365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #237

A Dangerous Infatuation - Chantelle Shaw
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263887044





My rating





From the back cover:

"Off-limits...but irresistible!
Rocco D'Angelo doesn't do needy women - and he certainly doesn't do commitment! But the spark notorious playboy Rocco feels with his beloved grandmother's nurse Emma Marchant is more than the usual thrill-of-the-chase adrenalin!
Never in her wildest dreams did cautious Emma imagine she would be swept from a sleepy English village to the exotic climes of the Italian Riviera - especially by a man as disreputable as Rocco. Emma could be the one to tame the untameable - unless her infatuation is more dangerous than she imagined..."


This book has a great blurb and title, I was looking forward to reading it...

The hero Rocco and the heroine Emma meet when Rocco gets his car stuck in the snow and Emma stops to help. Rocco is surprised to learn that Emma is the nurse caring for his beloved elderly grandmother. After a few misunderstandings and disagreements between them Rocco realises that Emma is right about his grandmother needing more care. He also realises that he is inexplicably attracted to Emma. Emma knows that Rocco's attentions mean he wants her, but she is not interested in any form of relationship or affair. She doesn't trust men, particularly those like Rocco, after the heartbreak caused by her cheating late husband. All Emma wants is to carve out a good life for herself and her little daughter. Rocco believes that Emma only turns him down as she is still in love with her husband, and Emma doesn't correct him. Despite her misgivings, Rocco manages to convince Emma to go with him and his grandmother to his home in Italy for a short break and it is not long before Emma gives in to her desire for Rocco. However Rocco has secrets and Emma knows that she will end up heartbroken again.

I think I need to stop reading titles and blurbs of some books. I have no idea where the 'infatuation' is in this book, and what is 'dangerous' about it...
This book had a promising start, but felt very flat and at times boring. The hero and heroine are both OK, but I didn't feel they had enough chemistry between them It felt a little forced.
I am really tired of authors writing heroes that are always suspicious of women and always accusing them of being gold diggers - it's contrived and time to move past that cliché now. Some of the writing is quite repetitive and there is a little too much internal reflection from the characters; if the heroine thought about her cheating husband once then she thought about him a hundred times. The conflicts were OK, but quite obvious and not really well executed.

This is an average book, but a little disappointing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #236

The Power and the Glory - Kimberly Lang
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263884029






My rating




From the back cover:

"The Marshalls...A rich, powerful family that mixes business, politics...and pleasure. If the US had a royal family - this would be it!
Any red-blooded woman would kill to be handcuffed to political hot-shot Brady Marshall, but campaigner Aspyn Breedlove wants to raise awareness - not her own acute consciousness of those delicious, iron-hard muscles beneath Brady's expensive suit...Overnight she's an internet sensation, and in a shock move she's made part of the Marshall re-election campaign...
Aspyn hopes she can dance with the devil and create change from within. But what chance does she have when that devil is sex-on-legs Brady Marshall - and she wants to do considerably more than dance with him...?"


I have been looking forward to reading this book since reading the first in Kimberly Lang's 'The Marshalls' mini-series (The Privileged and the Damned).

The hero Brady and the heroine Aspyn meet when they are accidentally handcuffed together by an over zealous member of Aspyn's environmental activist groups. This event and some of Aspyn's comments are picked up by the media and begin to have a negative effect on the re-election campaign for Brady's Senator father. Brady is forced to bring Aspyn into the campaign as a publicity stunt, and she is led to believe that all the information she collects will be passed on. Brady doesn't agree with the stunt and lying to Aspyn, but is overruled, he also realises that he is attracted to Aspyn and he never mixes business and pleasure so he tries to stay away. Aspyn, surprisingly, enjoys being part of the campaign and learning about the more inner workings of politics. She also finds herself drawn to Brady, and the feeling is mutual. Their eventual affair is hot and heavy and completely no-strings. However, the closer they become the more Brady realises he is falling for her, and his guilt over deceiving her is only made worse by his new found feelings and his admiration for how much of herself she has invested in the campaign.

Oh, how I enjoyed this let me count the ways! I was absorbed in this book from the very first page, all the way through to the end. Aspyn has to be one of my favourite ever heroines, I simply adored everything about her from her eternal optimism, to her belief in change, and her rather refreshing views on sex and marriage. She is brilliant portrayed. And Brady, sigh, is a great hero - a little buttoned-up, a little stressed from his career, and gloriously intelligent! Kimberly Lang has crafted a wonderful love story that takes place in such an exciting world, and it is full of charm. The balance between the love story and the political setting, which can, let's face it, be confusing, is perfect. There is as much sexual tension between Kimberly's characters as there is between Josh Lyman and Donna Moss from The West Wing (one of my favourite shows!), it is simply delicious. And believe me, when everything blows up in Brady's face it is spectacular!

This book is original, honest, and so entertaining. A must read.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #235

Jewel in His Crown - Lynne Graham
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263887099





My rating




From the back cover:

"A virtuous wife is worth more than rubies...
Sheikh Raja al-Somari knows that sacrificing his freedom for the good of his country isn’t a choice; it’s a duty. But he’s going to have to use more imaginative tactics to convince his new bride...
Yesterday Ruby Sommerton was an ordinary girl, going to work and gossiping with her flatmate. Now she’s a princess – and is waiting nervously in the bedroom of the Prince’s desert palace! Ruby has a lot to learn – about being royal, how exhilarating nights with her new husband can be... and that an heir is top of his agenda!"


This is the latest offering from Lynne Graham. and one that I was a little let's say hesitant about reading.

The heroine Ruby is just an ordinary girl until her world is turned upside down when she is visited by the hero Raja and informed that she is heir to a country and must also marry him. Ruby has never been acknowledged by her father and his family, who were royalty and leaders of a small eastern country, so she never knew she was actually a princess. She is shocked to learn that in order for her father's country to be at peace with the neighbouring country - the one that Raja is leader of - she must marry Raja. Raja has always known that he would one day have to sacrifice his own freedom for duty to his country. Upon meeting Ruby, even though she is rather headstrong and impetuous, he immediately desires her and realises being married to her wouldn't be a hardship. Ruby doesn't want to marry Raja but after gathering information about the state of the country of her birth she agrees, on the condition that it be a marriage in name only. However she did not realise how much she would desire Raja, and how easily he could make her give in.

I was pretty hesitant about reading this book. Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Lynne Graham's books, but her last one put me off. I'm not really sure what to make of this book; I did enjoy it but there is a lot in this book I didn't like, at all.
The start of the book is the hero getting out of bed with another woman, and while it is generally accepted that romance heroes, particularly those in Modern/Presents, are experienced and 'playboys' THIS scene just slapped you round the face with this fact. It cheapened the book and was quite distasteful.
At times the writing felt a little purple prose-y, and there is way too much internal monologuing - the hero and heroine barely talked. There is too many romance novel clichés used in this book, I'm not even going to mention them as I fear I will be here all day, but it's frustrating. Lynne Graham can do much better than this.
You may think I'm being a little petty here but I have an issue with authors trying to crowbar 'cool' words into their books where they are just not needed - in this book the use of the word "sexts" felt just, well, awkward, this isn't a book about teenagers (In her last book she used the word "shag" a lot, this further cements my point).
I nearly gave this book two stars. What saves this book is the two characters and particularly the hero. The hero felt very mature and a bit more gentle than most of the more recent Modern/Presents heroes. The heroine was also quite likeable in her feistiness.

Overall, this is not a bad book. It is enjoyable but it isn't quite there, to make it up to Lynne Graham's quality of old.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #234

Interview with the Daredevil - Nicola Marsh
Mills & Boon RIVA
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263885101





My rating





From the back cover:

"The man behind the headlines...
After spending the last few years as the perfect political wife, Ava’s finally single and free to live her life as she chooses – away from the paparazzi... She starts her new life as a freelance writer with a massive scoop: an interview with extreme sports legend – and dreamboat! – Roman Gianakis...
The immediate chemistry is all-consuming, but Roman lives his life firmly in the public eye. To match him, she’ll have to step up next to him. Till now she’s always wished she could hide in the wings – is she ready to embrace centre stage?"


You should all know by now that I am a big fan of Nicola Marsh's books, so I have been looking forward for this one working it's way to the top of my TBR pile. I love the title of this one too!

The heroine Ava and the hero Roman meet when they quite literally bump into each other. There is an immediate spark between them and Ava, for once in her very restrained life, gives into the moment with Roman. Ava is feeling a little lost, after spending her life doing what she was supposed to as the Prime Minister's daughter and then as the wife of a politician, now fresh out of her divorce and jobless she doesn't know where to start in rebuilding her life. Roman spots his chance to spend more time with Ava as well as getting more publicity by offering Ava the opportunity to write an article about him and the extreme sports governing body he is CEO of. However, the closer he and Ava become the more Roman realises the she is getting under his skin and getting closer to asking questions he doesn't want to answer. Even though they soon begin to fall for one another, Roman's need for publicity and Ava's aversion to the press starts to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book, it's a fabulous edition to the RIVA line. Nicola Marsh has a way of writing that never fails to make me smile, and that is certainly in abundance here. The book has two well matched, well thought out, and interesting characters, as well as being full of sizzling chemistry and witty dialogue. I loved the heroine's background, Nicola has created a heroine that is very relatable, despite her 'high status', and really does go on a journey throughout the course of the book, and that is very satisfying to read. Roman is such a charmer, I was half in love with him from the first of his many grins!
All of this combined with beautifully described surroundings, and a wonderful love story makes this a very entertaining book.

The ending is super cheesy, but I can forgive it since the rest of the book is brilliant!

Recommended.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #233

Passionate Choice - Flora Kidd
Mills & Boon Romance
Mills & Boon, 1986
ISBN: 9780263754926





My rating




From the back cover:

"Stella had made the mistake of falling in love with Kit Barlow when all he wanted was a casual fling before he married someone else. Once burnt, twice shy. The new man in Stella's life was everything that Kit was not: steady, reliable and eager to commit himself to her. So why did she find herself hankering after Kit when they met again in the Caribbean where it had all started?"


Another oldie...

The heroine Stella has come to the Caribbean in order to conduct some underwater archaeology with her fiancé. When she meets the man who will be helping, Stella is shocking to discover that it is Kit, the hero, the man she spent nearly a year living with three years ago. Worried about what her finance's reaction may be, Stella pretends she doesn't know Kit and relieved when he plays along. When she and Kit get the chance to talk, Stella asks him to keep up the pretence but being alone with him reminds her of the time they spent together and how much she loved him, and how hurt she was when their relationship ended. But the passion between them has never died and she finds it difficult to ignore it the longer they spend together. She also realises that her engagement is a mistake, as well as feeling that her soon-to-be-ex fiancé is hiding something. Stella and Kit work together to find out the truth and rekindle their relationship, but Stella holds back remembering her heartbreak from three years ago.

This is an interesting and enjoyable book, and quite forward for an older one. I enjoyed the setting, the author did a great job of describing the surroundings and situations with real depth. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is really well done, with plenty of spark and tension.
I had a couple of issues with the book though. First, is that that the heroine pursues the hero while she is still engaged, which is a little distasteful. Secondly, when the hero and heroine have their HEA, the hero insists she gives up her studies and just be his wife - I know this book is nearly twenty years old but, wow, that annoyed me!

But, the book is enjoyable; nice writing and an well executed story.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #232

The Talk of Hollywood - Carole Mortimer
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2012
ISBN: 9780263890297






My rating




From the back cover:

"Lights...
From his latest sports car to his latest blonde, gossip surrounds infamous Hollywood actor and director Jaxon Wilder. Unnamed sources are speculating outrageously about an unknown beauty that Jaxon is determined to get to know... intimately!
Camera...
Except Stazy, infuriatingly, is nothing like Jaxon’s usual conquests... To Jaxon’s disgust she demands an equal stake in his project – they’ll have to work side by side for months!
Bedroom!
Jaxon agrees to a professional partnership... knowing that, however hard Stazy tries to resist, eventually they’ll tantalise the tabloids with a scandalous affair – on and off the red carpet!"


I was looking forward to reading this latest offering from Carole Mortimer, I just love this title! And it's so weird now having to write 2012 for publication date, where did the year go!

The hero Jaxon, a very popular movie actor and director, is planning to make a movie about the heroine Stazy's grandmother, who was a spy many years back. He wants to have Stazy and her grandfather on-board with his plans so that he has agreement as well as being able to find out more information. Stazy is suspicious of Jaxon and feels that he is only interested in sensationalising her grandmother's past. From the moment they meet Jaxon and Stazy butt heads with each other, and disagree on everything. Stazy is even more on edge when her grandfather agrees to help Jaxon on the condition that Stazy works with him while he researches. With her grandfather away leaving the two of them alone together, they soon realise that behind all their antagonism there is a fierce desire for one another. Jaxon begins to fall for Stazy, but is constantly fighting against her emotional barriers, and no matter how close they get she always finds a way to pull away from him.

While this book is quite enjoyable, at times I felt a little confused and bored. Everyone knows that one of the most important elements of romances, and indeed other fiction, is the internal conflict. In this book I couldn't really work out what that conflict was, and the reasons behind the characters behaviour was a little baffling. Stazy, rather than hurt and emotionally stilted as I believe the author was aiming for, just came across of stiff and uptight. Jaxon is a good hero though, the best part of this book in fact.

The blurb is so very misleading that I recommend you DON'T read it, lest you should be confused!

This book is OK, just OK.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #231

Escape from the Harem - Mary Lyons
Mills & Boon Romance
Mills & Boon, 1986
ISBN: 9780263754056





My rating




From the back cover:

"It was six years since Leonie's fairytale marriage to the eldest son of the Sultan of Dhoman - and four years since she had escaped from his country, vowing never to see of speak to him again. She was tricked into breaking her vow when Badyr appeared in England, determined to take her and their daughter back with him.
But Leonie had learned to her cost that all the fabulous riches of her husband's lifestyle couldn't compensate her for the harshness she had endured in the palace. How could she bear to return?"



This is another one from the oldie pile!

The heroine Leonie is shocked when she meets her estranged husband Badyr, the hero, for the first time in years. After escaping from his civil war torn country, Leonie tried to put all her memories of her lonely marriage out of her mind and make a new life for herself and her daughter. Badyr has always known about his daughter but has waited until now to come back and claim both of them, he needed to rebuild and stabilise his country after his power-mad father almost ruined it. And he wanted to make it a better place for his wife and daughter to return to. Leonie is terrified of going back to the country where she felt so oppressed as well as returning to her less than perfect marriage, but for her daughter's sake she knows she has no choice.
Leonie quickly recognises all the change and good that Badyr has done for his country and they begin to grow close again. They marriage is stronger than ever and Leonie is very happy, until she discovers what Badyr did during the years they were apart, and is once again heartbroken.

This is an interesting and well executed book. The actual romance between the hero and heroine feels very real and I really responded to the hero and how he was not afraid to express his total love for the heroine. What I found particularly interesting about this book is that it actually raised and dealt with the subject of social and religious differences between the hero and heroine and their lives. There are many Sheikh romances that simply ignore these things, so it definitely added depth to this book.
However, as a western woman I couldn't accept the hero's other marriage. I know that it's an accepted and perfectly fine part of some eastern cultures, but for me I feel that it is a little upsetting, and doesn't fit with the 'romantic fantasy' that is an integral part of reading romances.
Unfortunately this put me off the book, but it was very enjoyable up until then...

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #230

Innocent in the Ivory Tower - Lucy Ellis
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263887006





My rating





From the back cover:

"When purity and passion collide...
Nanny Maisy Edmonds is furious when a stranger tries to take her orphaned little charge - stealing a shockingly explicit kiss from her into the bargain! Can infamous tycoon Alexei Ranaevsky really be the child's godfather? Installed in Alexei's remote Italian villa, Maisy is intent on protecting little Kostya - and nothing else...
Alexei's childhood-turned-nightmare means he allows himself no emotional attachments. But Maisy's beguiling sweetness has the uncompromising Russian determined to seduce her down from her inexperienced pedestal..."

This is Lucy Ellis's first book, I believe she was runner-up in 2010's New Voices competition. That's pretty impressive. I have been looking forward to reading this book.

The hero Alexei and the heroine Maisy meet when Alexei rushes in to claim to his godson after the death of the little boy's parents. Maisy has been looking after him since he was born after his mother, Maisy's best friend, struggled to cope. She begs Alexei to let her stay with the baby. Alexei agrees both for the baby's benefit and his own, as for reasons that baffle him he is entranced by Maisy. Maisy is also drawn to Alexei and this disturbs her, she doesn't have that much experience with men and knows that Alexei is not really the 'forever' type. But despite their attempts to ingore the desire between them, it's not long before they give in and begin an affair. Yet cracks soon show in their relationship, especially when it comes to Maisy's loyalty to the baby and Alexei's very busy lifestyle, and neither of them are willing to budge.

I really hoped that I would like this more than I actually did. Don't get me wrong, it is an enjoyable book but, for me, it just didn't seem to click. The plot, while very well written, is a little contrived and the pace felt a little jumpy at times. There seemed to be a lot of issues raised then forgotten about, which is frustrating. I liked the dialogue between the hero and heroine, there is a lot of it and it is very entertaining to read, but again at times this jumped around a little.
There is nothing really bad in this book, but nothing really great either. It didn't hold my attention and for a first book by an author, I was a little disappointed. Especially when I compare it to first books by other recent new authors, such as Lynn Raye Harris, Aimee Carson, Maisey Yates, and Natasha Tate, whose first books were fantastic. But, I will definitely be reading future books by Lucy Ellis, as there is something there...

This is an enjoyable book and worth a read, but one that doesn't quite reach it's potential.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #229

Captive but Forbidden - Lynn Raye Harris
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263887075





My rating





From the back cover:

"Public Duty
The news that wild socialite Veronica St. Germaine has cleaned up her act and stepped into her father's shoes as ruler of a Mediterranean principality creates a tabloid frenzy! But it's not just the paparazzi that are out for blood...
Private Scandal
Duty demands that bodyguard Rajesh Vala must protect Veronica - whatever the cost... But Veronica has always rebelled against commands, and she isn't making Raj's job easy!
He calls it 'safeguarding'. She calls it being held captive at his beach house. Both realise that the attraction between them is inconvenient... Veronica is nothing if not forbidden!"

I have been looking forward to reading this for a while, I am a big fan of Lynn Raye Harris's books so, naturally, I was expecting good things!

The heroine Veronica is the recently elected President of her small Mediterranean country, and a former infamous party girl. Many people do not agree with her presidency and Veronica has received a few threats from unknown sources. The hero Rajesh is hired to help keep Veronica safe, but she is less than happy about it as she hates feeling trapped after a childhood spent with her overprotective father. Veronica and Raj are instantly attracted to one another, and the more time they have to spend alone the harder it becomes to ignore the desire between them, so it is not long before they give in to the it. Being together, while very pleasurable, also reminds them of their individual pain and loss they have experienced in their lives. This combined with the threat against Veronica only results in pulling them further apart, when they want to be together.

This is a really intense and exciting book, not to mention very original. I was intrigued by the concept of the heroine being President of her country. Usually in romance novels the hero is the one with the more important/powerful career, but you can't get more important than President, so this is different and a little risky. But excellently done! Lynn Raye Harris did a great job, she managed to flip romance novel conventions on their heads yet still keep all the traditional elements you would want. There is no denying her hero is every bit the Alpha-male, and not at all inferior in the face of the heroine and her career. The story itself is interesting and well developed, I would have liked to have read a little more about the heroine's journey in becoming president - why/how/etc - but the story does not lack depth at all.
The passion between the hero and heroine is, as expected, scorching, and the interaction between them is also full of constant sexual tension. You could cut this tension with the proverbial knife, it's that good! The intrigue element of the story really adds to the intensity of this book, and I loved it.

A gripping, passionate, and emotional book. Plus it's genre busting, which can only be a good thing.

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #228

Dark Music - Charlotte Lamb
Mills & Boon Romance
Mills & Boon, 1990
ISBN: 9780263768145





My rating



From the back cover:

"When Annis had run out of stormy composer Raphael Leon's life two years ago she hadn't bargained on seeing him again, least of all on holiday in Greece! And she found him still furious at her desertion. But when they were suddenly thrown together in appalling circumstances their relationship looked set to be as heated as ever. Enter the glamorous Diona, opera singer, and Annis felt flat comparison. Would she and Raphael ever hit the right note?"

This is another recommended Modern/Presents book.

The heroine Annis is on holiday in Greece when she runs into her ex-fiancé Raphael, the hero. Raphael is not pleased to see Annis after the way she ran out on him two years ago without explanation, and vows to find out the truth. Annis has never gotten over her decision to leave Raphael without telling him the real reason, but she has worked hard to make a new life for herself. When Raphael starts following her on her tour holiday and keeps confronting her she tries hard to keep from giving into his demands for the truth and the desire that is still between them. After they are trapped and injured due to an earthquake, Raphael asks Annis to stay with him while they recover. Both of them admit that they still love one another but Annis refuses to tell him why she left and this only makes Raphael more frustrated and angry.

I enjoyed this book. I'll admit that I struggled with it a bit at first, the prose seemed a little long winded, but as soon as the hero and heroine met there was instant chemistry and the story was quite gripping. This is the best thing about this book - the sexual tension. It saturates every page and makes the book very entertaining. There is a nice bit of mystery in relation to the heroine's reason for leaving the hero, unfortunately I found the actual truth a little bit of a let down, let's just say it was kinda lame, but the lead in was done fantastically.
I could have done without the bitchy-other-woman character, I don't feel the story needed it, it didn't add to the conflict and the whole subject was forgotten about after a few pages.
I love the way the author really embraced the hero's temperamental and passionate personality, it fit his artiste background and really added to the already thick sexual tension.
The blurb is a little misleading, I got the impression that the heroine would also be a musician, but of course that doesn't change the enjoyment factor of the acutal book.

This is very much a 'classic' Mills & Boon romance, and I like it!

Xx

365 books in 365 days Challenge ... book #227

The Man Every Woman Wants - Miranda Lee
Mills & Boon Modern
Harlequin UK, 2011
ISBN: 9780263887105





My rating




From the back cover:

"To most women, Ryan Armstrong is irresistible- just the way he likes it!
But beyond business the unbelievably sexy Ryan's only commitment is to playing the field! Laura, however, refuses to be yet another not on Ryan's bedpost. She has no time for arrogant meant - least of all one who can see through her severe suits to the woman within.
Ryan is the last man on earth Laura wants to share a bedroom with for the whole weekend - but she needs his help! Soon Ryan will make his move, and Laura's afraid that she might not even want to resist..."


I love Miranda Lee's books, she is an author I read way back when I first discovered Mills & Boon as a teenager. I was looking forward to reading this, her latest offering.

The heroine Laura and the hero Ryan have been business associates for close to two years, but neither of them have shown any interest in each oter. When Ryan sees her cool ice-queen facade slip for the first time he is intrigued, and sets out to find out what has upset her. Laura is embarrassed when she admits to telling her family that she and Ryan are in a relationship in order to calm her very ill grandmother, not expecting her to recover and want to meet him. Just when she thinks she is going to have to admit to her lies, Ryan shocks her by saying he will go with her to visit her family and pretend to be her boyfriend. Neither Laura not Ryan are looking for a relationship; Laura is immune to men after two heartbreaks and Ryan has never wanted love after traumatic events in his childhood. They are both surprised by the amount they desire one another, and it is inevitable that they end up in bed together. Neither of them want only one night but neither do they want more.

When I started reading this book, I was not enjoying it at all. It seemed a little info dumpy, the dialogue seemed a little forced, and the story was a little long winded. But it did pick up and I ended up enjoying it. I liked both the hero and the heroine, the hero had charm to spare as well as a very appealing tender side. However, his childhood experience was only alluded to a couple of times in the book until it was virtually dumped on us in the last four pages - I felt a little shocked and short changed. The heroine is a wonderfully written character, very complex yet also totally 21st century. One of the things I like most about Miranda Lee is that she is not afraid to write heroines that are a little bit older and experienced than your usual Modern/Presents heroines (she is 30 btw) and they have good careers as well as a very modern feel.
The chemistry and passion is literally smouldering, and very, very well done!

A shaky start and ending, but overall a really enjoyable book.