Customer Reviews

Hot and Bothered

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

! 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.

"Hot and Bothered" appears to be part of a pair of books which follows the fortunes of four women who have been friends since childhood because of something they all have in common - they are all adopted. In "Hot and Bothered" the main focus is on Charlotte deShawn, a rookie PI who has been hired by the man she's had a thing for for years, Griffin Parrish. Griff wants Charlotte to find the whereabouts of baby Jaden who was given up for adoption years ago, because Jaden has just been named in his stepfather's will as co-owner of his hotel.

As Charlotte investigates in her rather haphazard way she discovers that Jaden was given up for adoption amongst some rather dodgy events, including a possible murder and a missing valuable necklace. Charlotte's work is hindered by her adoptive father's discouragement and by her feelings for Griff. We also follow the stories of Charlotte's friends Prissy, BrieAnna and Bebe, as they try to find love and make their own way in the world.

There was little suspense in this book - I guessed Jaden's identity almost instantly, the writing makes it very clear where the romances are going, the setting in Savannah is good but also perhaps a little stereotypical. I found it hard to like any of the lead characters who seemed fairly selfish and to just do what they feel like, plus some of the romances seemed very shallow, and some of the events were impossible to believe in. Although Charlotte's romance, and that of one of her friends, was wrapped up in this book, some of the plot elements weren't completed and I assume these carry forward to the next book. It won't be a book that I will rush out to buy, however, as this story really didn't have enough depth and characterisation to make it truly satisfying.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

In Savannah, Charlotte Deshawn and Griffin Parish III have known each other for years as both come from Old South family and money. They have been attracted to one another for a long time, but neither has acted on their most inner feelings beyond harmless teasing. Their circles have somewhat changed as he is a hotel magnate while she is a private investigator.

Griff hires Charlotte to find Jaden Caldwell. Twenty-five years ago, then five years old Jaden's parents were murdered and she vanished. He and Jaden recently inherited Magnolia House. As they work the case, the kudzu grapevine spreads the word they are an entry because the attraction is thicker than Georgia pine pollen. Although threatened by an unknown adversary, Charlotte begins to uncover the identity of the lost child.

This engaging romantic investigative tale with some paranormal elements stars strong lead and support characters including Savannah as Dianne Castell catches the essence of the city. Charlotte's inquiry is terrific as clues surface from various sources including eccentric ghosts while the resolution has fabulous final twist and a set up for a sequel. Readers will enjoy the well written kudzu private investigative romance.

Harriet Klausner

What a fun, fast-paced story! Dianne Castell's breezy style is a pleasure to read, and her characters are quirky and entertaining.

Newly minted PI Charlotte deShawn is hired by sexy hotelier Griff Parish to find out what happened to an orphaned baby thirty years ago. Charlotte's friends Bebe, Brie and Prissy provide help and girl talk as all three fall into love and lust with the delicious men they encounter along the way to solving the mystery. Ghosts, a missing necklace, and plenty of good old fashioned Savannah cooking round out a delightful story.

Hot and Bothered was my first time to read this author. I must say I loved this book! It's a great setting-Hot Savannah and great, quirky characters with some HOT romance. I can't wait to read the next in the series....thanks so much, Dianne for a great read-Wanted to give it 4 1/2 stars-but that wasn't a choice!

"I LUVED this book!! It was a quirky read, but I couldn't put it down. It wasn't the usual contemporary romance. I am soo glad this was a set, I'm not ready to stop reading about these characters. I'm not sure exactly what sub-genre you would put this book in, it was funny, it had suspense, and mystery. Of course the hot romance is a given!! I am so glad I found this book and you will be to. It's a light read, nothing complicated about it. Sometimes you just want a fast easy read!! I'm on my way to the store to get the 2nd Hot book today!! I really wanted to give this book a 4 & 1/2. Thanks to Dianne for being another generous author. Sue"

Griff Parish hires Charlotte deShawn to find a missing person. Jaden Carswell has been missing right at twenty-five years. Now Griff needs to find her so he can buy her share of Magnolia House and own the hotel outright. A strong sense of honor caused Otis, Griff's daddy, to leave each of them half but did he have any inkling as to what he'd stir up? Someone got away with murdering Jaden's parents all those years ago. God only knows what happened to that heirloom diamond necklace they were trying to sell to raise money for Magnolia House and he aint telling. Charlotte's no PI, she's simply filling in while her daddy, RL, is incapacitated. Is that why Griff chose her? Does he have ulterior motives in hiring someone so inexperienced? And why Lord, does he have to be the most gorgeous sexy man in Savannah?

I had a large time with HOT AND BOTHERED. Ms.Castell has managed to capture so much of what makes the South and Savannah what they are. I felt like I knew these characters because I can name you people they strongly remind me of. The past is always alive, well and ready to bite you in the South. The characters all have their own lovely little quirks that make them even more appealing. Charlotte, Prissy, BeBe and Brie are a hoot, just not as tarnished as most of the belles I know. The mystery is engaging and leads into HOT AND IRRESISTIBLE. I truly have no clue as to "who and why". I usually have at least a guess but the antics of the characters were thoroughly distracting and I end the book clueless. I also have to admit to being on pins and needles about Brie and Beau. I'm partial to those two and can barely wait to read their story. I recommend HOT AND BOTHERED to anyone who enjoys an appealing mystery, humor, interesting characters and God's Country as the setting.

This book was enjoyable because it was fun to read. Good chemistry, fun story and delightful characters.