Customer Reviews

Hotbed Honey (Temptation, 800)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Private investigator Max Tate plans to catch a thief, who enjoys seducing the hot babes before he steals their jewels. Max believes a wealthy wife will enable him to trap Carlo Coletti. Max turns to the only other PI he trusts, Frank Marsallis for help with fulfilling the parameters of quick-thinking, good instincts, good actress, and drop dead gorgeous.

Frank sends Kimberly Brandt, who meets all the parameters, but is unacceptable to Max because he never forgot the last case they worked together. Three yeas ago, their fiery attraction to one another consumed both their hearts. As they work on the Coletti case, Max and Kimberly begin to fall in love, which makes him jealous as she makes progress with their target. Even if they succeed with the case, both fear the end of their pretend marriage because they now love one another.

This Temptation lives up to its advertising as Kimberly and Max are "sassy, sexy, and seductive." The story line is tense, humorous, torrid, and filled with twists and turns that will please fans of private investigator novels as well as romantic suspense lovers. HOTBED HONEY is a hot bed of entertainment that confirms Toni Blake is a talent who has written a honey of a novel.

Harriet Klausner

I have to wonder what goes through editor's heads when they slap a title like Hotbed Honey onto a book, at least a book that has nothing to do with beekeeping and garden horticulture, but I'd heard enough good buzz about the book to know I should not judge it by the title.

Max Tate and Kimberly Brandt are quite a pair, a pair with a history that didn't have a happy ending. The two had worked together previously as private investigators and had developed a red-hot relationship "off the job." Things seemed to be going well until for some inexplicable reason, Kim blew their cover on a job, resulting in both of them losing their jobs. Rather than allowing her to give her side of the story, Max severed all ties and neither had seen the other for three years, until fate threw them together once more - again working together as P.I.s

Max finds Kim to have changed, toughened up, but still won't cut her any slack as far as the previous disaster. A couple of times, I wanted to reach out and smack him for the hurt he was causing her by his snide remarks and his callous, cold manner. From the beginning, the author depicted Kim as one smart lady, one who would not simply 'walk off a job' without an excellent reason. I found a lump in my throat at several points in the story when I could 'feel' her hurt that Max didn't care enough to ask her for her side of what happened. They put their past and present feelings aside and manage to work together in harmony as a married couple to catch the suspected jewel thief, until Max realizes that old love doesn't die, but simmers on the back burner. I'll admit I was glad to see him suffer suitably. ::: grin :::

What transpires is a clever, hot & harrowing resolution to all their problems, including Kim's side of the botched job, that will leave you breathlessly satisfied. I liked the book so much I've hunted up Ms. Blake's back list and look forward to her future releases. This author is definitely one to watch.

Toni Blake's fastpaced, spicy Temptation is truly a HOTBED HONEY! Throughout this page-turner, Ms. Blake's wonderful writing talents shine through in her first Harlequin Temptation. She spirals readers on a high-speed roller coaster ride, from the brink of disaster deep into the throes of heated passion and endless love. From strong, well-developed characterzation to snappy dialogue and heart-tugging emotion, booklovers will read HOTBED HONEY in one sitting because they won't be able to put it down. As a former book reviewer, I am very impressed and eagerly awaiting Ms. Blake's next Harlequin Temptation.

Toni Blake's fastpaced, spicy Temptation is truly a HOTBED HONEY! Throughout this page-turner, Ms. Blake's wonderful writing talents shine through in her first Harlequin Temptation. She spirals readers on a high-speed roller coaster ride, from the brink of disaster deep into the throes of heated passion and endless love.

From strong, well-developed characterzation to snappy dialogue and heart-tugging emotion, booklovers will read HOTBED HONEY in one sitting because they won't be able to put it down.

As a former book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, I am very impressed and eagerly awaiting Ms. Blake's next Harlequin Temptation.

Toni Blake's fastpaced, spicy Temptation is truly a HOTBED HONEY! Throughout this page-turner, Ms. Blake's wonderful writing talents shine through in her first Harlequin Temptation. She spirals readers on a high-speed roller coaster ride, from the brink of disaster deep into the throes of heated passion and endless love.

From strong, well-developed characterzation to snappy dialogue and heart-tugging emotion, booklovers will read HOTBED HONEY in one sitting because they won't be able to put it down.

As a former book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, I am very impressed and eagerly awaiting Ms. Blake's next Harlequin Temptation.

Toni Blake's fastpaced, spicy Temptation is truly a HOTBED HONEY! Throughout this page-turner, Ms. Blake's wonderful writing talents shine through in her first Harlequin Temptation. She spirals readers on a high-speed roller coaster ride, from the brink of disaster deep into the throes of heated passion and endless love.

From strong, well-developed characterzation to snappy dialogue and heart-tugging emotion, booklovers will read HOTBED HONEY in one sitting because they won't be able to put it down.

As a former book reviewer for Romantic Times Magazine, I am very impressed and eagerly awaiting Ms. Blake's next Harlequin Temptation.

Toni Blake puts forth an entertaining and gripping read in her first Temptation. Max Tate and Kimberly Brandt have worked and loved together before, and it didn't end happily the first time around. Now they both have another chance--for Kim to prove her skills as a PI, and for Max to realize it didn't really end for either of them. A tight, emotionally rich story with heavy sexual tension and just the right amount of suspense. Anything less would be disappointing, anything more would be overkill. Ms. Blake has hit her mark dead on.

Read this one in the bathtub with a bag of Dove chocolate Promises. After the water's cold and nothing's left but foil wrappers with cryptic proverbs, you'll still get that warm, satisfying feeling from the book in your hands.

Hotbed Honey is a super Temptation by talented new author, Toni Blake. I really enjoyed the high level of sensuality, and the witty give and take between two PI's reunited after their romance crashed and burned along with one of their cases a couple of years before.

In this high-intensity romance, meet Max Tate, owner of a private investigation agency, in need of an attractive, experienced investigator to pose as his wife for a few days. He gets the surprise of his life when Kimberly Brandt shows up to play the part. With time as an issue, Max doesn't have much choice but to accept Kimberly's services. Her desire to reestablish herself as a capable professional in Max's eyes elicits Kimberly's agreement to work with Max on his latest case. Distrust, jealousy, and lingering attraction complicate the assignment as Kimberly must cozy up to a sleazy jewel thief and catch him in the act.

Danger and suspense add to the excitement as Max and Kimberly set out to get their man. There's plenty of clonflict along with great characters and riveting dialogue to carry the reader along to a satisfying conclusion where the bad guy gets his due, old hurts and misunderstandings are resolved, and Max and Kimberly form a partnership for life.

This is one steamy romance! The action's hot, the romance is hot -- it doesn't get any better than this. Harlequin's found a real prize in this new writer, and I've put her name at the top of my "must buy" list!