365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #143

About Last Night... - Stephanie Bond
Harlequin Temptation
Harlequin, 1999
ISBN: 9780373258512





My rating





From the back cover:

"Bride-to-be Janine Murphy is experiencing more than a few jitters when she thinks about her upcoming nuptials. After all, she and her fiancé haven't even, well...you know. So, dressed for success, she lets herself into her fiancé's hotel room for a wedding night preview. Only, the irresistibly sexy man she ends up in bed with isn't her fiancé!
Best man Derek Stillman might be exhausted, but he's not complaining. The sultry siren who'd slipped under the sheets with him is definitely someone he'd like to know a lot better...until he discovers she's the bride! But when an unexpected quarantine closes the hotel--and confines them to the same room--Derek can't help showing Janine that he's the better man..."


Continuing my current run of older books (although this one is newer that the last few), and this is one I found in the Kindle store.

The heroine Janine is two days away from her wedding to her fiance Steve, a well known plastic surgeon. After her bachelorette party she confides to her sister that she has never slept with Steve and she is having doubts about their compatibility as Steve doesn't seem to desire her. Her brash sister persuades Janine to sneak into his hotel room and seduce him. When she gets there though it's not Steve in the bed, instead it is Steve's best man Derek, the hero. Derek is very disgruntled, he is feeling very ill and had to drop his work in order to stand in for his disappearing brother as Steve's best man. After sorting out the misunderstanding between them Derek tries to leave but he and Janine end up being contained to the same room when an illness breaks out in the hotel and the whole resort is put under quarantine. Their time spent together is rather awkward, but there is also a fierce attraction between them. Although he finds her a little annoying Derek realises Janine is a nice person and can't help but this that Steve is using her. As they get to know one another they help each other through their problems and begin to fall in love.

I really liked this story, and I was pleasantly surprised as it was different to what I was expecting from the blurb. At first I thought it would be really intense and passionate right from the start, instead it is a more gentle and warm romance and when the passion does occur it is much more intense. There are some great humorous moments that really added to my enjoyment. Both characters are very real, I love that Janine is a bit of a klutz but genuinely nice and Derek, instead of being all smooth and suave, is a bit of a grump yet very honest, he felt like the 'Everyman'. Even though the story only takes place over a couple of days I think the development of the relationship is written beautifully.

A great mix of fun and emotion that is really satisfying to read.

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