Power Play-Nancy Warren

Power Play

Nancy Warren

Harlequin Blaze, Nov 2009, $4.99

ISBN: 9780373795062

 

Regretting saying yes to being a bridesmaid at Cousin Leanne’s wedding, massage therapist Emily Saunders returns home to Elk Crossing, Idaho.  She is staying at the Elk Crossing Lodge along with the ugliest dress in creation, pumpkin colored and shaped like it was grown in the field.   Bed bugs attack her.

 

Cop Jonah Betts is in Elk Crossing for the over thirties Old Timers Hockey League tournament.  He and his horde of players have left no rooms available for Emily and others forced out of theirs.  Due to further incompetence, Emily and Jonah share a room.  They are attracted to one another, but he promised her he would not make the first pass while they share a room; however if she makes that first pass, he will shoot for the hat trick with her.  Instead she places him in the penalty box.  Neither expected a Power Play by an unknown killer.

 

This is a super contemporary romance with hockey and homicide to round out the amusing comedy of errors.  The story line is a fast-paced lighthearted frolic that readers will enjoy unless they recently purchased a bridesmaid dress.  Readers will enjoy this fine Idaho caper especially the final resolution of what to do with Big Orange (except for fans in Syracuse or Denver) in a state rooting for blue as in the Boise State field.

Harriet Klausner

Hot Spell-Michelle Rowen

Hot Spell

Michelle Rowen

Harlequin Blaze, Nov 2009, $

ISBN: 9780373795079

Paranormal Assessment and Recovery Agency psychic Amanda LaGrange hates her skill as she believes her father deserted the family when she was a child because he loathed her abnormal ability.  Empathic Jacob Caine only recently learned of his uncanny talent and relishes using it to help others.

 

They are attracted to one another, but her self-loathing leaves them with no chance to explore a relationship between two people with extraordinary skills as she sees it as a curse and he believes strongly both of them have a special gift.  Although she prefers not to work with him because she knows she wants him but distrusts relationships as men leave, they unite to investigate an alleged haunted house.  There they meet two ghosts who were lovers in life, but murdered and trapped by a curse until someone frees them.

 

This is a fascinating paranormal romance as the modern day couple become “cursed” so must resolve the mystery of the ghosts to free themselves.  The story lien is entertaining although Amanda’s constant self deprecation after a while turns into a super whine.  Still fans will believe in ghosts and the ghostbusters as Michelle Rowan enahcnts her fans with a Hot Spell.

 

Harriet Klausner

Christmas Diamonds-Devon Vaughn Archer

Christmas Diamonds

Devon Vaughn Archer

Harlequin Kimani, Nov 2009, $5.99

ISBN: 9780373861392

 

Her mother dumped her as a child on her grandmother who raised her with love.  However, though beautiful and intelligent interior designer Paula Devine has a résumé of losers so has given up on a romantic relationship like that of her grandma whose husband proposed on Christmas.

 

Diamond jeweler Chase McCord misses his wife Rochelle who died two years ago.  He hires Paula to redecorate a room in his home.  However, before they meet formally, they encounter one another over cappuccinos in a cafe in Silver Moon, Washington which she, tired of trite males, rips his skin for staring at her.  After he takes her down a peg or two, they meet formally in his office.  As she works the renovation, they are attracted to one another, but he has doubts due to his feelings of deserting Rochelle and one of her ex boyfriends seems to have her on a string.

 

This is a fabulous holiday romance between a terrific female weary of the gender game and a wonderful somewhat fickle widower who is not afraid to exchange barbs.  This pair makes a fine couple, but their respective pasts haunt them more than the ghosts visiting Scrooge.  Readers will enjoy this fun tale as diamonds are a woman’s second best friend after the love of their life.

 

Harriet Klausner

 

A Conflict Of Interest-Anna Adams

A Conflict Of Interest

Anna Adams

Harlequin SuperRomance, Nov 2009, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373783434

Dr. Maria Keaton testifies against a teenage client Griff Butler accused of murder in court, but his lawyer accuses her of having an affair with his client.  She is suspended over the accusation of sexual misconduct.  Her peers kick her to the curb and her reputation torn to shreds as she is temporarily barred from practicing psychiatry.

 

Maria turns to Judge Jake Sloan, who was hearing the Butler case.  He has doubts about her professionalism, but quickly turns around convinced she is innocent except for being a good citizen.  As they begin to fall in love, he pulls back when he learns she was his daughter Leila’s shrink.

 

A Conflict of Interests is a great contemporary romance as Anna Adams looks deeply at psychological issues, court proceedings, and extended family.  Her mom and sister, and his daughter as well as Griff enhance the relationship between the lead couples as he is a control freak and she is an independent freak; their underlying respective philosophies of life are total opposites. Fans will relish Ms. Adams strong tale with a fabulous twist to the Butler case.

 

Harriet Klausner

 

Home For The Holidays-Sarah Mayberry

Home For The Holidays

Sarah Mayberry

Harlequin SuperRomance, Nov 2009, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373715992

 

Two years ago his wife died in an accident that left Joe Lawson alone to raise his two children by himself.  He decides to relocate them from Sydney to Melbourne so his mom can help him and her grandchildren thirteen year old Ben and tens year old Ruby though his daughter fears mom will not be able to find them if they leave their home.

 

His neighbor is mechanic Hannah Napier, whose fiancé dumped her after falling in love with her sister.  Hannah is terrific with his kids while he fantasizes about her being with him.  She is attracted to the family next door, but plans to leave Melbourne to follow her dreams.  Christmas looks like it will be cold, as it has been since their mom died, to the Lawson family.

 

This is an engaging second chance at love Australian romance with a solid support cast and strong likable lead protagonists each with relationship demons.  The two young children are terrific as they have doubts about the move and their father falling in love; Ruby will remind the audience of Abigail Breslin in No Reservations with her fear of losing her mom forever.  While Hannah fears being dumped again, Joe is afraid of losing someone else he loves and the impact on his kids of his wanting to make Hannah their mom.  Fans will enjoy this fine contemporary as the cast makes for an entertaining tale.

 

Harriet Klausner

 

A Conflict Of Interest-Anna Adams

A Conflict Of Interest

Anna Adams

Harlequin SuperRomance, Nov 2009, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373783434

Dr. Maria Keaton testifies against a teenage client Griff Butler accused of murder in court, but his lawyer accuses her of having an affair with his client.  She is suspended over the accusation of sexual misconduct.  Her peers kick her to the curb and her reputation torn to shreds as she is temporarily barred from practicing psychiatry.

 

Maria turns to Judge Jake Sloan, who was hearing the Butler case.  He has doubts about her professionalism, but quickly turns around convinced she is innocent except for being a good citizen.  As they begin to fall in love, he pulls back when he learns she was his daughter Leila’s shrink.

 

A Conflict of Interests is a great contemporary romance as Anna Adams looks deeply at psychological issues, court proceedings, and extended family.  Her mom and sister, and his daughter as well as Griff enhance the relationship between the lead couples as he is a control freak and she is an independent freak; their underlying respective philosophies of life are total opposites. Fans will relish Ms. Adams strong tale with a fabulous twist to the Butler case.

 

Harriet Klausner

 

The Fireman’s Christmas-Meg Lacey

The Fireman’s Christmas

Meg Lacey

Harlequin American, Nov 2009, $4.99

ISBN: 9780373752850

In Warenton, Widower Danny Santori raises four out of control youngsters while fighting fires; he believes his kids who run off nannies before he can hire them are more difficult to deal with than an inferno.

Landscape artist Tessa Doherty recently divorced her husband Colin and moved from Chicago to raise her two children in fresh air but has no one to watch over them when she works.  Rhonda, friend to both, arranges for Tessa and Danny to meet.  They agree to help one another with the kids’ issues.  However, neither single parent expected an attraction between them especially in the midst of out of control children chaos.

This is a warm second chance at love romance filled with lighthearted jocularity as the children cause chaos inadvertently nuking at times the relationship between their adult single parents.  The story line is character driven but also reminiscent of 1960s-1970s treasures like With Six You Get Egg Roll; Yours, Mine and Ours; and The Brady Bunch.

Harriet Klausner

Colorado Christmas-C.C. Coburn

Colorado Christmas

C.C. Coburn

Harlequin American, Nov 2009, $4.99

ISBN: 9780373752874

In Spruce Lake, Colorado former stunt skier Will O’Malley refuses to allow his town’s historical district with its classic Victorian style architect be destroyed by the Mountains Resorts Development Company modernization.  However, he goes too far at least in the mind of his brother the deputy sheriff when he vandalizes the firm’s vehicles.

He comes before Judge Becky McBride, who is new to town with plans of remaining no more than six months before returning with her nine years old son Nick to Denver.  Will is attracted to Her Honor, but she rejects his request for a date.  However, he refuses to accept no at the same time he does community service for his acts of vandalism.

Passionate Will makes for a fun contemporary romance as he tries to persuade the urban judge that he is not a character out of the TV show Green Acres, but in spite of his intelligence, charm and looks, he competes with Louella the pig.  Fans will enjoy this amusing courtship observed by the 2,596 other eccentric residents with smiles and smirks yet the tale subtly contains a plea to not arbitrarily devastate our heritage but instead incorporate our past in modernization plans though that probably will add cost.

Harriet Klausner

Unexpected Gifts-Holly Jacobs

Unexpected Gifts

Holly Jacobs

Harlequin SuperRomance, Nov 10 2009, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373716012

For fifteen years in George County, Pennsylvania family and consumer science (formerly home economics) teacher Elinore “Eli” Cartwright sponsored the teen parenting program; however, ironically at forty-four she finds herself frightened, pregnant and single.  Her boyfriend Arthur makes it very clear, he enjoys their DINK status especially no kids.

Thus Eli has decisions to make, which she finds rather easy as she wants a child and this may be her last chance considering her age and male prospects.  Store owner Zac Keller has been in love with Eli for seemingly forever, but hid his feelings from her as she had that college professor boyfriend.  He makes his feelings obvious to her that he wants her and her unborn child.

This is a super relationship drama that makes a strong case that DNA does not make a family, nurturing and loving one another in spite of blood makes a family.  Eli and Zac are strong lead characters while the support especially his adopted parents and sister and Arthur enhance the underlying premise as life happens in mysterious ways.  Readers will enjoy Holly Jacobs’ wonderful Pennsylvania contemporary romance.

Harriet Klausner

Southern Lights Danielle Steel

Southern Lights

Danielle Steel

Delacorte, Oct 20 2009, $28.00

ISBN: 9780385340281

New York Assistant District Attorney Alexa Hamilton is assigned the lead of prosecuting alleged serial killer Luke Quentin of rape and murder.  The case is loaded with forensic evidence that Alexa sifts through diligently until the single mom is distracted when her seventeen year old daughter Savannah begins receiving letters threatening to harm her.  Alexa assumes Luke or an ally is behind the nasty threats.

Alexa asks her former spouse Tom Beaumont, who lives in Charleston, to keep their teenage child Savannah with him and presumably safe.  His current wife who was also his first spouse objects to the intruder from his in between marriage, but Tom ignores her complaints and that of his upper crust family.  As Savannah becomes closer to her dad and step-siblings, Alexa also begins to feel better about her relationships especially after meeting Edward.

Although wrapped inside a serial killer legal thriller, SOUTHERN LIGHTS remains more a typical Danielle Steel affluent family drama as the focus is on how everyone in the extended Beaumont-Hamilton circles interrelate or do not.  Entertaining especially for fans of Ms. Steel, the threatening letters subplot takes a back seat to the Alexa personal drama.

Harriet Klausner