Fast & Loose (Berkley Sensation) [Paperback]

Elizabeth Bevarly (Author)

Book Description

Series: Berkley Sensation | Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Hotshot Thoroughbred trainer Cole Early needs a place to stay during the Kentucky Derby. His only option is a snug little bungalow being rented out by local glass artist Lulu Flannery. And though her house indulges all of Cole's five senses, he'll have to tame his rowdy charm to coax some passion out of Lulu.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425220850
• ISBN-13: 978-0425220856
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,301,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elizabeth Bevarly is the award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty works of contemporary romance. Her books have been published in two dozen languages and three dozen countries, totaling more than ten million copies in print worldwide. Although she can't remember wanting to be anything other than a writer, her career side trips before publication included stints as a salesclerk, waitress, bartender and editorial assistant. She has called home places as diverse as New Jersey and Puerto Rico, but now lives in her native Kentucky with her husband and son.

She is delighted to be offering some of her out-of-print works on Kindle and is looking forward to the publication of her first women's fiction title in trade paperback. THE HOUSE ON BUTTERFLY WAY will be published by Berkley Trade in February 2012. Visit her website at www.elizabethbevarly.com or, even better, "like" her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ElizabethBevarlyReaderPage.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars engaging low key Kentucky romance, April 2, 2008

By 

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

This review is from: Fast & Loose (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

With his thoroughbred Silk Purse running in the upcoming Kentucky Derby, trainer Cole Early needs a place to stay in the Louisville area for about two weeks, but nothing is available even as far away as Indiana. He rents a bungalow from a local glass artist Lulu Flannery, who has doubts about allowing a stranger on her property, but she cannot refuse the fee.

Cole and Lulu meet and are attracted to one another, but she knows nothing will come of it as he will have a choice of so many glamorous women. However, Cole knows she is the one for him that he has waited to meet her seemingly forever. Besides hoping to win the first leg of the Triple Crown, the bigger prize is winning Lulu's heart.

FAST AND LOOSE is an engaging low key Kentucky romance that uses the backdrop of the Derby to set the time and place, which in many ways steals the show. The lead couple is a wonderful pairing as he knows she's the one for him while she assumes "King Cole" as the press calls him can have any female he desires so why her. Fans will enjoy this lighthearted romp while wondering whether Silk Purse wins the race.

Harriet Klausner

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Sloooooow, April 17, 2008

By 

Mariana Chaffee "always reading" (Kirkland, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fast & Loose (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

I wanted to like this. I really did -- I was in the mood for a frothy, bubbley, joyful love story, with wit, charm and heart. I'm going to have to keep looking. I'm half-way through it, and Our Hero still hasn't even found out Our Heroine's NAME. This relationship is taking a long time to begin, let alone develop. And all the background and exposition and character building are words, words, words, no action. Don't tell me, show me. Things should happen, there should be local color -- the setting is Lexington KY at the time of the Derby, so there should be scenes about training, stables, horses, racing, the city, the festival, sights, sounds, smells, tastes. I'm going to try to finish this, but so far it's more work than reward. The writing is too loose, the story is not fast.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fast & Loose, December 17, 2008

By 

M. Nix - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fast & Loose (Berkley Sensation) (Paperback)

When Lulu Flannery decides to rent her house for the Kentucky Derby in hopes of making some quick cash to cover all the renovations that she's been doing, the last person she wants staying in her home is "King Cole". Cole Early is a famous thoroughbred trainer that has a reputation for beautiful women and late nights. However, the only thing on Cole's mind right now is winning the Derby, although he does find his mind wandering constantly to the woman whose home he is renting. Neither Lulu nor Cole is aware that Cole is the person renting Lulu's house. For Cole's part he is intrigued by enigma that the woman whose house he is living in presents. To the point where he sneakily reads her diary and snoops through her underwear drawer

And once they meet, Cole is determined to win Lulu but can he overcome Lulu's reluctance and convince her that he's worth forever?

If I had to choose one word to describe Fast & Loose it would have to be...well...bland. While Lulu and Cole have chemistry together and Cole's sneaking around Lulu's personal belongings is totally humorous, the story never really seems to flesh out. Add to this a secondary story involving Lulu's best friend that I was never able to get emotionally involved in and while Fast & Loose is certainly entertaining reading when your looking for something to do on a lazy day, it never seems to live up the true potential that Lulu and Cole promised.

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed