009 (Forever); 372
ISBN: 978-0-446-61918-9
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance

From the back: Free-spirited Zoey Addler is about to hijack a federal agent. And not just any federal agent, but very Special Agent Dante Torelli, a man whose designer suits and Italian shoes are more GQ than FBI. But when her baby niece, Pete, is snatched right in front of her eyes, Zoey doesn’t hesitate to scramble into Dante’s spotless BMW. She needs his help to rescue the baby. . .if only she can ignore his Lips of Sin. Dante’s original mission is down the drain and he’s dodging bullets with a loopy redhead by his side. He likes quiet. She never shuts up. He likes to follow the rules. She throws the rules out the window. But these opposites do more than attract — they ignite. With a henpecked hit man running wild, cooking obsessed matrons chasing down contraband spices, and a relentless killer tracking them all, Dante and Zoey will risk everything. . .

Comments: It just goes to show you how much of my attention and focus was on moving this year: the book was on my Top Ten for 2009 and I had totally forgotten that fact. Though I forgot about the list, I didn’t forget the book itself. I found it very visual. In my mind’s eye, as I was reading it, I had a little movie playing along, and that helped it stay in my memory longer. What made it visual were the many action scenes. Shortly after the book starts, Dante, with the unwanted addition of Zoey, is off on a chase to rescue Petronella “Pete” Hernandez from a kidnapper.

The book is a “road romance”. Dante and Zoey are constantly one or two steps behind whichever person currently has Pete (it changes). This being the case, there are plenty of opportunities for the two characters to talk and get to know each other.

What I liked: Dante. He enjoys the finer things in life, yet he’s not as snobby as one would think, and he even believes that Zoey thinks he’s a total loser. He’s good with children, being an uncle himself. He had the patience to deal with a crabby baby when needed and not just insist the woman take care of the child. I also liked Zoey. She comes across as flaky, and maybe even a little flighty, but she’s very devoted to both her foster sister and niece. She needles Dante about everything from his car to what he eats, but he still manages to surprise her by having more depth than a puddle.

What didn’t work for me: The final chapter, featuring the Gupta sisters-in-law. The book started with Zoey and Dante and I thought their scene together should have been the final one. They are the main characters, after all. If the scenes had been reversed — catching up with Pratima and Savita-di first, then seeing Zoey and Dante — it might have been less jarring.

I would recommend it to: Readers who enjoyed Penny McCall’s Tag, You’re it! and/or Ace is Wild.

Started: 14 October 2009
Finished: 24 October 2009

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Line of Scrimmage

Title: Line of Scrimmage
Author: Marie Force
Copyright: 2008 (Sourcebooks); 356 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-4022-1424-3
Series: N/A
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance (second chance)

Spoiler-ish:  I tried to be vague about a certain plot point, but if you’re good at ‘reading between the line’ and guessing things, read at you’re own risk.

Her: Susannah Sanderson. Susannah’s on the verge of divorcing her super-star quarterback husband, Ryan Sanderson, and marrying a man who has a normal job, and who can give her the quiet life she’s wants.

Him: Ryan Sanderson. After winning the Super Bowl for the third time, Ryan has only ten days to change Susannah’s mind before the divorce is final.

Sanderson vs. Sanderson: Susannah has long felt that she comes in second in his life, after football. The point is re-enforced when Ryan returns to playing shortly after a family tragedy. Years of worrying for his safety on the field and watching other women coming on to him all the time have fed her insecurities and compounded the problem. She’s finally had enough and filed for divorce. The judge insists on a six month cooling off period. Ryan spends that time playing football; Susannah spends part of that time planning her wedding.

In His Defense: Instead of turning to her husband in their time of grief, Susannah made Ryan feel like it was his fault. She chose to turn to her family for comfort. Hurting himself and feeling unwanted, Ryan returned to the only thing that made sense to him: football. Had he asked for it, he probably could have asked for gotten a leave of absence, but what would have been the point if Susannah was closing herself off to him, refusing to talk about things. Not helping the situation is the fact her family has never thought highly of him. She came from money; he was raised by a poor, single mother in Texas. To them, Ryan is just a dumb jock, no matter what his college diploma reads. Her family approves of Henry Merrill, the man she’s on the verge of marrying. Though Ryan is hardly perfect, he’s never cheated on Susannah nor has he ever been tempted to do so. She means the world to him, and he knows that she’s part of the reason he’s not just another over-paid prima donna with a bad boy reputation. She keeps him grounded.

Reconciliation: Talking about the tragedy and its aftermath goes a long way in starting the healing process; however, there’s Henry and his parents, and Susannah’s own family who all think that she’s making a mistake. And then there are Susannah’s own insecurities. No matter how sincere and up front Ryan is, Susannah still jumps to the wrong conclusion about him and his actions. Near the end, after Henry’s last vindictive attempt to break them up, I felt that Ryan was on the brink of falling out of love with her. He doesn’t, of course. He knows if he lets things fester and allows it to drive them apart, Henry would win.

Verdict: One of the reasons I liked this book as much as I did was the fact that, when the book starts, Ryan seems to be just another smug, alpha male jerk who thinks he can win the wounded party over with a few kisses and promises. But Ryan knows he’s screwed up big time; he is sincere and he’s willing to beg for a second chance. Once he got to tell his side of the story, I started rooting for him.

Downside: At times, I found myself wanting to shake either Ryan or Susannah — mostly Susannah in the latter half of the book — when one of them did or said something stupid. And I really would have liked to have seen someone deck Henry.

Recommend to: Those looking for a straight-forward, non-paranormal romance and those who enjoy second chance romances. It’s light on football — the season is over when the book starts — so non-sports buffs can breath a little easier and give the book a chance.

Started: 22 September 2009
Finished: 29 September 2009

LOVED IT !!

The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress

Author: Kelly Hunter
UK Title: Taken by the Bad Boy
UK ISBN: 978-0-263-86373-4
UK Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon (Modern Heat)
Copyright: 2008

N. A. Title: The Maverick’s Greek Island Mistress
N. A. ISBN: 978-0-373-12825-9
Published in N. A.: 2009 (Harlequin); 185 pgs.
Series: Harlequin Presents #2825
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Her:  Serena Comino.  Serena is on the island to fulfill her obligation to her grandparents by taken her turn at running the family-owned vespa rental stand. Her Greek relations also own a fishing boat, which is being run by her cousin Nico. Serena would rather be pursuing a career in photojournalism. She passes the time, and satisfies her inner shutter-bug, by taking photos to be used in postcards. Her family, even the Australian side, doesn’t understand her desire and considers her photography as a hobby. When she first sees Pete, she views him as someone who would be fun to pass the time with while on the island.

Him: Pete Bennett.  Pete was an air-sea search and rescue pilot. One too many “failures” — in situations he had no power to control — have taken a toll. He’s walked away from that life, but he hasn’t made any long-term plans either. He’s in perfect position to sub for a friend, with a broken leg, flying day-trippers to and from the little island. Pete’s attracted to Serena and is willing to be her distraction, but any sort of intimate relationship is hampered by the over-protective friends of Serena’s family. That doesn’t bother Pete too much. He knows a thing or two about over-protective families. After their mother died, Pete and his brothers behave similarly in regards to their baby sister, Hallie.

Taken by the Bad Boy

The relationship progress: Neither of them are looking for a long term relationship when they first meet. Serena is looking for a career and Pete isn’t looking to settle down anytime soon. But, no matter how determined Pete is to keep things casual, he ends up falling for her. He helps her with her search for photojournalism jobs and she helps him deal with his ghosts. Serena also encourages him to return to Australia, and air-sea search and rescue.

The conflict: Just as he’s made the decision to return to his old job, hopefully with Serena at his side, Serena is offered a job in Athens.

What I liked: Pete. He’s a great guy. Good-natured, as he puts up with the crazy locals sabotaging his attempts to be alone with Serena. He supportive of Serena and understands and appreciates her dreams of being a photographer.

What I didn’t like: As it is sometimes the case, the Presents title is a little misleading. It gives the wrong impression about Pete and Serena’s relationship. A more accurate title would have been “The Maverick’s Greek Island Fling”. Pete is not married or in some other serious relationship, and Serena’s is in no way his mistress.

Miscellaneous:

• This is the 3rd book featuring one of the Bennett siblings. Previously, we met Hallie (Wife for a Week) and Tristan (Bedded for Diamonds).
• There will be two more books, featuring Luke Bennett and Jake Bennett, in 2010 (UK release).
• I know I’ve said this before, but Kelly Hunter is still my favorite Presents author. Her books are fun to read.
• There is a secondary romance between Nico and Chloe, the woman who runs the little hotel. Her young nephew Sam, befriends Pete.
• Jake, Luke, and Tristan make an appearance in this book.

Recommended to: Those who wish to try a Presents book, but are leery of over-the-top alpha men, billionaires, etc. Pete’s almost an ordinary guy. And Serena is a strong heroine: she not afraid go after the things she wants.

Favorite Quotes:
“Wedding photographer in Vegas?”
“Only if I’d be working for Elvis.”
“It’s possible.”
– Pete, Serena (looking at jobs for her)

“A British rock god needs a helicopter pilot to keep on retainer.”
“Just shoot me now.”
– Serena, Pete (looking at jobs for him)

Started: 31 August 2009
Finished: 6 September 2009

Rating:

Liked A Lot

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

The Wallflower

Title: The Wallflower
Author: Jan Freed
Copyright: 1999 (Harlequin); 296 pgs.
ISBN: 0-373-70790-8
Series: Harlequin Superromance #790
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Sarah Davidson and Jack Morgan
Where: Houston, Texas

From the back: Sarah Davidson is the lone witness to a brutal murder. After the killer makes an attempt on her life, she’s put under police protection. But one of the cops turns on her, she’s forced to hide in a place no one would ever think to look. Sarah’s solution? Roosevelt High. She’ll masquerade as a high school senior and try to blend in. But no one can ignore the “cool girl from California”. Especially not Jack Morgan, her English teacher. Under ordinary circumstances, he would be the perfect man for her. But he’ll never look at her as a woman unless she reveals her true identity — and if she does that she just might end up dead. What’s a girl to do?

Comments: The best way to describe this book is that it is a cross between Hiding Out and Never Been Kissed. The title refers to Sarah when she originally went through high school. She’d been overweight and shy. Her college roommate, Donna Kaiser, helped her overcome her problems and Sarah is now an image consultant in a public relations firm. Donna is an assistant principle and it is her idea to hide Sarah as a high school senior in her school.

Sarina Davis, as Sarah is now known as, is nothing like the eighteen-year-old, Sarah. Used to speaking her mind and being taking seriously by adults, “Sarina” gets off on the wrong foot with Jack Morgan, her English teacher. He’s strict and Sarah thinks he’s uptight. However, she’s a hit with many of the students, especially the misfits. Sarah decides to befriend and help several of these students as much as she can while waiting for the trial.

One of the students she befriends happens to be Jack’s much younger sister, Kate. Their father died while Jack was still in high school, leaving behind a pregnant wife. Jack stayed with his mother instead of going off to USC — Jack’s dream is to be a screenwriter. He went to night school and became a teacher. Every chance he gets, he works on his screenplays. He likes teaching, but lately, he’s been unhappy with his life. His sister is at a difficult stage (she’s fifteen) and their mother is always critical of Kate, comparing her to Jack, and not being an effective parent. He’s also waiting to hear from his agent about a script he submitted. And if that wasn’t maddening enough, the new female student is having an alarming effect on him.

At first, Sarah isn’t that interested in him. She calls him Moses (he has a set of personal ten commandments on his class room wall) and  is critical of his boring clothing and his aftershave. She’s more than happy to let Donna have him; she’s been interested in him for years. However, the more Sarah gets to know him, her feelings begin to change. She’s forced to reveal her true identity to him.

I really enjoyed this book. There wasn’t instant attraction, and I’m glad the author chose that route. Instead, Sarah feels guilty about her growing feelings for Jack, due to Donna’s long-standing interest in him. Jack fights against it first, because of the inappropriateness of the situation, and later because of his potential career change. I also liked that Jack discusses with Sarah whether leaving Texas for Hollywood (without his sister and mother) is the right thing to do, and Sarah — heart hurting — tells him that he’d eventually regret it and come to resent those who mean the most to him.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. And like the previous one, there are secondary romances going on in the background. Kate gets her very own knight in shining armor, and even Donna isn’t left heartbroken.

Started: 18 August 2009
Finished: 31 August 2009

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

The Contestant

Title: The Contestant
Author: Stephanie Doyle
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 286 pgs.
ISBN: 0-373-51366-6
Series: Silhouette Bombshell #52
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Talia Mooney and Reuben Serrano
Where: South Pacific

Four and a half years after competing in her last Olympics, diver Talia Mooney finds herself participating in a different kind of competition. In an effort to help her treasure-hunting father pay off his debts to some shady people who plan to do bodily harm if they are not repaid, Talia signs up to compete on Ultimate Endurance, a new reality TV series. A group of eight contestants (four men and four women), two cameramen, and the host are dropped off on a tropical island. Through a series of competitions, the contestants will be eliminated, one by one, until there is only one remaining. The prize is a million dollars.

But things do not go smoothly. The competition has barely started when Evan — their host — informs them that, around the same time they left Hawaii, some one murdered an up-and-coming actress and made off with several millions-worth of jewelery. The police believe the murderer fled on one of ships that sailed that same night — including their yacht. Evan reassures the group that the captain searched the ship after receiving the warning and no castaway was found. As far as Evan is concerned, there is no need to worry — the game can continue. This doesn’t reassure anyone. Several members of the show were late additions, including Evan. Regardless, any one of the cast and crew could have done it, knowing they’d be sailing away from civilization for an extended period of time.

To say more about the plot might give it away, so I’ll leave it at that.

As for Talia and Reuben, both are at a crossroads in their lives; both are looking to be something other than what they were before, but for different reasons.

After her last Olympics, Talia went to school to be an accountant. After a lifetime of living on a boat, camping on tropical islands, and spending all her time in a bathing suit, Talia is looking for a normal, serious life. One where she can wear business suits and nice shoes; where she can have an apartment on solid ground and normal furnishings. Talia wants a life that she believes her mother — who died long ago — would have wanted her to have. Though Talia knows her mother loved her father very much, she can’t help believing her mother would have preferred living like a normal person. Yet, since graduating, Talia hasn’t been able to get a job. Nobody who has interviewed her for entry level positions can believe someone like her — her silver medal is listed on her resume — would be content to spend all day behind a desk, in front of a computer, crunching numbers. So far, no one will hire her, based on her background.

Half Irish, half Puerto Rican, Reuben comes from a family of cops. The only reason his maternal grandfather didn’t chase Reuben’s father off, when he starting dating his mother, was the fact that he was a cop (and Catholic). Reuben’s uncles are cops and his three brothers are cops. Being a cop was all he knew how to be. After getting shot though, Reuben had time on his hand to seriously reevaluate his life, and to decide if he truly wanted to return to the force, or if there was a dream he wanted to pursue instead Turns out, there was, but he needed ready money. He learned about the reality show from a fellow Iron Man competitor, and jumped at the chance to sign up.

Reuben is very blunt and a bit of jerk. He calls Talia “sugar” and “sweetheart”, and lets his intention be known. It was lust at first sight for him, but it has developed into something deeper. He’s reached a point where he’s thinking about a long-term commitment and finding away to have Talia in his life. He’s observant enough to know that Talia clamped down her own instant attraction to him and to know, even if she can’t figure it out, that she wouldn’t be happy confined to a cubicle. For her part, Talia initially fights the attraction because Reuben isn’t the safe, serious (boring) type she pictures herself married to; he doesn’t fit into her safe, serious (boring) future plans.

I really liked this book. I even liked Reuben, though he is a bit hard to take in the beginning. He has no problem with Talia taking the lead in situations where she has more expertise. It soften the alpha male tendencies somewhat. The rest of the characters are stereotypes, but that’s to be expected because even on reality shows, that’s what the contestants seen to be anyway. I had a hard time putting the book down. I didn’t guess who the murderer was right off and that kept me turning the pages.

Started: 10 July 2009
Finished: 11 July 2009

Rating:

Liked A Lot

~~~~~~~~~
30 Aug – KMont – I’m not a big fan of these kinds of reality shows, but somehow it sounds like it could make for a good book setup. Glad you enjoyed your category read this month! I’ve yet to try one of the mystery/suspense ones.

30 Aug – Me – I’m no fan of them either. *shudder* Thanks for stopping by!

Lie to Me

Title: Lie to Me
Author: Starr Ambrose
Copyright: 2008 (Pocket); 371 pgs.
ISBN: 978-1-4165-8664-7
Series: N/A
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Eleanor “Ellie” Coggins and John “Jack” Payton
Where: Michigan

Eleanor Coggins is absolutely sure that her best friend, Janet Aims, was killed by her husband. Her goal is to prove that Banner Westfield murdered Janet. To that end, she breaks into Banner’s private library during a house party. Before she can learn anything useful, she encounters Jack Payton, Banner’s older, half-brother, and she believes the gig is up, so to speak.

Jack, however, is also convinced that Banner is up to no good. The company is making too much money in certain areas, and he’s sure his brother is somehow connected to the drug trade. Eleanor non-specific comments regarding his brother’s activities makes Jack believe she is pursuing the same information. He’s willing to help Eleanor, if she’ll pretend to be is fiancée.

Jack was recently released from prison, where he was spent two years ago after being found guilty of vehicular manslaughter while under the influence. While he was in prison, he learned that he has a twelve-year-old daughter named Libby — a daughter he never knew existed. Currently, Libby is living with his mother Elizabeth in Banner’s house, but Jack is working on getting that changed. Instead of trying to deny paternity or wash his hands of her, Jack very much wants to take responsibility of Libby and be a father. In order to get custody of her, he has to prove himself by maintaining a steady job — he grudgingly accepted a lower position in the family company where he was once a VP, instead of trying his luck elsewhere with a criminal record. Having a fiancée, Jack believes, will also make a favorable impression and improve his chances of getting custody of Libby.

At first Ellie — as Jack calls her — doesn’t want to have anything to do with deceiving a vulnerable 12-year-old girl. However, she agrees, promising to keep an eye on Libby, so she won’t be further traumatized. Ellie needn’t have worried though. It doesn’t take her long to realize how sincere he is about gaining custody of his daughter. Though he still struggling to get things right, Jack has good instincts and the potential to be a great father.

It goes without saying that Ellie and Jack are attracted to each other. Jack, at first, believes it’s due to the fact that he just got out of prison. But instead of waning, his interest in Ellie grows the more time he spends getting to know her. The same goes for Ellie (except the prison part). She can’t resist his devastating smile and his to-die-for-kisses. Ellie starts to fall in love with the man she sees behind the grin, the man who is trying so hard to earn his daughter’s love and affection. Falling in love is something she didn’t want to happen because they’re not really engaged and Jack’s way out of her league socially.

Once they agree to cooperate with each other, Jack and Ellie set out to find evidence that connects Banner to drug running and murder. They also uncover something unexpected in Banner’s files, something that impacts Jack directly. On Ellie’s advise, Jack enlists the aid of the chief of police, Ben Thatcher, a man who — when Jack was growing up — was always on his case, lecturing him about his wild ways. Jack doesn’t understand why Ben seems to hate him, but that’s nothing compared to the fact that Ben is spending a lot of time with his mother lately — and Jack doesn’t like that one bit. Jack and Ellie also get help from an unexpected source, one that solves what happened to Janet and also confirms whether or not Banner had a hand it in or not. Jack even calls in a friend to help Ellie with her fake security company she created to throw Banner off guard.

I really loved this book. One of the things I liked was that, absurd as it was for Ellie to break into the Banner’s house in the first place, Ellie never came across as a too-stupid-to-live heroine. She may be completely clueless about computers and can’t keep a job — even her cousin fired her from his hardware store because she talked people out of buying things. But Ellie can think on her feet and has a way with people that makes her likable, whether she’s chatting with the gathered Payton and Westfield relatives or talking to clients with her “business associate”, Rocky.   And then there’s Jack.  Being sent to jail opened his eyes and he’s put his wild past behind him.  He truly is a decent guy and I fell in love with him, right along with Ellie, as he slowly wins Libby’s affections.

Lie to Me was a fun read and I’m looking forward to reading more by this author.

Started: 9 June 2009
Finished: 28 June 2009

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

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This is a re-post, due to data loss. Reconstructed comments from Google Reader. (Oct 09)

26 Aug – Carol – “Sounds like a fun book, with very likeable characters. I’m assuming there’s a happy ending.”
26 Aug – Me – “Oh yes! ”

The Magnate's Indecent Proposal

Title: The Magnate’s Indecent Proposal
Author: Ally Blake
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 185 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-12762-7
Series: Harlequin Presents #2762
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Chelsea London and Damien Halliburton
Where: Australia

From the back: When Chelsea realized she’d accidentally swapped cell phones with someone, she knew how it would play out: she’d trek back into town, swap phones with some middle-aged man with a paunch and be on her way. Only, seriously sexy Damien ‘Rich-list’ Halliburton was way out of her league. She’d sworn off men long ago, but with a guy this gorgeous, how could she refuse his wicked, seductive and very indecent proposal?

Comments: First off, the book is not really as, er, debauched as the title makes it sound. Yes, Damien is wealthy — though, I’m no expert on what level of wealth makes him a ‘magnate’ — but his interest in Chelsea, at first, is ‘I would like to continue seeing you, but I can’t promise you a long-term, committed relationship.’ It’s not like he sets her up to be his mistress and she schmoozes his rich friends for backing of her pet grooming business. Or something.

Chelsea London, if fact, does own a pet grooming salon. It’s been doing well enough for her to plan on opening a second salon. She has an appointment with a loan officer, and to celebrate the occasion, she meets her sister Kensington at a trendy restaurant for breakfast. The restaurant has a policy: no cell phones in the dining area. Chelsea, who is very attached to hers, has no choice to surrender it at the door. She literally bumps into Damien, which results in the mix up of their claim tickets, though neither realize this. The fact that they have the same type of phone prevents either of them from figuring it out when they go to claim their phones.

Later, after both have realized that there’s been a mix up, they make plans to meet for dinner. Damien is stunned when he learns that the beauty who fell into his arms at breakfast is the same person who now has his phone. It’s only been a month since his break up with his previous girlfriend, and during that time, it’s been easy for him to swear off woman. Until Chelsea. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about her all day.

Though they are both attracted to each other, both also have issues to overcome. Chelsea has a hard time trusting the ‘new school uniform’ set: the wealthy ‘haves’. Slick looking men in business suits, even loan officers — which hampers her decision to open the second shop — fall into this group. Her father was a con artist and her mother left them after Chelsea was born, so she and Kensington had a rough childhood. Added to this is Chelsea’s terrible track record with men. Right from the start, Damien should have been all wrong for her. But how can you resist a guy who nurses you through a stomach bug, playing hooky from work in order to stay home with you?

Damien broke it off with his last girlfriend because she issued an ultimatum: marry her or leave. Damien doesn’t think he’s capable of making a long-term commitment. His parents divorced when he was eleven, yet they still spend much time together. Damien’s best friend, Caleb, remarks that they are still madly in love with each other. So what sort of statement does that make to him and his younger sister about marriage if their parents are happy to “date” each other, but not remain married?

Damien is up front and honest with Chelsea about not wanting a permanent or long-term relationship. Chelsea’s like no other woman he’s known and he still wants to see her — so he proposes a no strings attached, causal relationship. At first, Chelsea seems to agree. But she’s falling in love with him, and it would be best to break it off sooner, rather than later, when it likely to hurt all the more.

I really liked Chelsea and Damien. Chelsea isn’t naive or timid. She knows how to stand on her own two feet. And though Damien is rich and used to getting things his way, he’s not extremely arrogant or haughty. He doesn’t look down at Chelsea and he really does care about her. The book also has its funny moments, since both characters have a sense of humor.

I really loved this book and I’ve added the author to my list of Harlequin Present writers that I will read again. Ms. Blake has written a book about Caleb and Damien’s sister, Ava.

Started: 28 April 2009
Finished: 30 April 2009

Favorite Quote:
“I can’t! What if he’s some kind of crazy? Or if he’s eighteen years old? Or married? Or brings his imaginary friend to the table? Or smells like fish? Or hates dogs?”
– Chelsea, to her sister

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

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