Head Over Heels (Marine, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)

by Susan Andersen (Author) "THE WAIL OF COUNTRY MUSIC AND THE BAR'S SMOKY, beery smell hit Veronica Davis like a smack upside the head the moment she pushed through..." (more)
Key Phrases: Ovar Nuls, Aunt Ronnie, Cooper Blackstock (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Coming one year after Andersen's highly praised All Shook Up, this frisky romantic caper lacks the effervescent humor of her previous book but compensates with its true-to-life characters and careful treatment of complex issues such as trust and acceptance. Seattle-based restoration designer Veronica Davis never thought she'd waitress at her family's bar, the Honky Tonk, again. But when her ne'er-do-well sister, Crystal, is murdered and the accused Crystal's estranged ex, Eddie skips bail, Veronica finds herself filling in at the Tonk and taking care of her six-year-old niece. Her time at the bar would be almost bearable if it weren't for the Tonk's antagonistic bartender, Cooper Blackstock, an ex-marine who assumes that she's merely a replica of her conniving sister. Fortunately, Cooper's stupidity doesn't last long, and the two become engaged in a heated affair. Before they can think of building a future together, however, Veronica must learn to accept Cooper for who he is and Cooper must come clean about his relationship to Eddie. This novel deals with weightier themes than Andersen's earlier titles, but it still sparkles with all the elements that her readers adore upbeat dialogue, strong sexual chemistry, a touch of suspense and a dash of humor. (On sale Jan. 8)Forecast: According to Avon, Andersen is "poised for superstardom la Susan Elizabeth Phillips," and they may not be far off the mark. A glowing cover quote by Jayne Ann Krentz and advertising in Redbook and the Romantic Times will help this Avon Superleader become a super seller.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Who said "you can't go home again"? In Veronica Davis's case,who'd want to -- especially when you hail from Fossil, Washington? But now she's back among the good-ol' boys who think she's fair game just because she's in a waitress uniform.

The truth is, Veronica's the boss -- at least until she can sell the family saloon and skip town again as fast as her feet cancarry her-and nobody knows that better than Cooper Blackstock. From behind the bar, the ex-Special Forces Marinesees all. And his undercover agenda has made the feisty boss-lady's troubles his own.

And her troubles are considerable, what with a family in turmoil, a pseudo-bartender with dangerous secrets, a murder investigation, and death threats. Though the town surprisingly rallies in support, it's still a good thing that Cooper will be there to catch Veronica if she stumbles -- if he doesn't start falling himself.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (January 8, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380819171
• ISBN-13: 978-0380819171
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,525 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #8 in	Books > Romance > Authors, A-Z > ( A ) > Andersen, Susan
  #38 in	Books > Romance > Regency

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable Beginning of a Trilogy, January 12, 2002

By	mayfayre "mayfayre" (New Jersey USA) - See all my reviews

An enjoyable introduction to what looks to be a welcome trilogy about three former Marine buddies. This one takes place in Fossil Washington, and concerns the murder of Crystal Davis, the owner of the Baker Street Honky Tonk, her late father's tavern. The whodunnit itself wasn't that complex, since the reader is quickly able to eliminate most of the possible suspects, but it serves to provide the framework for the meeting between Crystal's sister, Veronica Davis who is a restoration specialist, and Cooper Blackstock, an ex-Marine of mysterious means and also the man hired to run the tavern. Their working relationship and developing romance is the main focus of the story.

Veronica and Cooper are both running from their past, yet both wind up in the town where they've been hurt the most. Each has unresolved issues with their deceased parents, issues which molded both of them and which also serve as a stumbling block to their growing attraction to one another. There is also the complication of Crystal's young daughter Lizzy - she's now motherless, her father has been charged with the murder, and now he's jumped bail. Adding to all that is the fact that Veronica now has to deal with settling Crystal's affairs, providing a stable homelife for her niece, and temporarily help out waitressing at the tavern (putting her in close proximity to Cooper, but also bringing back unpleasant memories of her teenage years). To make matters worse, Lizzy's father, Eddie Chapman, is also Cooper's half-brother, a fact which he has omitted telling Veronica. There is also a nicely done secondary romance between Veronica's best friend Marissa, a widowed mother of three, and a local businessman named Kody, who is afraid to commit.

This story was a bit more serious in tone than some of Ms. Andersen's other books due to the issues raised, but it still contains her excellent dialogue, amusing scenes, and fine character development. Unlike some authors, all of her main characters seem real, their behaviors true. They don't make the reader cringe in disbelief. The children in the story are real children, not discardable plot devices, but kids you could easily take to your heart. The relationship between Veronica and Coop flashed nicely, both in language and deed. Needless to say, both are good looking, smart and sexy, with strong independent streaks. I'd say this book is a keeper.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First in the 'Men of the Marines' Series! 4 1/2 Stars!!!!, September 19, 2002

By	Tracy Talley "Book Addict" (Boston, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Head over heels for this book is almost what sums this up! I loved it! Lots of funny scenes to keep you laughing and Ms. Andersen's trademark wit.

Veronica Davis is from Fossil, Washington, but you wouldn't know it by what she says and how she acts. She owns a nice condo in Seattle and has a thriving business that takes her around the world, for example, to Scotland for a year.
Being forced to go home again, Fossil, not Seattle; Veronica is miserable and dreading it. She worked so hard over the years to forget the small town that drove her nuts in her adolecent years when she was forced to be a waitress at her father's saloon. Now however extenuating circumstances has made her come back to tie up loose ends and sell the dreadful saloon. Once the deed was done, she'd flee the town once and for all...what she doesn't expect is to find it being run by ex-Special forces Marine Cooper Blackstock...a little too sexy and hotblooded for her at the moment, but Cooper had ideas about defrosting her blood to match his!
Cooper is undercover and is pretending to be a bartender. Hard to swallow? Not in this case. He looks the part and acts the part, so much so that Veronica really thinks he is a drifter/bartender with no goals, great, just what she needs to complicate her life right?
Things get hairy between these two as a murder investigation makes it rounds and who-dun-it becomes commonplace in a town with one main road and alot of nosey people. Death threats ensue along with too many dangerous secrets the bartender is keeping. Good thing Cooper is there to catch her if she falls...head over heels that is...Veronica just might find Fossil interesting afterall.

This is the first in her new series and was wonderful!!! I am looking forward to her newest installment or ANYTHING by her!!!

...

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars READ IT AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF!, January 17, 2002

By A Customer

Judith, Judith, Judith. . .HEAD OVER HEELS is not the worst book SA has written. OBSESSED is the worst book she's ever written. HEAD OVER HEELS is great. You have our hero - who granted is a little different from her former heroes - but not nearly as bad as Judith's review indicates. Of course we have to have him resisting his attraction to our heroine (and she got in her verbal licks, too!), that's what makes the sexual tension heat up. This is a smart, sexy story. A good mystery which is not in your face obvious, and best of all - no psycho/rapist/serial killer!!! Let's face it! There are a lot of books out there with that plot and authors who keep reusing it. At least SA varies her plots and the characteristics and personalities of her main characters. If you want the same old thing time after time, read Jayne Ann Krentz (no, that's not a compliment). For another GREAT, SEXY read - try LONE RIDER by LAUREN BACH. I recommend this book in just about all my reviews, but it's a KEEPER and you'll thank me for the recommendation. HEAD OVER HEELS is a keeper, too. Can't wait for SA's next book.