Customer Reviews

Acting On Impulse (Midnight Fantasies) (Harlequin Blaze)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The only way single folks see any action in Virtue, Kansas is from their backseats in little country lanes. With no hotels, no motels, and no privacy, the small town is simply unconducive to a satisfying love life. So best friends Meg and Trudy made their plans for escape, destination: New York. But her mother had another baby to add to her brood, making the total seven, and delaying Trudy's departure by three and a half years. When she finally makes it to the big city, best friend Meg is already married and pregnant, leaving Trudy to troll for sexy men to expand her sexual repertoire on her own. Of course, that means a bit of matchmaking is in store.

When she purchases a huge four-poster bed, Trudy's friends pitch in to help put it together. Meg and her husband bring along his best friend, sexy Wall Street man Linc Faulkner. Linc has agreed to escort Trudy around the city for a couple of weeks to point out hotspots and places to avoid. He expects a hayseed without attraction. Instead, Trudy's impetuousness, enthusiasm, and spontaneity take him by storm. The bed proves to be too big to set up in her tiny bedroom; she asks that they set it up in the living room instead. That, combined with an accidental discovery of a box full of sex books, proves to be Linc's undoing. No matter how hard to tries, him imagination can't let go of that satin covered haven.

Both Trudy and Linc have sworn off marriage. They are young, single, and wildly attracted to one another. So Trudy decides to use Linc to begin her adventurous discoveries of New York's finest men. A bit of role playing, a lot of seduction, and they are both ecstatic. To preserve the mystery, she never allows Linc to stick around long enough for a cuddle: no sleeping over, no emotional entanglements. It seems like the perfect relationship. That is, until Linc suddenly starts dreaming of white lace and wedding bells, while Trudy is still thinking back streets and forbidden fantasies.

ACTING ON IMPULSE by Vicki Lewis Thompson absolutely blazes! With a heated story line, daring fantasies, and marvelous characterizations, ACTING ON IMPULSE will fulfill the most demanding reader's appetite for adventuresome liaisons. The characters are not only wonderfully developed, but reveal well-thought out motivation. Linc's shift from playboy to dreams of marriage is charming and convincing, while Trudy's reticence is understandable. The very sexy secondary plot likewise sparkles with a very pregnant, happily matchmaking best friend. A sensual delight, ACTING ON IMPULSE comes very highly recommended.

I have to say that I really got annoyed with the female lead, Trudy Baxter, in this story. I was surprised that Ms. Thompson made her such a stereotypical Kansas-hayseed-coming-to-the-Big-City character. It just didn't ring true, and her behavior was inconsistent. She's a gosh-golly type about being in New York City (shades of "That Girl" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), yet her sole goal in being there seems to be to have sex with as many men as possible. She'd apparently "sampled" everyone her small town had to offer. She's saved money for years to go to NYC but there's no indication that she wants to expand herself culturally - just sexually. She's in her mid-twenties, yet her mental attitude towards sex seems to be about age sixteen with no thought of STD or the potential dangers of unknown partners. But, when the story wasn't focusing on her background, her personality seemed to mature. As I mentioned, inconsistent.

I realize that this book was released under the Harlequin Blaze imprint, with all that implies, but there didn't seem to be any problem with the other characters being well-developed and more believable in their behavior. The other characters and the story itself balanced out my annoyance with Trudy, so in the end, I can say that I did enjoy the book. The story itself had some interesting issues concerning families, love, and overcoming conditioning. The romance was sweet - it was one of those "two people who want nothing to do with marriage unwillingly falling in love" types. The secondary characters added depth to the story. The sexual situations were graphic, inventive and plentiful. If you like reading about sexual fantasy fulfillment, then this book is for you. Ms. Thompson doesn't dissolve the story into euphemisms at key moments, and she wasn't adverse to settting some of the sexual encounters in out-of-the-ordinary places.

Trudy dresses up in different costumes and role plays during sex. She is creative and interesting in how she acts and what she does. She moved to NY City from a small town and wants to date different types of men. Her friend Meg asked Linc to show her around town for the first couple of weeks, and that is where the story starts.

Sexual language: moderate. Number of sex scenes: twelve. Setting: present day NY City and Virtue, Kansas. Copyright: 2002. Genre: contemporary romance.

LOVED IT....
Trudy wants to take on new york and experience all she can with the city..and Linc very sexy wonderful guy the chemistry was amazing i love that he was pretending sometimes to know what he is doing even when he didn't because he didn't want Trudy to think he can't do it. you will love this book it will make you smile and fall in love with small Town girl T rudy Baxter

The trick to any Harlequin line is balancing the "theme" of the series (in this case, sensuality) with real relationship growth and well-developed characters. Vicki Lewis Thompson manages to do this quite well in "Acting On Impulse."

The main characters are both well-developed, and the relationship between them is given time to evolve. While Trudy's desire to "experience" may be a little artificial, it's the all-important plot point that pulls in Linc, which makes it a bit more forgivable.

In addition, this book is steamy and hot and very very imaginative. The fantasies that Linc and Trudy act out are wonderful and sensual. In addition, Trudy's travails -- the problems she encounters trying to act out those fantasies -- make them a bit more believable and far more human.

Thompson once again proves why she is at the top of heap of believable, character-driven erotic romance writers. Enjoy!

This is Vicki Lewis Thompson's second Blaze for the new line and she certainly knows how to write them hot. The first glimpse of the heroine, Trudy, was not promising. Her goal was to go to New York City and bed many men, since she did not get a lot of hot sex in her small town. A lot of promiscuous sex can turn me off in a romance book. However, luckily for Trudy and me, her first experience is Linc, and he proves to be her one and only experiment in the game of sexual partners. In between their sexual escapades, the plot, though not a lot to it, kept me reading to see what would happen next.
ACTING ON IMPULSE is full of fantasy scenes for lovers that one could use at home. I did wonder how Trudy could afford all the toys and props she used, but I did not let it bother me in the enjoyment of this book. You will find some of the scenes scorching and very sensual, but they are done very well. If you enjoy a good book with lots of steamy lovemaking and with a good romance plot, you will enjoy this.
I hope Ms. Thompson continues to write for the Blaze line. I believe she has captured the essence of what Blaze books should be like.

This is my favorite Harlequin romance book. Trudy isn't the typical virginal character that are in almost every Harlequin novel. It is quite fun to read how Linc comes out of his shell. Each of the sex scene were wonderfully steamy and even had a bit of humor in them. I love the development of a no strings relationship to one of love between Linc and Trudy. This is one of the rare books that I would read over again.

All Trudy Baxter wants is a lot of midnight fantasy in her life that is not in the back seat of a car as is the only venue in her hometown of Virtue, Kansas. Her best friend went off to New York and returned a happily married woman. Trudy plans to follow in Meg's footsteps, but not marry anyone until she tastes all the Big Apple has to offer.

In Manhattan, Meg and her spouse Tom introduce Trudy to his best friend Wall Street financier Linc Faulkner, who agrees to show the small-town girl a bit of the city. However, Linc quickly falls for Trudy's energy, élan, and enthusiasm for her new lifestyle. When her four poster bed fails to fit in her tiny bedroom Trudy has it constructed in her living room by Linc and company. As he puts the parts together, all Linc can think of is sharing that bed with Trudy even if she insists she wants a variety of men in her "bed".

As Trudy learns that this is not Kansas anymore, ACTING ON IMPULSE is a fiery sex in the city romance. The story line scorches the audience with the innocent Trudy turning femme fatale while Linc converts from confirmed bachelor to salivating male. The support cast adds depth to the lead couple with their not so subtle matchmaking efforts. Though the premise of assembly line men in Trudy's fantasy bed seems irresponsible, the audience will forgive Trudy her notorious thoughts as long as she checks her dreams with Linc only. Vicki Lewis Thompson furbishes her readers with a gregariously blazing contemporary tale.

Harriet Klausner

Favorite scene with Trudy-
Telling Linc's parents off.

Favorite scene with Linc-
Visiting Trudy's family.

Together-
Breaking up.