Customer Reviews

Fast & Loose (Berkley Sensation)

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

 

 

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

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.

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

I really like Elizabeth Bevarly's books, but this one I just loved! It seemed fresh, more modern, and just more kicky! The premise was really cute, it flowed really well, the dialogue/writing at times just made me hoot with laughter (a Bevarly trait), it was looser, it was funner, and I really liked it! Thanks Ms Bevarly--I really liked this book! Thanks for a great afternoon and evening :)

I also wanted to like this book,(the cover pic is fabulous, but the heroine wears a dress ONCE under duress!)but I found myself skimming pages at the end just to finish. It felt like the same thing was being said over and over just to fill the pages. They didn't "really, really" meet until the book was almost half over! With the storyline ,I think the book could have been so much better. I like her "Male/Mail" series so I naturally bought this one. I have Ready and Willing...will probably read it 'cause I have that reading disease where I HAVE to finish a book and I can't give one away without at least attempting to read it.

I love this series of books. Romance and a little mystery thrown in and they take place in Louisville, KY with good information on that town.

Warning - spoiler.
I just recently read my first Elizabeth Bevarly book and I'm already a fan. I really like her style to write, love her storylines and because she always presents more than one lovestory I'm on the way to get addicted to her books.
So, "Fast & Loose" is mainly about Lulu Flannery and Cole Early. Lulu is renting out her house because of the Kentucky Derby and Cole is the one to rent it from her. But both don't know about that when they first meet. They have something like a "feeling/attraction on first sight" and meet again some days later still with some attraction between them. But because both usually look for partners with different qualities than the other possesses they are a bit unsure about what to do. Especially because Lulu thinks that Cole is a womanizer using his status as a famous Thoroghbred trainer to get what he wants and Cole thinks that Lulu is a bit crazy, somewhat odd but also very charming and interesting. Things get even more complicated when Lulu realizes that Cole is renting her house and Cole discovers that the owner of his house which he imagined as a hot, sexy and vibrant woman is Lulu.
Both have to handle that sometimes what we think we want is not what we need and that often the outer appeareance is just a shell that helps to cover the real person in order to find love and happiness with each other.
Even though it takes half of the book until they realize who each other really is that doesn't mean that the first pages are boring, contrary they are really funny and beautifully written and I really enjoyed this way to get them to know each other.
The second lovestory is between Lulu's friend Bree and Rufus who's working as a bartender. Bree is looking for some rich guy to marry (for example Cole) who can help her taking care of her ill mother but she realizes that it's more important to really love than to marry rich.
Both lovestories are really nice and I enjoyed this book a lot. Especially the relationship between Lulu and Cole is beautiful and warmed my heart.
So grab yourself a copy of "Fast & Loose" and read on!
Enjoy
S.M.

The book has the elements that are classic Beverly - lots of humor, a fun storyline, and a subplot/romance that is much better than the main story and romance. My problem with the book came mainly with lots of editorial errors, beginning on page one. Anyway, the storyline takes place during the Kentucky Derby, when Lulu Flannery decides to rent her home out for some extra income. Lulu is a temperamental artist and takes an immediate dislike to Cole Early, a famous horse-trainer and international playboy. Cole is renting Lulu's home and discovers a lot about her by going through her personal belongings and private diaries. The two of them don't actually get together for quite some time, but they build a friendship throughout the book that makes the eventual relationship more believable. I enjoyed the second storyline much better, the one involving Lulu's best friend. The book is fun, and I'm waiting for the next one in series. I was a bit surprised to find that the material (horse-racing and Kentucky Derby) was also in Flirting with Trouble, Beverly's other new release.

Fast & Loose is the perfect romance for a lazy Spring day! And reading this Louisville-set, Kentucky Derby-themed romance right before the actual Derby was run added to the enjoyment of the race. A Louisville resident, Bevarly weaves her insider-information around and through the book's two sexy romances. And speaking of the romances, you'll definitely root for the couples to find their happily-ever-afters. I look forward to many more Bevarly books!