Downtown Debutante (Harlequin American Romance) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kara Lennox (Author)

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373750854
• ISBN-13: 978-0373750856
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,272,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Kara Lennox (a.k.a. Karen Leabo) published her first book when she was in the eighth grade. She wrote a children's book as a class assignment, then convinced her yearbook publisher to print up bound copies, which she distributed herself to friends, relatives and neighbors. Though this was hardly a high-profit venture, the urge to see her work in print never deserted her.

Kara began her first novel in college, a truly awful gothic that was best left in a drawer. Then graduation, finding a job, marriage and moving cross-country got in the way. She toiled in anonymity for the Texas Society of CPAs, writing brochures for their continuing education program. Naturally, with such scintillating subject matter to occupy her days, her imagination ran wild at night, and soon she was working on her second novel.

The horrible first job gave way to an even worse second job (writing insurance policies in plain English) and a third. But she never completely lost sight of the dream of earning her living as a writer--a real writer, with a byline.

She worked several years as a nonfiction magazine writer with hundreds of articles to her credit. She would get up at five every morning to work two hours on her novels before tackling her various freelance jobs. Three years and five novels later, Kara sold her first book, Roses Have Thorns (by Karen Leabo) to Silhouette Romance.

Determined to earn a living as a novelist, Kara focused relentlessly on her goal to sell at least three books per year (the minimum she figured she could live on). And during the past fifteen-plus years, that's exactly what she's done (if you average things out!). Writing has always been her priority, and in sixty-plus books, she has missed only two deadlines (both only by a few days).

Kara has written for seven different category lines (for Harlequin, Silhouette and Bantam Loveswept). In addition, she's written ten screenplays (three of which have been optioned, none produced, alas) and numerous novels and proposals that haven't sold (yet). She also blogs, tweets and spends way too much time on Facebook. The blank page doesn't frighten her.

Kara's books have finaled in several romance industry contests including the National Readers' Choice Awards, the Holt Medallion competition and the Rita. Her Harlequin American PLAIN JANE'S PLAN won the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice.

Currently Kara writes a romantic suspense series for Harlequin Super Romance, PROJECT JUSTICE. She lives in a 105-year-old fixer-upper Victorian house in California with her husband Rob, also a writer, and various pets. When she is not writing, she enjoys an ever-changing array of activities that currently includes bicycling, yoga, mosaic-making and selling vintage jewelry online.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read, March 21, 2006

By 

PJ "bluedogbooks" (Fish Creek, WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Downtown Debutante (Harlequin American Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

I'm typically not a reader of romance novels anymore, but after an online encounter with the author, I couldn't resist reading one of her books. This was so much fun to read! I was laughing out loud at her descriptions of the big show fiasco at the end of the book. It was so descriptive, I could really see and feel the happenings described. Thanks Kara for a truly fun read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars wonderful Blond Justice amateur sleuth romance, September 16, 2005

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Downtown Debutante (Harlequin American Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Stranded in Cottonwood, Texas, jewelry designer Brenna Thompson hates her former fiancé Marvin Carter, who stole her gemstones, trust fund and checking account while also destroying her dreams. FBI Agents Heath Packer and Pete LaJolla believe that Brenna is somehow a partner of Marvin even after she explains that she and two other victims formed the Blond Posse to get the con artist.

However, upon interviewing Brenna, Heath begins to believe she is an injured party not a culprit though he worries that his attraction to her might be tainting his judgment and besides which he does not trust women in general as they always betray their men. Still in spite of his efforts he cannot resist seeing Brenna even as both separately chase after the vanished con man, who inadvertently has played matchmaker.

The second Blond Justice amateur sleuth romance (see HOMETOWN HONEY) is a wonderful tale starring two likable protagonists who do not trust one another. Brenna expects Heath and Pete to vanish like other Feds did as there are no murders only three dumb blondes fleeced. As Brenna and Heath fall in love, he knows his lies will come back to bite him while she remains doubtful that an agent would work her nonentity case.

Harriet Klausner

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, sexy and great. Highly recommended, September 17, 2005

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Downtown Debutante (Harlequin American Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Sneaky con-man Marvin Carter had taken Brenna Thompson for a ride--and stolen the gems she'd planned on using for the jewelry that would make her name. But the blondes are after Marvin, and this time they have 'help' in the person of sexy FBI agent Heath Parker. Heath makes Brenna's heart beat fast, but there's something about the way he listens to her stories about Marvin that tells her he isn't buying everything. Surely, though, he doesn't think she could be involved?

Heath Parker knows Marvin Carter is a bad egg, but the FBI doesn't send out its agents to search for a low-life con-man with a thing for blondes. What it does send out its agents for is to recover stolen paintings worth many hundreds of thousands of dollars. And paintings like that aren't in Carter's league. Heath needs to watch out, though, because his chief suspect, spunky Brenna Thompson, is working his way into his heart.

Heath uses the investigation of Marvin to work his way into Brenna's confidence, not knowing he might just work his way into her bed as well. The more he learns about the spitfire blonde, the harder he finds it to believe that she would really have stolen her parents' paintings. Still, the evidence seems unshakable and Heath has been burned before.

Author Kara Lennox delivers another funny and sexy installment in her 'Blond Justice' series. Marvin can run, but he can't hide with the three intrepid blondes after him. Unfortunately for the women, it turns out that the men they count on for support and backup need a fair amount of training before they can really be of much assistance. Then again, that is half the fun.