Customer Reviews

Public Displays of Affection

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This was a good romance but a tough act to follow Knock Me Off My Feet, which is one of my all time favorites.

This book dealt a lot in the flashback to the one time event 13 years earlier when Charlotte met Joe for the first time and lost her virginity to him among the pine needles at a road stop. Neither she nor Joe could forget this meeting. Charlotte left the scene to pick up her intended husband Kurt at the airport after which he proposed and she accepted. Then 13 years later Joe, now a DEA agent undercover as he awaits his testimony in a drug lord's trial, moves into a house next door to her in Minton, Ohio. Neither she nor Joe knew each other's name and are shocked to see each other again.

Charlotte is now a widow with two children. She is lonely and thinks about Joe every day. Joe fears he needs to get out of Charlotte's life so that he and her family will not be brought into the danger with the million dollar price on his head. But he finds it difficult to stay away from her life and decides to remain in Minton.

This was a nice romance but not what I would call steamy as most of that drama took place 13 years ago and is just recalled many times. It was more of a family drama which was still enjoyable.

Charlotte has been a widow for just over a year, but still dreams about the anonymous partner who she gave her virginity to on the eve of Kirk's proposal, as it was the most erotic night of her life. Suddenly the guy that just moved in next door has her interest piqued. He bears a striking resemblance to the nameless man she still fantasizes about. Soon, she realizes that he's the man she was with, and his name is Joe. What she doesn't know is that he's a detective forced to live in the small Ohio town in the witness protection program due to upcoming testimony against a drug lord. And he knows exactly who this suburban mom is and the passion she's capable of. Despite wanting to get the heck out of there, Joe starts spying on Charlotte, and becomes intrigued with her once again. Soon they are getting horizontal and he is becoming an integral part of her life. But he fears that the drug lord, Guzman may try to get at him by hurting Charlotte or her children.

There is some great nail biting moments and all the requisite steamy encounters you come to expect from a Donovan book. This one also has lot of heart with Charlotte's devotion to her family.

This is the best book I've read in a long time. I loved the humor, the characters, the story line, the writing--everything in one book--unbelievable!! It had me laughing, lusting, sighing, in envy, in suspense, and everything in between. This is the first Susan Donovan book I've read, but I am definitly a new fan. Can't wait to read the others. It's infinity great! :-)

This is the first book I have read written by Susan Donovan... I'm impressed!

This book kept my attention, and kept me turning the pages. It reminded me so much of how a small town actually is! Everyone in everyone's business, and the descriptions she gives to the characters and the town. I had no problems visualizing it as I read.

The characters were also very easy to imagine. She gives such descriptive detail about each one of them. And you fall in love with each of the characters. The story is written so well, I even felt emotions and laughed out loud during several parts. The sex scenes in the book are very well written too!

I'm not a big romance fan, but this book is one I'd definately recommend. I'm very anxious to read more books by Susan Donovan.

To the outside world, "good girl" Charlotte Tasker was the perfect wife, is a perfect mother, and is now a perfect widow. But she has a secret that would shatter her good girl image. Thirteen years ago she had anonymous sex with a man the day before her husband proposed marriage. She knew her husband's plan, but thoughts of him being her only sex partner for the rest of her life terrified her. She thought having a one-day fling with a handsome stranger would satisfy her needs, and then she could be the devoted wife her husband deserved. She became the devoted wife, but she could never rid her mind of the passion she shared with the stranger. On that day, thirteen years ago, Charlotte and the stranger had somehow connected on a deeper level.

There's a million dollar price set for DEA agent Joe Bellacera's head to keep him from testifying against a major drug lord. Joe is sent to Minton, Ohio in order to stay alive. The last place Joe wants to be is some two-horse town, but he knows he doesn't have a choice. When he sees his neighbor is the woman who's haunted his dreams for the past thirteen years, things look up. His biggest mistake was allowing her to walk out of his life. She's a widow and not in a relationship presently, so the path should be clear. Yet, he can't pursue her and risk her family's lives. The drug lord who is after him has already murdered his partner and his partner's family.

Charlotte can't believe her mystery man has moved next door. At first he brushes off her advances, and she thinks he doesn't feel the same way she does. Later, she uses her guilty feelings and responsibility for her children as a shield against Joe's advances. Once Joe's mind is set, he refuses to walk away again. This time he will win Charlotte's heart.

PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION is an entertaining read that kept my attention throughout. The small, close-knit community the novel is set in reminded me of better days, when neighbors looked out for each other. The premise of the novel is a tad bit unbelievable, but if you're willing to set that analytical self to the side for a while, you'll enjoy PUBLIC DISPLAYS OF AFFECTION.

Reviewed by Deatri King-Bey
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Do yourself a favor and don't compare this book to Ms. Donovan's past titles! This one although not having the same amount of humor as "Knock Me Off My Feet" and "Take A Chance One Me" is still a wonderful read with a great cast of characters. This read is a little bit more emotional then her past efforts and as a result tugs on the heart strings more then tickles the funny bone.

Charlotte Tasker is a young widowed mother of two. She does it all, little league, ballet, working, and cooks healthy homecooked dinners, but has a secret love for cheez whiz and erotic poetry. She also has a memory that keeps her warm at night and that is the memory of the only man she's ever felt connected to. She relives that one incredible afternoon together thirteen years earlier. The things he said, how he made her feel alive and she never knew his name.

Joe Bellacera is a DEA agent that has had to go into hiding. His partner and best friend was gunned down in front of his very eyes. His testimony is key in puting away one of the worst drug lords ever. So where do the power that be send him? To Minton, Ohio of course. He figures that he will die of bordom before he has to testify, that is until he gets a look at his neighbor. No one is more shocked then Joe when he sees his mystery lady laughing in the yard. Joe has not been able to get Charlotte out of his mind nor his heart. He looked for her for years but was never able to find her. Now when he needs to lay low he finds the one woman he has measured all others to. No matter how hard he tries he just can't stay away.

Charlotte can't believe her eyes when she sees Joe. He is her fantasy man and now he's right next door. Can she put aside all of her misgivings and allow herself the one thing that she needs? Together Charlotte and Joe learn everything they missed out on over the past thirteen years and find that their attraction is still as hot as ever. Will they be able to find a "happily ever after"?

This was a wonderful story. Granted Charlotte and Joe do not really have a face to face meeting until almost 90 pages into the book. You still are able to see their attraction via flashbacks and memories. This is more of an emotional read which touches on all the things you can think of when it comes to finding your one true love after living a lifetime without them. Each come to the relationship with their fair share of baggage and Ms. Donovan is fair to this situation.

Ms. Donovan's trademark wit is not as apperant in this story but it would have been out of place. Still there are plenty of quirky characters, and yes Hoover the dog adds his two cents worth of humor. This is truly one read that you won't want to miss out on. I highly recommend this title as well as any of the other's this talented lady has penned!

Susan Donovan did not disappoint with this third book of hers. I loved the characters, especially Joe. I want him for myself!!

The only thing I didn't like, and this is personal preference only, were the poems Charlotte wrote. I'm just not a "poem" person and found myself cringing when I read them. TG they were short ones.

I'm looking forward to her next book.

Susan Donovan's Public Displays Of Affection is a sensual emotional journey.

Charlotte Tasker has walked the straight and narrow for the last 13 years. She married a stable, safe man, had two kids but now is a widow. Charlotte has had a huge secret for 13 years, she had a late night erotic tryst with a mystery man. This mystery man has fueled her fantasies for years.

Joe Bellacera is set to testify against a major drug lord that murdered his friend and his family. So he is hiding in small town, Minton, Ohio. What a shock to see the one woman he could not forget from 13 years ago living next door.

Once Charlotte realizes the new juicy piece of man (to quote a friend of hers) living next door is her fantasy man, she is torn as to what to do.

Joe isn't sure at first if it's worth the risk to Charlotte and her family to become involved. When he changes his mind all bets are off.

Public Displays Of Affection is a well-written story of finding your true self. Joe and Charlottes chemistry is sensational. I could not put this book down.

I was hooked on this book from the beginning. When Charlotte pulled over on the road to roll in the honeysuckle with Joe, I knew she was a different kind of woman. "For many are called but few answer", so to speak. She had an erotic experience that would have lasted her a lifetime, and might have, had Joe not popped up next door just in the nick of time.

Charlotte is devoted to her children, and was devoted to her husband while he lived. I felt sorry for her for living in sexual limbo for thirteen years, knowing that most women or men nowadays don't have the guts to make the best of a situation like that.

The poetry was descriptive and sexual, rather than poetic, but people, I have to tell you, the shortest poem in her repertoir was the funniest--"She rose up so he could get at anything he might want; then she shouted out:

'Nice pants.
Take them off!.'"

I loved the kids and their interaction was real. LoriSue and her numbchuck husband Jim were portrayed well as the type of people most of us know. However, she didn't turn either into total dimwads, and we ended up understanding them better.

The sex, of course, between Joe and Charlotte was stellar. It was kind of hard to read without blushing (I'm an old fashioned kind of girl), but I didn't put it down, either! It was great!
Charlotte is the kind of person in private that we all wish we were, or would continue to be.

You won't go wrong with this book.

I find myself conflicted over this book. On the plus side, the book is well written and makes good use of secondary characters, including growth of those characters and integration into the plot. On the other hand, I don't know the last time I've had such a negative reaction to the main character of a book.
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I'm not sure if I have ever before read a romance novel in which the heroine was a slut. Our 'heroine' has sex on the side of the road in broad daylight. With a total stranger. Knowing that she is en route to meet her boyfriend for a marriage proposal. Also knowing that -- as he has expressed -- it is critically important to him that they both be virgins until their wedding. Nonetheless, she decides to give her virginity to a total stranger on the side of the road, gets up, drives off and takes the ring of the guy she really did just screw -- her future husband, who was screwed out of the woman he thought he was getting. Then, she lies to her husband on their wedding night. This behavior is usually given to the evil, other woman in such novels. No wonder Charlotte got aroused by being called a slut. She IS a slut. Pure (or rather, impure) and simple. The fact that she and the 'hero' meet later and find twu wuv does not hide the fact that their behavior was reprehensible.

I'm fully aware that romances are full of fantasy situations. I've read a gazillion of them. However, when one is set in current times, it is often harder to emmesh oneself in the fantasy. This roadside encounter is clearly meant as the hook for the book -- the unique situation that makes us want to read about these individuals. However, this situation was unique not only in terms of the utter lack of morals of either the man or woman but the sheer and almost utterable stupidity of picking up a stranger on the road and screwing him in the weeds. Odds were that she would not have survived this encounter. The author addresses this reality by having Charlotte have a brief moment of concern about the advisability of her actions in terms of safety, which are easily allayed by his assertion that he's one of the good guys. Okay then, sez she. Let's do it! Because if you asked a rapist or serial killer that question, he'd tell you the truth?

I also did not like the disrespect shown Charlotte's husband. She whines and whines about their poor sex life and how she thought about leaving him. I disliked the presupposition that a man who doesn't like to smack a woman's butt or tie her up is gay. It sounded to me like her husband had a very low sex drive, exacerbated or perhaps created by an almost puritanical upbringing. Given her higher sex drive and his refusal to go to counseling, there was clearly a mismatch, but I dislike the disrespect shown her first husband's issues and her own culpability in their marital problems. If she'd had any ounce of intelligence or morality she wouldn't have married him in the first place. Obviously, screwing a total stranger on the side of a public road should be a big red flag that your intended is not the guy for you nor are you the woman for him. By not telling him the truth about that or her lost virginity she deprived her husband of a woman better suited for him.

Given that I am a regular romance reader, I certainly do not have problems with erotica, fantasies or premarital sex. But it was absolutely impossible for me to get beyond the idiocy and immorality of Charlotte and Joe's initial behavior.