Customer Reviews

The Life Of Riley / Naked In New England (Harlequin Duets, No 56)

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

 

 

Ryan Monroe now had a project that could very well be the biggest coup in his architect career and he needed quiet! When Dave got married and was leaving for his honeymoon, he gave the keys to his country cabin to Ryan. Ryan looked forward to his solitude and expected to get the project completed with no interruptions.

Lynne Waterford was an interior designer. She was a friend of the new bride, Carmen. As a surprise gift for Dave, Carmen hired Lynne to redecorate the country cabin. When Lynne stepped out of the shower she never expected to see a man staring at her as if he could eat her alive!

One of them had to go! That much was clear. But the rain storm stranded them together for the weekend. The only other company was Waldo, a mischievous and remarkably dexterous racoon, and Killer Claymore, an ax-wielding Brit of a neighbor!

(A) weekend together PLUS (B)oth Ryan and Lynne's attraction for each other EQUALS (C)haos!

***** This is one of my favorite authors! Once you read this one you will easily understand what I mean! I found this story to be hold-onto-my-side funny and extremely romantic at the same time! At work, I startled the people at the next lunch table when I burst out laughing. WHY? Glad you asked! Jacquie D'Alessandro (the author) must be a chocolate fanatic! Major Choco-holic addiction here, people! You will have to read the book to totally understand what I mean! Oh, as an added bonus, you will have a second romantic comedy (The Life Of Riley by Cara Summers) within the same covers. Two books in one! Readers, it gets NO BETTER THAN THIS! Why are you still reading this? Get to a book store and buy this book NOW! *****

From the back cover:

THE LIFE OF RILEY by Cara Summers
He's working on a case of puppy love...

Cop Jack DeRosa's life is going to the dogs. After being out on sick leave, the only way he's getting his beat back is to strike gold on his latest case. The assignment--to investigate pet caretaker and probable thief Riley Foster. Undercover, Jack manages to deal with rambunctious mutts, clinging kittens and opinionated birds. But one look from his sassy suspect and Jack knows he's in over his head...

NAKED IN NEW ENGLAND by Jacquie D'Alessandro
Going back to nature...

Ryan Monroe is finished with women! After giving his latest girlfriend, Ms. You-mean-I-can't-sleep-around?, her walking papers, he heads off to the mountains for a little R & R. The last thing he expects to find in his friend's backwoods cabin is a woman--especially one in her birthday suit! But when a storm leaves them stranded, what else can Ryan do but convince his bathing beauty that it's more fun to be naked in New England--together!

And my review:

I'd never read anything from the Harlequin Duets line before I tried this book, so maybe I expected these stories to be funnier than they were. After all, they are labelled romantic comedies.

THE LIFE OF RILEY was fairly well written, but I didn't find it very funny. In fact, in her attempt to be funny, the author came across as silly. I felt that the main plot-line of the book (about the robberies) was too heavy for a comedy. There were just too many contrived situations for me to stomach, and I gave up halfway through. Two stars.

NAKED IN NEW ENGLAND was the reason I bought this book, though. I've already read three books by D'Alessandro, and they've all been keepers, five-star reads. This is an author who can do humor with a light hand, has delightful running jokes throughout her books (if you've read her work, you'll understand what I mean) and has wonderful, human characters that jump straight into your heart and stay there.

So why the low rating? The romance had nothing going for it but sex! Usually, D'Alessandro is able to handle the sexual tension beautifully, but not here. I felt like I was being sledgehammered with the instant lust between these two. There was just nothing else between them but the siren call of their libidos. And I need more than that to cheer a couple on. Sex is not enough.

Maybe this smaller format made the difference, as I'd only read full-length novels (at least 400 pages) from her before. I sure don't like when a romance novel ends with a "We'll need four-dozen condoms" comment from the hero. Yuck! Seriously, that's the last line of the story. Okay, they've decided to get married, but still. I like the last line of a romance to give me the "warm fuzzies" and that just doesn't do it.

If you want really good writing by D'Alessandro, I highly recommend THE BRIDE THIEF and WHO WILL TAKE THIS MAN? Those books were fabulous. But as for this collection, I'd skip it.

I found Naked in New England by Jacquie D'Alessandro a breath of fresh air! Very funny throughout the story. Architect Ryan Monroe has just landed a big project that could sky rocket his career. He needs quiet and seclusion to work on the plans for this project so he borrows his friends vacation cabin while his friend, Dave, is on his honeymoon. Unfortunately, Dave's bride Carmen, has hired an interior decorator to redecorate the cabin as a surprise wedding gift for Dave. The interior decorator, Lynne Waterford, has already moved into the cabin when Ryan arrives. Ryan and Lynne are instantly attracted to each other but both have their careers as a priority and not getting involved! Lynne's friend, Killer, is a riotously funny character. All in all the book is funny and highly recommended to all those who enjoy romantic comedy.

Both books in this DUETS are completely adorable. Funny, innovative and a darned good time. I read them both at one sitting. Don't miss this volume.

Jacquie D'Alessandro is an enchanting new author, one to watch! Summers and D'Alessandro both offer lively, amusing tales. A good beach read.

Ryan Monroe is an architect who needed to refresh his creativity in order to score the biggest coup of his career, and his friend Dave offered the use of his country cabin for Ryan to recharge. Lynne Waterford, on the other hand, is an interior designer and she has been commissioned by Dave's wife and her friend to renovate the cabin as a surprise for Dave. A storm stranded them together and sparks fly between the two.

I'm a Jacquie D'Alessandro fan. I loved her Mayhem in Mayfair series, which I've read except for Confessions at Midnight, and so, I wondered, does Jacquie D'Alessandro only do historicals well? What about contemporaries? Especially romantic comedies, where humor, as we know, is very subjective?

Guess what? I found Naked in New England to be completely hilarious! The funny, laugh-out-loud aspects are interwoven seamlessly with the characters' thoughts and behavior, making this a true comedy and not of the slapstick variety. Waldo the racoon also provided muich laughter, especially with his one precious antic toward the near end. Not only that, but the hero, Ryan Monroe, is very sweet and romantic. I just about melted, especially toward the end. The things he was willing to do just to gain her heart and to make their future possible... *sigh*

Here's one of the passages I sighed over:

Her eyes goggled. "You bought me twenty-five pounds of Godiva chocolate? Talk about a sweet deal!" A laugh huffed from between her lips. "You realize it will take me forever to eat this. As much as I love it, I'll have to ration the calories out over the next fifty years so I don't gain a hundred pounds."

"Perfect. That's exactly what I want."

"For me to gain a hundred pounds?"

"No....I want the next fifty years."

*melts*

Naked in New England is part of a Harlequin Duets, but I picked up this book solely to read Jacquie D'Alessandro's story and the money's well worth it.