Hot and Bothered [Paperback]

Dianne Castell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

In the "new" old south, pedigree and money still mean plenty...especially when you have neither. P.I. Charlotte deShawn and her friends Prissy, BrieAnna, and Bebe know all too well what it's like to be on the outside looking in, having grown up with more questions than answers about the parents they each lost at an early age. For Charlotte, enduring condescending looks and whispers only made her more determined to ignore social standing. So why should it be a problem when wealthy hotel owner Griff Parish wants to hire her to find the missing heir to his family fortune? Just because their chemistry is hotter than Georgia in August doesn't mean she can't be a pro about this. After all, they travel in completely different circles - or they did until now.Griff's always had a thing for Charlotte, with her long red hair, big green eyes, and wild streak. Even the hefty chip on her shoulder only reminds him of how strong she is. Still, nothing's ever come of the attraction. Now, however, the temptation Charlotte represents is too close to ignore. True, Griff got himself into this fix. He could have hired a different detective agency - but that wouldn't have served his ends. He has damn good reason to keep Charlotte deShawn close, and it has nothing to do with her keen mind or her gorgeous body. Yeah, right. Falling hard for Charlotte wasn't part of the plan, but in Savannah, what you expect is just about never what you get.

Product Details

• Paperback: 282 pages
• Publisher: Brava (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758223595
• ISBN-13: 978-0758223593
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,147,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Award winning author, Dianne Castell, writes for Harlequin and Kensington. Her books have won Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, been on the cover of Romantic Times Magazine and made the Waldenbooks Bestseller list.
Dianne lives in Cincinnati with her husband, four kids and two cats and will do just about anything besides housework.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hot and Bothered is a gem, March 26, 2008

By 

Judy "book reader" (Cincinnati, ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hot and Bothered (Paperback)

Hot And Bothered by Dianne Castell is a delightfully funny romance.

Charlotte DeShawn has never really excelled at any job she has taken on but when her Dad falls ill she is determined to keep his PI company afloat. Charlotte is shocked when her male friend and life long crush Griff Parish enters her office with a job. She can't turn this job down for it would put them back in the black. Charlotte's friends know all about her crush on the town hottie and will help her anyway that they can.

Griff Parish the 3rd is trying to come to terms with his father's passing. Besides having to deal with his grief he has the terms of the will to sort through. Seems his dad left part of the Magnolia House Hotel, that Griff has always run solo, to his late partners missing daughter. Griff figures he will hire the inept Charlotte to find his new partner all the while knowing once she fails the hotel will be all his again to run alone.

This would have been a great theory if his attraction to Charlotte didn't keep getting in the way. Plus it seems there are people that don't want Charlotte to work on this case let alone find the missing daughter. When her life is threatened Griff will protect her at all cost.

Hot And Bothered has it all. It's funny, all out sexy, a bit of suspense and a ghost or two along the way. The characters have such depth and feel like long lost friends. Charlotte and Griff's friends and their adventures add another fun and sexy layer to this story. This book is a beautiful blend of southern charm with a taste of mystery.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spicy Hot Suspenseful Read, March 25, 2008

By 

Cryna Palmiere "bluebroom" (Calgary, Alberta) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot and Bothered (Paperback)

Dianne has penned another winner. This is the first of her trilogy on three friends set in Savannah, Georgia a city of mystery and intrigue and a sizzling story with the correct title.

Charlotte deShawn is a P.I., who is taking over her father's business because of an accident that has put him on the sidelines for awhile. Only problem is business is slow.......but enter Griff Parish III and all that is about to change.

Griff Parish III has always flirted with Charlotte all his life, but never was able to act on his feelings since there is always the social class difference. When Griff hires Charlotte to find an long-lost baby that he shares an inheritance with there are more obstacles than can be imagined. As the case escalates so does their feelings toward each other which goes from flirting to sizzling.

Charlotte is surrounded by her best friends that she has had forever, and who are closer than sisters ever could be. All are drawn into the mystery that surrounds the missing baby, and why is someone out to kill or stop this investigation. What is it about the morgue, heirloom necklace that is missing and the missing baby that makes someone so desperate?

Dianne has written an story that will keep you turning the pages as the mystery unfolds, and the heat index between Charlotte and Griff goes off the scales but there is also the funny times which we have come to know from the author. I was hooked from the first few pages and had a hard time putting the book down. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next one in this series.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dianne Castell's humor shines again!, March 25, 2008

By 

J. T. Schultz "Romance Author" (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hot and Bothered (Paperback)

! She has created another page-turner with characters you feel you've known your whole life. The chemistry between rich hotel owner Griff Parish and P.I. Charlotte deShawn runs hot from the start. Prissy, Bebe and BrieAnna, Charlotte's friends provide fun secondary characters and the long-standing friendship they share endures and prevails through unusual twists throughout the book. The town of Savannah truly comes to life with the fantastic descriptions and interesting town folk.

Lives in jeopardy at every turn and secrets, best left in the past, bring Griff and Charlotte together. The chaos of finding the missing heir, solving a long ago murder and locating the MIA necklace emanate a dark and dangerous backdrop for romance while the desire between Griff and Charlotte makes for hot nights in Savannah indeed. I truly look forward the other books in this series and recommend this book to everyone. This novel is a prime example of why Dianne Castell is on my auto-buy list.