Romancing Riley [Mass Market Paperback]

Connie Lane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 29, 2002

She’s a hell-raising rock princess on the run.
He’s a sexy undercover cop who’s got her in his sights.
They may not know it, but they’re about to make beautiful music together. . . . 

Black leather skirt. Spiked blond hair. Tattoos in the most surprising places. And a smile to stop a man cold. She’s Riley Callahan, the hell-on-wheels daughter of a rock superstar–and a government freelancer suspected of leaking confidential information. That’s why U.S. marshal Charlie Zap is hot on her trail. But keeping up with the ultimate party girl takes some fancy footwork . . . until some quick thinking saves her life and ups the ante. Now Zap’s sticking tighter than a pair of skintight jeans and getting a taste of the real Riley–up close and personal.

Riley grew up depending on no one but herself. Now this hunk in biker boots who happened to be in the right place at the right time is claiming to be...her bodyguard?! Riley may be on a mission to clear her famous father’s name, but her sexy new baby-sitter is coming along for the ride. Who’d have guessed they’d be cruising the country in a pink Cadillac–meeting Zap’s endearing family and partying at Graceland with Elvis clones? But the biggest shock is what Zap’s doing to Riley’s heart. Now, if only they can shake the bad guys tailing them so she can find out exactly where romancing Charlie can lead...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Sassy and stylish, this fast-paced contemporary romance stars a tattooed, pierced, punk rocker heroine who matches wits with a U.S. Marshall. Fresh from an L.A. undercover assignment, Charlie Zap is new to Manhattan, which makes him the perfect cop to take over the surveillance of sexy Riley Callahan. Riley, the almost famous party-girl daughter of an exiled rock star, scratches out a living as a freelance shopper for the federal witness protection program. But the U.S. Marshall's office suspects her of using her contacts to glean information from confidential files and leak the material to underworld sources. It's Zap's job to catch her and bring her in, but the only way Zap can get close to Riley is to pretend he's a bodyguard sent by her exiled father. When Riley finds a key that may be a clue to her dad's disappearance, she coerces Zap into a sexually charged chase through middle America in a vintage pink Caddy, hoping to find what she needs to clear her dad's name. Side trips include Zap's family home, where Riley has a first-time taste of life's simpler pleasures, and an amusing but unproductive visit to Graceland. With its fresh, feisty characters and diverse settings, this past-meets-present tale will help Lane (Reinventing Romeo) win over a younger generation of romance readers.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Rock-and-roll princess and tabloid queen Riley Callahan grew up touring with her father's supergroup, Pandemoniac, but when her father is accused of tax evasion and runs away to Tibet, gone are Riley's money and easy life. To scrape by she takes a job as a freelance shopper for the U.S. Marshals, buying luxury items for people going into the witness protection program. When it's suspected that someone is leaking top-secret information, Riley, who, after all, runs errands for notorious criminals, becomes a prime suspect. Enter Deputy Charlie "Zap" Zapalowski. He's sent to trail Riley and ends up saving her life and concocting a story that her father sent him to act as her bodyguard. Now on the run, Riley tries desperately to find evidence to clear her father's name, and Zap tries to figure out if she's guilty while trying to keep his eyes off her strategically placed tattoos and lovely long legs. Lane's fast-paced story is a lot of fun, and the electricity between Riley and Zap crackles. Alexandra Shrake
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Dell; 1st edition (January 29, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440235960
• ISBN-13: 978-0440235965
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,418,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and just plain fun, July 9, 2002

By 

Enjoys Books (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romancing Riley (Mass Market Paperback)

Talk about mismatched lovers. Riley and Zap aren't star-crossed, they're galaxy-crossed, and Riley isn't the standard romance heroine by a long shot. But flashy, trashy Riley is warm-hearted, loyal and vibrant, and Zap, with his Midwestern manners and ideals is her perfect foil. If you're looking for a vivacious romp, with characters who aren't cookie-cutter all-American, then don't look any further. This one's a keeper. As for the teaser chapter? Clown showgirls, ATF agents and male strippers? Personally, I can't wait.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is was a very fun read, February 13, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Romancing Riley (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the first book I read by Connie Lane. I thought it was a good read and would read her other works. I have to admit I really didn't like the female character Riley at first but then I guess she grew on you. Maybe it is because I know girls like her and don't really like them in real life. But it was a fun and quick read.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Riley rocks, May 22, 2003

By 

Jenn "jenncw" (SoCal) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Romancing Riley (Mass Market Paperback)

I really liked Riley at the beginning of this book. I mean, I really, really liked her. She was fun, independent, and sassy. She was the first romance heroine I've ever encountered with short, spiky dyed hair, a dog collar, and a navel ring. She was everything most romance heroines are not. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I didn't find her unsympathetic at all. I found her a refreshing break from the cotton-candy pink of most other romance heroines. Her careless sexuality, far from being off-putting, was more based in reality. If you like Carrie Brandshaw and pals of Sex and the City, you'd really like Riley.

Where this book started to derail for me was when the hero, Zap, who I found to be totally arrogant and annoying, started to change Riley. Plain dresses and ordinary hair styles & color came first, along with the removal of her body jewelry. At the end, it leaves the impression that only those cotton-candy-pink heroines who are demure and shy about sexuality deserve to be loved. And that I don't like at all.