Customer Reviews

It Must Be Love (Little Black Dress)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

It Must Be Love is set in Idaho, Rachel's home state, and features a wonderfully sensual and completely to-die-for hero, Joe Shanahan. I have to admit, there was nothing about this book that I didn't love.

Studly undercover cop Joe Shanahan meets the heroine, Gabrielle Breedlove, because he is tailing her as part of an investigation into a major art theft. When he follows her on her morning jog about one week into his surveillance, Gabrielle jumps him, sprays hairspray in his eyes, wrestles him to the ground, and threatens him with an antique derringer. Needless to say, our boy Joe is not pleased that a light-weight, new-ager art and antique dealer got the jump on him. Sparks fly from the very start.

Gabrielle is petrified because she thinks Joe is a stalker. Once she finds out he's a cop and she's under arrest for assault and carrying concealed, she can't even stand to look at Joe because she's so angry. Of course, that's when she's informed that she, her partner, and her shop are under investigation for fencing stolen art. When she agrees to help the police by acting as an informant, she finds out Joe will be there the whole time, posing as her boyfriend. Obviously, this makes for some interesting scenes.

In addition to the steam created by the hero and heroine, this book is filled with interesting secondary characters. Gabrielle's mother is a self-proclaimed psychic who has a vision of Gabrielle's love affair with a dark, handsome stranger. Joe's family, including his four older sisters, are determined to get Joe married and happily producing more grandchildren for his parents. Joe's pet parrot, Sam, has a potty mouth from watching too many Jerry Springer episodes, but is equally fond of Clint Eastwood. And even the bad guy, Gabrielle's partner Kevin, has covered every inch of his bedroom in mirrors where "Mr. Happy" entertains the girl of the month. Against this eclectic and rich backdrop, Rachel has crafted a funny, tender, and sensual journey for Joe and Gabrielle to travel, in order to achieve their little slice of heaven.

One of my favorite moments, other than the witty conversation and sizzling chemistry, is when Joe realizes (as we wish we all could realize sooner) that what he thought he wanted in a wife wasn't what was going to make him happy. And that what will make him happy in life, Gabrielle, is fine just the way she is, even though she's so far off what he had been envisioning. This is a great book, definitely a keeper, and is one more reason to wait with baited breath for Rachel's next book. Great job, Rachel - keep up the good work! Barb Deane Copyrightc 1999, Barb's All Romance Book Store. All rights reserved

After devouring both "Simply Irresistable" and "Truly Madly Yours", I waited as patiently as possible for Rachel Gibson's next release. It was well worth it! "It Must Be Love" is another romantic treasure that will find itself among the books you'll consider your "keepers". I know for a fact that come the steamy summer days, this will be the re-read I grab for a day at the beach! New Age devotee Gabrielle Breedlove and Officer Joe Shanahan are wonderfully written characters with wit, humor and romance to spare. Ms. Gibson gives us two radically different people (who upon their first meeting, pretty much hate one another) and weaves an interesting story of intruige, mystery and romance that drags us along with the happy couple on the bumpy road to true love. Joe is the lucky cop elected to pose as Gabrielle's boyfriend while the police try to nab her business partner for fencing stolen art. Sparks fly left and right, and you'll find yourself wondering why the cops in your neighborhood never seem as yummy as Joe!Note: Keep a watchful eye and ear out for Joe's pet parrot Sam, who aside from being an avid watcher of Jerry Springer shows and Clint Eastwood films, manages to repeat many choice quotables from his favorite passtime - and interject them into the story at the best possible moments! Applause to Ms.Gibson for another great story! I hope she's busy writing her next release. I CAN'T WAIT!!

Someone stole the Potato King's Monet and it looks as though Gabrielle Breedlove and Kevin Carter, co-owners of the Anomaly, a curio shop, are the prime suspects. Undercover cop Joe Shanahan has been assigned to tail Ms. Breedlove. Little does he realize that after a week of following her, Gabrielle suspects someone is stalking her. During her morning jog, she attacks her stalker with a can of hair spray, knocks him to the ground and levels her antique derringer at him. Needless to say Gabrielle is handcuffed and arrested for assaulting an officer. The prosecuting attorney is willing to drop the assualt charges if Gabrielle will agree to participate in an undercover police investigation. The investigation of her friend and co-owner, Kevin. When she agrees, Joe is assigned to pose as her boyfriend and work as handyman at the curio shop. This is the second book I've read by Ms. Gibson and it is as enjoyable as Truly, Madly Yours. Joe and Gabrielle are hot together. The dialogue is witty and fun. The secondary characters are adorable and Joe's talking parrot, Sam is a hoot. Enjoy!

I fell in love with the first two wacky, wonderful books from this author and eagerly awaited this one. I was dissapointed. Although the the characters were fun, they were not as well developed as the ones in her previous two books. I'm not sure if Ms. Gibson has a quota to meet, but I think she would better serve her fans (yes, I still am one) if she would make her next story as well thought out as her first. This book is not terrible by any stretch, but if you are hoping for the hilarity and steamy quality of her first two, you will probably be dissapointed.

I always know when I get a new Rachel Gibson book, that I have a fun read ahead of me. It Must Be Love didn't let me down. I loved the masculine hero in this book. Gibson is genius at capturing the male's point of view. He's just obnoxious enough to sound like a real man, but not bad enough that you hate him. No, you definitely have to love Joe Shanahan. Gabrielle is the perfect foil to Joe's character, and they both made me want to keep reading this book forever. Gibson had some great lines that just made me laugh out loud as I read. Such fun! Thanks for another entertaining story, Ms. Gibson!

Detective Joe Shanahan thought he'd hit rock bottom. He'd been shot, forced to kill in the line of duty, demoted from narcotics to property crimes, his mother and four sisters are trying to marry him off, his bird has a dirty mouth, and now it's raining. But when suspected fence, Gabrielle Breedlove, jogs by in a pair of short-shorts, Joe thinks maybe his day is looking up. That is until she gets the jump on him and sprays him in the face with hairspray, an antique derringer pointed at his family jewels. And if that wasn't bad enough, the Lieutenant gives her immunity for the assault and the fence charge as long as she agrees to cooperate in bringing down her business partner. So, Joe's going undercover as handyman boyfriend to the curvy, auburn-haired new age kook, Gabrielle.

Gabrielle Breedlove's mother is psychic, her aunt is telepathic, and her cousin talks to whales. In comparison, being a lapsed vegetarian who believes in auras, aromatherapy, and astrology is really quite down to earth. But tell that to Joe, the undercover cop she's forced to put up with. If he's not teasing her and making her life a pain, he's kissing her silly then asking her to channel Elvis. And he calls her crazy? With her charkas all out of balance and her mother predicting that fate has brought Joe and Gabrielle together, how will she ever convince the cops that her business partner, Kevin, is innocent? In this story of yin and yang there's only one conclusion - it must be love.

Rachel Gibson strikes again. "It Must Be Love" is funny, entertaining, full of zany characters, and an enjoyable read. The anticipation of romance between Joe and Gabrielle is great fun, and when they finally get to their senses the love scenes sizzle. This is a story of opposites attract told like only Gibson can. If you like modern comic romances, "It Must Be Love" must be for you.

Emily Flippin Maruna

When you pick up a Rachel Gibson romance novella, you are sure to find sexist antics, clever quips and a zany romance - and IT MUST BE LOVE is no exception. Gabrielle Breedlove owns Anomaly, a curio-shop who sells antique et al. When her partner, Kevin Carter is under suspicion of stealing the priceless Monet from a prominent public figure, Mr. Hilliard - she finds herself being confined by the zealous eyes of undercover crime property detective, Joe Shanahan. From then on, romance blossoms - with them battling their weird persona, one who believes in karma and psyhic against another who is of pure logic; a pacifist who is a vegeterian and one who is carnivorous and irresistibly sinful...

The story and plot is predictible and hardly a crime/suspense element - it is thus extremely important that the book is kept buoyant by sassy, no-holds barred humour and bubbly characters like gabe's mother and Joe's family and amusing parrot, Sam - who with his incessant repetitive antics makes a great sideshow. Ms. Gibson crafts the novel with wicked sensual tension and chemistry, with the two clueless lovers in quest of love in their hearts, convincing themselves that is not the mere primal intentions that kept them together.

IT MUST BE LOVE does not hold any surprises, but the way the couple quibble is uproariously funny - the energy is infectious and definitely romantic, making you believe that it must be love for her scintillating narration behind the magic.

Maybe this is not my year for humorous books. As I was disappointed in First Lady, I was also disappointed in this book. Maybe both are a case of too high expectations. The funniest scene is the opening one, when the heroine tackles the hero and has him cornered with a can of hair spray. From there on the heroine is either chanting, I have to find my center of peace or hyperventilating. That was the humor. The hero thought the heroine was wacky, lacking in common sense, but sexy. For comic relief she added a parrot that mimic the phone ringing. Since her other two books are on my keeper shelf, I still plan on buying Rachel's books but this one missed the mark with me. I would be interested in others' opinion.

Very impressed by yet another Gibson book. This author is new to me and I am entralled by her wit and writing. She adds just the right amount of humor and romance and doesn't clutter the story with unnessasary junk or filler. Just plain ole fun and old fashioned romance with of course a very sexy and funny hero to die for and oh yeah, a heroine to be proud of.

In this humorous tale, a new age hippie named Gabrielle Breedlove finds herself being arrested in the park jogging right after she sprays her 'stalker' with hairspray for following her for days. How was she supposed to know the weirdo smoking and jogging on the trail was an undercover cop?
Joe Shanahan is trying to decide if this woman who thinks auras and karma is plain nuts or just essentric, or just a way of deceiving the public into thinking she is innocent of stealing priceless antiques. His job? Pose as her boyfriend and hired hand in her antique/hippie shop to nab her business partner and friend for stealing a Monet recently. In return she gets immunity.
Things aren't as easy as he'd planned. They never are in Joe's case. Attraction to the crazy woman is not something he plans but gets anyway and now he is starting to think she is honestly telling the truth about not knowing anything.
While his mother and sisters trying to find him a wife and his parrot Sam learning his vocaulary from Jerry Springer shows, Joe has enough problems at home, he doesn't need this flighty woman trying to tell him he is making bad karma by spying on her partner.
Gabrielle doesn't need a big muscle man with bad karma and a red aura intruding on her peaceful llife anymore than she needs a hole in the head. Then why is her 'pychic' mom telling her he is the man in her future? Her yang? Impossible. Or is it?

Hilarious and well worth the time and money spent! A true gem. Excuse me while I read all this author has to offer.....

Tracy Talley~@

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book as her last two were keepers. This one is a keeper also. She blends romance and humour well. The tension between the two was definetly there and kept things hot. It's very rare to be able to pull off humour well and I think she did a good job. Her other two books might have been slightly better but I definetly was not dissappointed.