One Good Book Deserves Another

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Hotter In Texas, Book 1
Rating: 3 Stars
Length: 464 Pages
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle
Disclosure: An ARC of this book was provided to me by Forever publisher Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. This rating, review, and all included thoughts and comments are my own.





Wasn't Totally Sold

She didn't do it. Nikki Hunt didn't kill her ex-husband. Sure she was angry at him. And, okay, she may have been overheard - twice - saying something about killing him. He ditched her during a dinner that he had invited her to and stiffed her on the check! And the only reason she was meeting him to begin with was her wretched financial situation. She couldn't afford a candy bar, let alone a five star meal, so yes, she may have muttered under her breath about offing the jerk and those mutters may have been overheard. It isn't like she would ever actually do it. Hell, she didn't even use kill traps on mice!

Try convincing the cops of that, though.

Okay, the facts that his dead body was crammed into her trunk and she was the listed beneficiary for his life insurance were a mite damning, but she didn't do it!

When Dallas O'Conner was a cop, he was set up and did time in prison before his name was cleared. Now he and his two best friends, also former cops sent to prison along with him, are private investigators. It shouldn't be at all surprising that they specialize in investigating cases for the unjustly accused.

Stumbling onto a murder scene with his homicide detective brother Tony and coming face to face with a shaken Nikki was a coincidence. Being puked all over while he was talking to her was just bad luck...that his partners would be tormenting him over forever. Still, he believes her when she says she didn't kill her ex, and there are too many suspicious things going on around her that have to be connected to his murder. In fact, not only is he positive Nikki Hunt didn't kill her ex-husband, he's pretty sure she's in danger from whomever did.

Speaking of pretty... When she's not projectile vomiting all over him, Nikki is definitely all kinds of that, and soon it becomes more than just a job to keep her fine behind out of prison...it may just be his reason for being.


It didn't take me too long into this latest Craig book to realize I was going to be in the minority with my review. Don't Mess With Texas is certainly classic Craig. It's romantic suspense with plenty of humor and instant, sizzling chemistry between likable characters. It reads easy, with a fast pace and some nice depth of plot provided by a couple of strong ancillary storylines, including a secondary romance thread that had a lot of appeal. Yet despite all that goodness, I had some problems with it.

As much as I enjoyed Nikki and Dallas, they're fairly interchangeable with all the other Craig romantic lead characters I've read: macho manly man gets a rise from weaker female lead who needs a man to help her out/protect her from whatever danger she's gotten herself into. Nothing there to dislike, really, but I prefer a bit more strength and independence in my female lead characters and more equality in the gender roles.

I also wasn't sold on why Dallas' brother Tony was so set on Nikki as the most likely suspect, especially after tallying up the events that occur the night of the murder. Not to mention the doubt caused by sheer logistics and scene evidence. It never seemed feasible, even initially, that the petite Nikki could kill, then physically dump her larger ex into her trunk given her size and without getting any blood on the clothes she was wearing, be cagey enough to ditch the murder weapon, then scream when she "discovered" the body, drawing instant police attention. The ills and imps of that threw off my ability to fully embrace the core of the plot concept.

Beyond that, I struggled with the development of the romance arc throughout the book. Most of the relationship conflict was the result of a lack of communication - not a favorite theme of mine - and there was a lot of waffling from chapter to chapter by both characters regarding the depth of their feelings for each other and the importance of the relationship to each of them. That was especially troublesome in this case, where the characters have known each other for too short a span of time to warrant a relationship longevity issue.

I wish that the secondary plotline between Tony and LeeAnn had been given more room for development. It was one of the high points of the book for me and had a lot of story potential that I would have enjoyed seeing expanded.

Unfortunately, there's something else that's been bothering me about the last few books I've read by Craig, an issue that has had an impact on my rating of this book and my willingness to read others by Craig. This is the sixth romantic suspense I've read by Craig and out of those six books, four of them have included material and/or characters disdaining homosexuality, or using gay stereotypes as punchlines or to infuse humor into various situations. This seeming trend disturbs me on a personal level and fosters an impression of a lack of sensitivity awareness that makes me uncomfortable. In a day and age where children are killing themselves because they're traumatized or hopeless because of their sexuality, macho men threatened by pink couches sort of loses comedic appeal for me. This sort of humor no more appeals to me than racial humor.

I wanted to settle back and enjoy this book for it's lighter-toned suspense and humor, for the hallmark Texas settings and manly men, for the quick and easy read that's pure pleasure. And honestly, even with one or two of the exceptions I mentioned, there were pleasant stretches in which I was able to do so. Craig writes entertaining books. The problems I had with this one may have tarnished the gold for me, but I'm the first one to say that I know I'll be in the vast minority.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: Tumble Creek, Book 1
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Length: 352 Pages, 4421 Locations
Format: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle



Flirty and Fun, If Thin

It's been ten years since Molly Jenkins left the small mountain town of Tumble Creek, Colorado for the bright lights of the city of Denver, but a bad case of writer's block brought on by the stress of a stalker ex-boyfriend coupled with the inheritance of her aunt's house gave Molly an opportunity too good to pass up. The day she returns she runs into the one man that has haunted almost every dream and fantasy she's had for each one of those ten years, her older brother's best friend Ben Lawson. And the years have been very, very kind to the man who is now Chief of Police of their home town.

Despite what she recognizes as his attraction, Molly is under no illusions. She's well aware that her chosen career would give pause to the upstanding and scandal-shy Ben, but after carrying a torch for him for so long and finally being old enough to be seen as a woman, Molly isn't going to let a little thing like being a well known erotica romance novelist get in the way of hooking up with a man she's seen naked and wants desperately. And as long as they keep things light and fun, there should be no hearts broken when the relationship comes to its inevitable conclusion.

Shrouded in secrets that drive him to distraction but working a body that drives him to his knees, Ben's attraction to Molly is instant, intense, and now that she's no longer seventeen, legal. He falls quickly for the girl who makes him laugh and who shows him how to lighten up a little, but he's wary of bad publicity after a family scandal that fired up the town years and years ago. Still, he can't stay away from Molly, no matter how hard he tries, and finds his heart going down for the long count with a big cheer from his manly parts for finally getting some winter action.

Secrets, though, have a funny way of coming back and biting you when you least expect it, and Molly's return to town stirs up more than good-natured interest in the Chief's new love life. It stirs up the deranged intentions of a stalker who thinks Molly needs to return to Denver. Or die.

As a light romantic suspense, Talk Me Down worked fairly well, with the stalker plot threads sufficiently blanketed in assumption and a red herring or two, moments of tense emotion and danger, and a twist or two to keep you guessing. As a sexy romantic comedy, the book tread the line closer to an evolving lust match than a love match between the characters, which is something I'm noticing with growing frequently in recent contemporary titles. It's a trend that doesn't totally satisfy me as a reader, unfortunately, as too often it leads to seemingly forced or superficial conflict between the lead romantic pairings instead of a deeper conflict born from a more complex emotional connection.

That is the core issue I had with this book, actually. I thoroughly enjoyed the light, breezy style and the racy, sexy scenes between Ben and Molly, but the two main conflicts between them, the stubborn guardianship of her secret profession and her willfulness in keeping the relationship with Ben on a superficial level when he wanted more, felt forced and unnecessary for a good portion of the book. And it made it hard for me to embrace Molly's character.

I wish the issues Molly had with being the less perfect child, the younger sibling of a brother who could do no wrong, had come out sooner in the book, because once we were given a glimmer of the reasons behind her attitude and her rampant immaturity, she started to come together for me as a real character. Until then, she seemed more a careless caricature of a shallow women with nothing but good times on her mind. And I couldn't understand why a woman who had yearned for a guy for as long as Molly had never even entertained the possibility of grabbing for a real relationship when he was obviously so into her. I understand fear, or even lack of trust given Molly's childhood, but Molly's reticence and stubbornness devalued and disrespected Ben's growing feelings for her even as they displayed her flaws in harsh, unforgiving light.

The tone of the book, the light comedic style and the sizzling sexuality, just wasn't quite enough to counteract the lack of depth in her character for me. I enjoyed Ben, even though I did think he was a bit out there in his quest to pin down what Molly did for a living, but his reasons were clear and provided up front and it made him seem more sympathetic and his behavior easier to understand. And to be honest, I admit I tend to be more critical of female protagonists than male in situations like this. Well...in all situations, really. Maybe that's not fair, but it does factor in on occasion.

Talk Me Down is the first Victoria Dahl book I've read, and there were definite bright spots. I was entertained by the story, and appreciated the smooth narrative, realistic dialogue, and moments of humor. The sex scenes were sizzling hot and well-written, with the appealing frankness of adult language and variety of sexual situations that I prefer. It was a bit airy and thin on character development and plot, which made much of it tilt towards the lighter of brain candy reads, but it also hit the spot as a reading palate cleanser after a recent book that was tragic and full of horror. Sometimes, it really isn't just the book you read, but when you read it. In that regard, I'm pleased to add Dahl to the list of authors I turn to when I need a lighthearted, HEA-assured pick-me-up.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 304 Pages, 4612 Locations
Formats: Paperback, Kindle




A Lot TO Love

The FBI is following the money trail in their investigation into the illegal doings of the the Chicago mob boss Martino and that trail has led them to local businessman and wine connoisseur Xander Eckhart, a man who may have crawled into Martino's pocket to do some laundry. Getting an in with the security-conscious Eckhart, though, demands finesse and care...and the help of billionaire heiress Jordan Rhodes. Not only does she share a social circle and hobby with Eckhart, but FBI Special Agent Nick McCall knows Rhodes has one other thing that makes her the perfect choice for FBI cooperation. Her twin brother is in prison after a nasty bit of Internet terrorism (it was Twitter, people!) and she would very much like him out of there.

Jordan doesn't like Nick very much. Besides being an FBI agent, not exactly her favorite group at the moment, he's also snarky and manipulative. If he can get Kyle out of jail, though, just for dragging him along with her to an event she was planning on attending anyway, well...she supposes she can tolerate him. Maybe he'll show her some of the 10% of his personality she doesn't find abrasive and annoying. He does look pretty sexy in his new suit, after all.

When the undercover operation hits a snag that shocks Jordan and frustrates Nick, the two find themselves having to take their fake relationship further than either had ever intended. It's when that fake relationship starts to feel so, so real, though, that they both realize this case is far more dangerous than they had ever dreamed.

I've become such a huge Julie James fan since I stumbled onto her books a few months ago, and this sequel to her 2010 release, Something About You, provided just as much fun, sexy entertainment as that one did. Nick and Jordan are thoroughly likable and fit very well together as the romantic leads. I favor romances that start out with the lead characters striking the sort of sparks off each other that blow up into a lusty, yummy conflagration and there aren't many authors who do that with as much wit and humor as James does.

Her style of storytelling really appeals to me, with a pleasantly robust narrative that doesn't scrimp on the sort of tasty details that round out characters and plot to provide a fully satisfying read. Little snippets of scenes, like Nick's conversation with his brothers and mother, or the dinner with Jordan's friends...scenes and dialogue that doesn't affect the main plot one way or another, but provides a more layered and complex tone to the overall story. James does it flawlessly and it lends a much appreciated depth to the reading experience. I also like how she tied in a character of another of her novels in this book. Scott Casey, the narcissistic actor with the misogynist tendencies in James' Just the Sexiest Man Alive gets a mention here as the hot tub-loving bad boy that achieved some Twitter notoriety with Kyle's girlfriend. Very nice touch, James.

As a lighter-toned romantic suspense, I thought the suspense arc of the plot was well paced and blended well with the romance. I had a bit of a problem towards the end, when Eckhart's character made some questionable choices that tread a bit too close to plot contrivance for my taste.  I also didn't find the wine business, wine collecting, and winery aspects of the story very compelling, as it's not an interest of mine. I have to acknowledge and do appreciate that James seemed to do quite a bit of research on the topic, however, as the details that were included in the story felt very genuine and seemed pretty spot on, and James imbued her characters with the knowledge in a way that lent credibility to their character definition. It just wasn't to my personal taste.

The only other slight issue I had was that while the book is contemporary at the moment, it will quickly date itself with the pop culture references to Lost and Dancing With the Stars. Ten years from now, that's going to make this book hard for people to relate to, if it doesn't happen much sooner. The references were cute, though, even for someone who didn't last beyond the first few episodes of the second season of Lost. And hey...Sawyer was hot!

I don't even feel the need to mention how well the romance worked. I haven't seen James do a bad romance. With A Lot Like Love she provides a light, humorous, sexy, feel-good read with genuine substance. Her books definitely cruise the brain candy aisle, but they also serve up the meat and potatoes of solid, technically sound, and adept writing as the main course. She's on my autobuy list and I can't wait to read more.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Length: 416 Pages, 4441 Locations
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle



If It Hadn't Been For Libby...

Fleeing a romance gone wrong and still smarting from the death of her beloved dog, journalist Libby Brown lands in Wyoming to follow a childhood dream to own her own farm. Jaded against men, determined to go it alone, the sheer scope of the landscape scares her a little, but a new job writing for the local paper on top of her soon-to-be booming chicken ranch gives her purpose.

Her neighbor, the tall, sexy cowboy Luke Rawlins gives her pulse a swift kick, but she's so leery of men that she doesn't trust his aw-shucks demeanor. The town sheriff is a total hottie, too, and obviously very interested in the new arrival, but his intensity quickly puts her off. In an effort to keep herself away from temptation and her heart safe from more heartbreak, Libby focuses her journalistic abilities on a cold case of a young girl's disappearance. No sooner does she start asking questions, though, then it becomes clear that however much time has passed, someone is very interested in making sure she doesn't get any answers.

Alone in a town miles away from her previous home, Libby is going to have to choose between the cowboy and the sheriff for help with her work, but the hardest part is going to be protecting her life...and guarding her heart.

This cute, quirky, often amusing cowboy romance started off well with the spirited but reluctant Libby and the sweet and earnest Luke. A weird but charming group of secondary and ancillary characters added some light entertainment, and the subplot of investigation into the missing teenager added some darker tones for balance.

Despite how much I liked Luke, though, and how spunky Libby was in a lot of ways, when it came to the investigation or anything to do with Della's disappearance, Libby lost all appeal. It wasn't the stupidity of some of her actions that sunk her character, though they were egregiously less than smart, and I have a definite prejudice against stupid heroines. More than that, I quickly got fed up with, then thoroughly loathed, her emotional retardation and never-ending, witless vacillation. I pretty much hated how she so easily swallowed every little tidbit of unsupported information that put others in the worst possible light, despite her alleged fondness for those others and her own instincts, as if the concept of trust for her was as implausible as extraterrestrial occupation. Because of that, her character's fears and suspicions bounced around like a caffeine addict on methamphetamine, and were completely unsupported or affected by her own intuitions or knowledge. It was maddening.

Her investigative techniques could have been a real benefit to the suspense and mystery subplot. Instead, she goes from telling a guy she loves him to suspecting him of murder in the space of a few hours because a guy who has given  her the creeps through most of the book and, in fact, almost assaulted her, tells her something that she has no way of even knowing is true. That sort of unsubstantiated emotional waffling was tragically common and totally turned me off. Several times I wished someone would make Libby disappear...and that probably wasn't what the author was going for.

There were a few minor technical issues with the book, as well. The narrative was occasionally choppy and the flow of the story inconsistent in places, but it wasn't horrible. Just something I noticed. I also felt that the balance between the suspense and non-suspense aspects of the story went a little awry in the latter half of the book, when the investigation into Della's disappearance started to take more precedence, but that only bothered me because of how much I enjoyed the relationship between Luke and Libby and was entertained by watching it develop.

What was particularly nice about the book was that their relationship did develop. And it did so at a surprisingly natural pace that felt organic to the characters. It was also based on more than just how hot they thought each other was, or how much they lusted after each other. It's been awhile since I read a book that spent time drawing two characters together as friends first as they get to know each other, then developed the relationship, and this was both refreshing and entertaining as a result.

If only I hadn't had such an intense loathing for Super Sleuth Libby, I would have really enjoyed this book. Joanne Kennedy obviously has plenty of skill at offering up a lightly comedic romance for some simple pleasure reading. With a more intelligent and emotionally steady heroine at the helm, and a few tweaks here and there, Cowboy Trouble could have been a lot of fun for me.

A Word of Caution for Kindle Owners: There were lots of formatting errors - words with extra spaces in the middle of them most notably, but I don't blame the author for that, nor did it affect my rating. It was, however, distracting and kept interrupting the flow of my reading.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 352 Pages, 6776 Locations
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle



Boogie Down, Hairy!

Feeling responsible for the murder of his informant, undercover investigator Thomas Tobin took responsibility for the weirdest dog he's ever seen, the mostly bald Chinese Crested named, ironically, Hairy. Unfortunately Hairy's got some big issues, and Thomas can't seem to pawn the trembling, urinating, rat-looking thing off on anyone. To save his sanity, he finally takes Hairy to veterinarian and animal behaviorist Dr. Emma Jenkins, but one look at the lush beauty and the normally dour and forbidding Thomas can't seem to keep his mind out of the kennel. Only problem is, Thomas knows he's got nothing to offer Emma, certainly not what she deserves.

Still recovering from a disastrous marriage that rocked her self esteem, Emma Jenkins doesn't have much faith in her own appeal, though when Thomas Tobin brings Hairy to see her, he proves that at least all her female parts are working just fine. One look at the tall, dark, and brooding man and all her juices more than flow, they do a do-si-do and a quick two step, too. But Thomas has a disturbing habit of not being altogether truthful with her, and he's the master of mixed signals. Frankly, Emma's life would be far less complicated if she just focused on her clinic and raising the daughter of her deceased best friend.

As wounded as he is by a rocky past and a dark life of undercover work, Thomas recognizes a great thing when he sees it. He just has to convince Emma to give him a chance. And maybe Hairy is more than the key to catch a killer, maybe he's the key to winning a woman's heart, as well.

Take a Chance on Me is a cute, quirky romance with lead characters with a surprising amount of depth. They tote around a fair amount of realistic baggage and have a ton of insecurities, their responsibilities aren't always comfortable or easy, and the damage from their past is well represented in their developing relationship. Secondary and ancillary characters are nicely fleshed out, as well, especially LeeLee, who I found to be very genuine and very believable given her past. Hairy the Chinese Crested was a total trip. I loved how he was given his own voice. It could have been easily overdone, but Donovan kept it from tripping over into the absurd.

I wasn't totally on board with the suspense aspects of the plot, but as it wasn't the driving force of the book by any means, it didn't overly affect my impressions. My main issue with it is strictly based on personal preference, anyway, so it's purely subjective. I prefer when antagonists in suspense aren't revealed quite so soon, because it often makes plot twists too easy to spot as they approach, and that was the case here. On the bright side, I found the killer's descent into desperation well written.

The evolution of the relationship between Emma and Thomas was the core of the book, and there were lots of good things there. Not only were the characters given individual identities and a full, rich sense of history and personality on their own terms, they were featured in situations beyond their relationships (more Emma than Thomas, actually), so readers get a very clear idea of what their lives are like outside of the burgeoning romance. That was a nice touch that really appealed to me.

To be honest, though, there was a conflict between Thomas and Emma that really bothered me. Thomas acted in a manner that I found pretty unforgivable and the resolution of that situation didn't really address the core issue. As a result, a pretty egregious lack of trust got glossed over after the melee that followed, and it really bothered me that it was so quickly accepted and forgiven.

That was the only real problem I had with this cute, humorous romance with its suspense subplot. I've enjoyed both Susan Donovan books I've read, and that certainly bodes well for future reading opportunities. And I continue to be very impressed with the dimension and depth provided to primary and secondary characters. For quickly paced, mostly lighthearted, humorous romance with a pleasing amount of sizzle and a pinch of suspense, Donovan is a good bet.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 320 Pages, 6945 Locations
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle



Packed a Heck of a Punch

Autumn Adams is Homey Helen, the Chicago maven of helpful home tips, like how to clean anything and what tricks to use to polish the floor. She inherited the job from her imperious mother as a death-bed commitment and has been miserable in the roll ever since. She's the antithesis of Homey Helen, with her horrible cleaning habits and her disregard for order and neatness, her spaz-girl ways, and her tomboy recreations. She's a mess and she knows it; horrible at relationships, a loss with details, at home in chaos.

When the creepy letters started to come to her at the office, she blew them off. It was her good friend Griffin and her assistant and long-time surrogate mother, Marjorie who convinced her to call the police when the tone of the letters went from vaguely threatening to outright dangerous, her tires got slashed, and dead flowers started arriving for her. Someone not only hates Homey Helen, he wants her dead.

They're not going to get what they want, if Chicago Police Violent Crimes Detective Stacey Quinn has anything to say about it. He and his partner are on the case, and his captain has cleared their other cases until this high profile death threat is resolved. Quinn's more than okay with that, as the longer he spends with Audie, the more he wants with her - until what he wants can be summed up in one word: everything.

She's flighty and messy and a total spaz. He's solid, organized, and always thinking before he speaks. And if he can convince the emotionally damaged Audie, he's thinking about forever. With her. If a madman doesn't put a deadly crimp in his plans first.

My first experience with Susan Donovan's books is definitely not going to be my last. I enjoyed Knock Me Off My Feet, which is a romantic suspense that leans more towards the lighter side of entertainment thanks to the lead characters, spasmodic Audie and bagpipe-playing Quinn. Despite the lighter tone, there's plenty of true pathos with the quagmire that is Audie's neurosis about her incapacity to love and Quinn's guilt and issues with his baby brother's death and a previous relationship that ended very badly. Donovan has also filled this book with a rich and full cast of secondary and ancillary characters with whom it was a true pleasure to spend time.

I wasn't totally sold on everything in the book, though. I can appreciate that Audie was definitely a unique character, but I struggled with her now and then. She was a bit too much of a spaz for me at the beginning, and even after she grew on me I had some issues with her very serious case of emotional ADD, wildly swinging emotions without much impetus behind them. A question asked or a comment made to her and she was foot-stomping mad one moment, teary-eyed and down the next, and a few moments later was back to her playful, more sunny self. It was a bit like watching a family reunion in Sybil's head at times. One scene in particular, during Quinn's bagpipe concert, she went from abjectly horrified and furious to cozy and seductive in a jarringly short amount of time. From a character perspective, it made her seem inconsistent to a sometimes disturbing degree.

The suspense aspects of the plot arc were another part that gave me some trouble. There didn't seem to be much realistic police procedure during the investigation, and Quinn's behavior was highly inappropriate on more than one occasion. My preferences, even in a lighter or comedic romantic suspense, tend towards a more accurate representation of a criminal investigation. But that's simply a personal preference and didn't effect my enjoyment too much. What did, however, was the identity of the perpetrator of the crime. Not the fact that I had figured out early on who was responsible (that's more common than not), but the depth of unsubstantiated hatred the villain had for Audie and the questionable reasons for it. I didn't feel like there was enough development to satisfactorily explain the villain's behavior being directed at her in such vitriolic fashion, so that behavior seemed more of a contrivance than genuine aberrant behavior from a sociopathic personality.

From a more technical standpoint, there were a few places where the dialogue lost a natural conversational flow and seemed stilted...and sometimes just odd. There were also some grammar and several punctuation issues, but I wonder if that was more the Kindle formatting that got messed up than actual errors.

But there was also the good stuff...and it was really good stuff. I loved every aspect of the relationship development plot threads. That's where this book really shined for me. I was quite happy with the pacing in the evolution of their relationship and the manner in which their feelings for each other developed. I adored the characters while it was developing. There were times when Quinn just melted me. In fact, every time he murmured, "Come to me, Audie," it sent warmth right through me. I thoroughly enjoyed his character, and I liked Audie very much when she was with him. In that regard, this book was one of the better lighter-themed romances I've read lately.

And the sex scenes? Wow. Talk about being knocked off my feet. They were the perfect blend of tasteful eroticism and gut-clenching emotion, and it wasn't until I read one of the featured scenes in here that I realized how infrequently it seems lately that the depth of emotion in a sex scene is given enough attention...or maybe I'm just not reading the right books. Knock Me Off My Feet was the right book. It clarified for me that describing or writing a sex scene is one thing, drawing your characters together into a sensory onslaught, a physical and emotional maelstrom that shudders through the pages and into the readers hearts is something else entirely, and in my opinion, Donovan managed that to exquisitely devastating results. Loved that, and applaud Donovan for it. Knock Me Off My Feet definitely won't be the last I read of Susan Donovan, but I'm sure glad it was the first.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Length: 320 Pages, 4957 Locations
Formats: Paperback, Kindle



And You Thought YOU Were Having a Bad Day

She was left at the alter (again), and is now on her honeymoon with no groom. She's wet, freezing cold, stuck in a strange place, caught in a storm the likes of which hasn't been seen in centuries, with no electricity (she's afraid of the dark), no luggage (got lost in transit), a naked man in her shower (okay, so that's not exactly a bad thing), and all she's got as a flashlight is a glow in the dark vibrator that was part of the honeymoon package the exclusive rental home provided. To say that Breanne Mooreland is having a bad day would instantly vault you to the top of the Understatement of the Year Awards.

And then there's that dead body...

A reservation glitch put ex-cop Cooper Scott in the honeymoon suite at an exclusive rental home. He was minding his own business, taking a shower to ward off the chill of the storm, preparing for a week of skiing and snow bunnies while he tries to get his head on straight and his life back together. Turning around after bending to pick up the soap, however, brought him face to blushing face with a gorgeous woman holding a vibrator in her hand. A gorgeous woman obviously staring at all his many and varied assets. Well, he's had worse initial meetings.

But then there's that dead body...

Truthfully, both their vacations have turned into a hellish nightmare, but no amount of fear or tension can prevent the attraction that burns between Breanne and Cooper. The problem is, Breanne doesn't believe in love any more, and all Cooper wants is something real. Figuring out how a body got dead before the condition spreads may be easier than convincing the delectable Breanne to give him a shot with her heart.

Get A Clue gets off to a bit of a rough start, focusing on how sucky Breanne's life is at the moment, and how scared she is about...well...everything. It made me wonder why she'd decided to go to the mountain retreat by herself to begin with if everything was going to make her so flighty and frantic. She got on my nerves pretty quickly and stayed there through most of the book. Her character seemed defined by her issues instead of by her personality, so she came off as more of a high strung damsel in distress than I prefer for my female leads.

Once the body was discovered, the plot turned from situational comedy to a more tense suspense, and the change didn't totally work for me, again because Breanne kept up this push-pull relationship with the one man who she's sure isn't responsible for the dead body. I couldn't figure out what Cooper found so appealing about her. Romances don't work for me if I can't understand why one of the two involved is falling for the other.

In contrast, Cooper was a solid male lead, and unlike Breanne, he made a good transition between the lighter, comedic first few chapters to wary concern when the body was discovered. His cop nature flipped on and it was a smooth switch, enhancing his protective nature to pleasant results. Secondary characters served more as red herrings and objects of suspicion, and weren't afforded much in the way of development, but what was there wasn't objectionable. I liked the cook Shelly and the butler Dante. Their ancillary romance was cute.

While the book started out shaky for me, I ended up being really pleased with the ending. I was concerned how it was going to play out, but the resolution to the suspense was satisfying, including a plot twist that I hadn't anticipated, and Breanne did eventually evolve into a decent romantic lead. In the end I felt Get A Clue was a bit uneven, but I like Shalvis' writing style and overall enjoyed the book. And many of Breanne's e-journal notes (kicking off each chapter) gave me more than a few chuckles.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: N/A
Rating: 4 Stars
Length: 336 Pages, 4990 Locations
Formats: Paperback, Kindle



Something Seriously Good

Who would have thought that getting new floors in your home would lead to being a witness to a murder? Certainly not Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde, but a night spent in a luxury hotel for that very reason did exactly that. At first, the enthusiastic - and loud - sexual marathon in the adjoining room was just an annoyance. She couldn't sleep with all the...um...racket. Then, not long after her neighbors had finally reached the...er...climactic portion of their evening and had fallen silent, Cameron's quick trip to dreamland was rudely interrupted by what she first thought was round two...but what turned out to be something far more sinister.

A call girl is dead, a married U.S. Senator is under suspicion, and Cameron is the only witness. Sleep deprived and shaken, there's not much more she can take, so coming face to glowering face with FBI agent Jack Pallas doesn't exactly make her day. Three years ago he shoveled up some verbal abuse of Cameron to a reporter in the events following the bust up of a case he'd spent two years undercover securing and the footage went national. The fact that he thinks she's the reason he was transferred to a crap detail in Nebraska following that debacle doesn't do much to endear him to her, either. Now that he's back in Chicago and lead investigator on this homicide, tossing words like "protective custody" around, Cameron can pretty much cross off the next little while for anything resembling fun, too.

She should have kept the old flooring.

Julie James has another charming hit with Something About You. A little more serious in tone than Just the Sexiest Man Alive and Practice Makes Perfect, this book still scores big on the fast, witty, sarcastic dialogue and solid, likable, and sympathetic lead characters. I'm particularly fond of James for her ability to write intelligent, successful heroines that don't trip over into angst or bitchiness to match wits with their men. Jack Pallas was slightly edgier than the leading men in her preceding books, with a bit of a dark side from his years undercover and the torture he survived at the hands of a criminal kingpin. He was a solid, steady force of nature and the chemistry between him and Cameron developed at an even pace that was believable and subtly woven into their present as they dealt with their past.

As I've come to expect from James, the narrative was smooth, the plot well paced, and the tension well timed as it rose towards the conclusion. I was impressed by a couple of action scenes that I felt were very well written and clearly defined without overwhelming me with detail. The relationship between Cameron and Jack was very well done, evolving and changing as the characters lives are altered by the case in organic ways, but never once losing any of the increasing intensity. Strong, appealing secondary and ancillary characters are also a staple of Julie James' work, and I loved Cameron's best friends and the outlying plot threads they added to the book. Jack's partner was also a source of much humor and wit and I appreciated him as a character, as well.

There were a couple of things that didn't totally work for me in the book. James writes fabulous romantic comedy, but it's hard to strike the right balance between humor and murder, and I'm not totally sure James pulled it off here. I kept feeling like the victim got sort of forgotten in the mess, and while I recognize that the main plot of the non-relationship aspect of the book is centered around keeping the witness alive while the case is being investigated, there seemed to be a prevailing disconnect between that and the fact that a woman was brutally killed. I ended up feeling like the victim was inconsequential. Even Cameron didn't seem to have much of a reaction and little to no lasting impact from hearing a woman get strangled and seeing the man who did it flee the scene. It never quite sat right with me.

The ending was another issue, though to a much lesser extent. I'm usually very appreciative of a book that ties up the loose ends and provides a bright, happy glimpse into a lead couple's Happily Ever After, but there were one or two aspects of that HEA in this book that seemed just the smallest bit too convenient or too neat - like Cameron's promotion and who offered it to her. Especially the scene between Cameron and the cheating senator. Nothing about that scene really worked for me, and given the number of politicians we've seen destroyed in the media over the last several years, it also didn't seem all that realistic.

Still, Something About You was a solid, fun read with a bit of a darker side than James' earlier two books. It definitely catapulted James onto my Buy Everything She Ever Writes list, just as I was expecting it would. There was a lot of humor, a ton of charm, and plenty of good, solid characterization in this book and I enjoyed it a lot. Her next book, A Lot Like Love, will be out March 1, 2011 and I fully intend to snatch it up as soon it comes out. I think I've built up a bit of an addiction to her books and am not relishing the wait until my next fix.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: Konigsburg, Texas, Book 3
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Length: 280 Pages, 6426 Locations
Formats: Paperback, Kindle



Gotta Love Those Toleffsons

Jessamyn Carroll fled Pennsylvania with her infant son when her rich and powerful mother-in-law made it clear that she was expected to bring the baby into the family fold...a fold that Jess's deceased husband had escaped years before he'd met and married Jessamyn. Mommy dearest will stop at nothing to get her grandson back - absolutely nothing, and Jess has taken refuge under her maiden name in Konigsburg, careful to keep her whereabouts a secret from the long reach of her mother-in-law. But making ends meet is tough for any single mother. More so when she's got to keep her head down and watch out for any potential threat.

Lars Toleffson is glad he moved down to Konigsburg after his two brothers, Cal and Pete, who are now both married and living happy lives with his new sisters-in-law. He's got willing baby sitters every time he turns around, but the stress of being a single father combined with his two year old daughter's...precocious nature (and the Mississippi is a small stream) is wearing on him. Now that his daughter's daily caretaker is moving, he's got to find someone else to watch her every day. Taking out an add in the paper for a new caretaker brings Jessamyn Carroll to his office.

The pretty Jess stirs Lars' juices, but a horrendous previous marriage and debilitating divorce keeps him firmly hands-off. Jess is as pretty as new sin and great as a caretaker, but his juices are just going to have stew for a little longer. At least until a stranger asking odd questions shows up in a town that doesn't feel too warmly about strangers and less so about presumptuous questions just before Jess' home gets broken into - twice - and she gets assaulted by the perpetrator. Before Lars even realizes it, protective instincts he hadn't counted on heat those stewing juices to a boiling point.

Welcome back to Konigsburg, Texas, tourist mecca and home to lots of quirky characters just a bit off from center. Since the Toleffson brothers showed up it's been one wild romance after another - and a true treat for happy readers everywhere. With each book, Benjamin has broadened and deepened the world of Konigsburg and the characters who populate it, improving stylistically with each turn. From a technical standpoint, I think Be My Baby is the most well rounded and developed of all the books, with a detailed plot, appealing, endearing characters, a steady, flowing narrative, and realistic dialogue, though Venus in Blue Jeans still wins my vote for the highest level of quirky character fun and humor.

The most serious of the first three books, Jess and Lars both have pasts that have scarred their hearts and impacted their daily lives, and tragedy has struck Jess in particular very deeply. The humor is more subtle and intermittent than in the previous books, though Konigsburg's finest still shine bright. Overall, the story maintains a nice balance between humor and suspense, and there are far fewer gaps in plot, timing, and transition than in the previous books in the series. I did, however, feel the ending was too slick and quickly wrapped up, with all the secondary plots threads getting tied off too cleanly. Lars' ex-wife Sherice, for example, went from being a plot thread to a footnote with jarring abruptness given the way that thread had developed. It was exceptionally anticlimactic, especially as I was hoping to finally see her get what she so richly deserves.

Still, I think Be My Baby is the most technically and stylistically well written and developed. Even with that, though, it's not my favorite of the Konigsburg books, for strictly subjective and personal preference-based reasons. In the end, I just wasn't as fond of Lars as I was of Cal and didn't think he had quite the scope of development through the story arc of book that Pete had in his. I liked him, but there just wasn't much about him that made his character really stand out for me. I felt similarly of Jess, but had the added problem of questioning her intelligence and logic in more than a few places. Maybe that's not something I should blame Jess for, but when she repeatedly turned down a safer haven closer to town because of her primary job and the promise she made to the vacationing owner, but contemplates just up and leaving town entirely when she fears her mother-in-law is closing in, I questioned her decision making. You can't move into town because of prior commitments...but leaving town is fine? That issue in particular seemed too much like author's choice to get the plot to a certain point, instead of organic character action. I also had a problem with the development of the romance between Lars and Jess. I read of their growing affection for each other and their hot little lust moments, but I never really felt there was any real fire behind it. I couldn't get fully on board with the romantic aspects of the relationship because of it.

I also had sort of an odd problem with Lars' daughter, Daisy. I freely admit that I have no kids and almost no experience with two-year-olds, but her dialogue and actions seemed to me to be advanced beyond her age and it kept tripping me up when she was in a scene. I could be totally off base with the cognitive and verbal abilities of a toddler, or she could be an atypical child, I know and acknowledge that. But even so, as I was reading, the issues I had distracted me when she was in the scene.

For those reasons, Be My Baby wasn't my favorite in the series, even though I recognize it's a more complete and balanced book with a more fully formed and realized plot. What hasn't changed, though, is my appreciation for Benjamin's Konigsburg, Texas series as a whole and my anticipated delight in reading the story of the final, and for me the most intriguing of the Toleffson brothers, Erik. Going hand in hand with the continuing improvement of the series, Erik is the most damaged and layered of all the brothers and the juxtaposition of those two things provide tremendous potential for a meaty, fun book. I can't wait to read his story in Long Time Gone: Konigsburg, Texas Book 4.

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: Konigsburg, Texas, Book 1
Rating: 4 Stars
Formats: Paperback, Kindle



Very Cute and Quirky Texas Romance With a Dash of Suspense

Konigsburg, Texas may be a tourist's nirvana, but the residents have to live there year round and they take their town pretty seriously. New business owners like Dorcia Kent are given the hairy eyeball for a while until they prove themselves, even if they have lived in town for two years. If meddling Margret Hastings has her way, in fact, Docia would be run out on a rail with her hair on fire. Meanwhile, tall and good looking veterinarians like Cal Toleffson who've only been in town for a couple of months don't have quite the same problem. He's charmingly oblivious, but everyone else has surely noticed that the veterinarian clinic he bought into when he moved to town has had a huge swell of female pet owners of late...though he has been appreciating the cookies and brownies that have been pouring in. That doesn't keep him from heading to the Dew Drop for a beer after work. It may not be the shiniest place in town, but the tourists tend to stay away, and he can get a cold drink and talk to a few of the acquaintances becoming friends.

The Dew Drop didn't offer much in the way of female companionship, though. Not until he looked up and felt the heart fall out of his chest. Botticelli's Venus was suddenly standing at the other end of the bar, ordering a margarita and glancing his way. In that instant, Cal was a goner, the zing of attraction for her more like a lightning bolt in his chest. So he did what any self respecting veterinarian smelling like the back end of a goat would do...he fled.

Unable to get the woman off his mind, however, he had every intention of regrouping and following up with the woman his friends told him was Docia Kent, gorgeous, yes, but according to rumor, uninterested in the local male population. Little did Cal know that a feline emergency would drop the delectable Docia right into his lap - but he's got to save her beloved...if a bit bedeviled...cat first.

Full of zany secondary characters and a town that takes on a personality all it's own, Venus in Blue Jeans is a quirky, sweet romp in the Texas heat. The attraction between Cal and Docia is instantaneous, and the developing relationship is fun to watch. There's a bit of suspense, a bit of mystery, and a bit of laughter to be found on the pages of this book, and Benjamin's style is cool, crisp, and smooth. I enjoyed both Cal, the vegetarian veterinarian, and Docia, the land magnate's headstrong and independent bookselling daughter. Cal is fairly uncomplicated and easy going, and watching him try to avoid the romantic clutches of Margaret Hastings is quite adorable. Docia is a bit more complex, with Daddy issues and still bearing the scars of a money-hungry ex-boyfriend who used her for her connections. Toss in a feisty chihuahua and a slightly deranged self proclaimed nemesis and a few shady happenings, and you have several hours of enjoyable reading.

I liked it quite a bit, actually, despite a few small issues. The relationship between Cal and Docia developed a bit too quickly for my personal tastes, and the inevitable relationship conflict seemed a wee bit lacking in the conflict department. Cal's reaction to what happened (details withheld to prevent spoilers) came off as a bit too harsh given his personality, and when I looked at the big picture, I sorta understood where Docia was coming from and why she felt the way she felt at that point in the story. Because everything moved so fast between them, I just think a little more give on both sides would have been more realistic.

The book was an incredibly quick read, and I'm not sure if it was just that the narrative was that smooth and the characters and plot that interesting, or if it was just remarkably well paced and pleasing for me stylistically. Both are true, so regardless, I found myself surprised at how quickly I was invested in the story and town. It did lack a little...oomph, I guess, in the emotional impact department. That's not a criticism at all, though. That's more personal preference, maybe. I liked it, and as it's the first Meg Benjamin book I've read, I'm pleased to have found a new author I enjoy. If you like romances that are more sweet than intense, with humor and a bit of suspense thrown in, you can't get much better than Venus in Blue Jeans - especially while it's being offered as a free Kindle download. I've already bought the second in the series, Wedding Bell Blues: Konigsburg, Texas Book 2. Can't wait to see what's up in Konigsburg next!

Konigsburg, Texas Series:
   

Genre: Light/Comedic Romantic Suspense
Series: Divorced, Desperate Trilogy, Book 3
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Formats: Mass Market Paperback, Kindle



Not My Favorite by Craig

Kathy Callahan has had the hots for her plumber, Stan Bradley, for the almost three years he's been in town. She calls him up to fix her pipes, even if they don't need it...and dreams of him fixing her pipes. There's just so much to like about him, and he's great with her son Tommy. The problem is, he's a man, and after a traumatic divorce, she's been very gun shy. Now that her son is in Europe with his father for a month, however, Kathy seizes on an opportunity to follow through on her attraction. Of course, no sooner does she try to give up on her fear and trust all the signals Stan's been sending out over two years of flirting, that it seems Stan has given up. When Kathy shows up at his house find out if the plumber's ship has sailed, she sort of throws herself at him and ends up in his lap. It's a great place to be...until another woman shows up, then the bullets start to fly. Before Kathy can catch a breath, she's on the run from mobster goons, she almost killed a man with a toilet seat, and she finds out her plumber Stan is really Luke Hunter, undercover FBI agent serving time in Witness Protection until he can give testimony to take down a notorious crime boss. So much for trusting men!

I've been a huge fan of Christie Craig since I picked up Shut Up and Kiss Me a few months ago and since then I've read several of her fun romantic suspense novels. They're great light entertainment, and despite the underlying thread of suspense and danger, they're cute and sexy. Divorced, Desperate and Deceived is no different in that regard, and there were several characters I really enjoyed - especially the erstwhile bodyguard turned lackluster goon, Joey...though I'm still not sure of the connection between birdwatching and being gay. Luke was just as delectable as all of Craig's leading men, and his protectiveness of Kathy was both endearing and sweet. I especially enjoyed spending more time with Sue and Jason from Divorced, Desperate and Dating and Lacy and Chase from Divorced, Desperate and Delicious (I haven't read that one yet, but I met them in Sue and Jason's book).

In truth, the only character I couldn't warm up to was Kathy, and that became my primary issue with this book. I felt her character came off too much like a damsel in distress when the bullets were flying and too bitter and suspicious when they weren't. The assumptions and disbelief about Luke's relationship with his geriatric landlady was funny at first, but went from funny to completely aggravating by the fourth or fifth accusation. My dislike of her character is not meant to imply that there was a problem with how the author chose to portray her - author's prerogative. I simply mean that my preferences in female leads in a book - and in romance in particular - lean away from the girly-girl, victim-in-waiting type. I prefer smart, capable women who can either talk, think, or fight their way out of their problems. In this book, Luke was the manly man making all the decisions and Kathy followed along behind him like a good girl, and that's not what I prefer.

Also, while I liked the threads that drew Jason and Chase and their spouses into the storyline, as well as the evolution of Joey, the multiple transitions between Luke and Kathy and the rest of the participants disrupted the pacing of the plot and took away from the development of Luke and Kathy as individual characters and their relationship together. I did, however, enjoy the sense of completion that came from the epilogue and the feeling of the overall arc of the loosely connected trilogy coming to a satisfying conclusion. I preferred Divorced, Desperate and Dating for reading enjoyment, but I still think Divorced, Desperate and Deceived was well written and fun, and I am, of course, anxiously awaiting anything else Craig plans to write.