Customer Reviews

Two to Tangle (Sensual Romance)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I discovered this Harlequin author about two years ago and have read every one of her books. They're funny and sweet and unpredictable. This is my absolute favorite. In Two To Tangle (the PERFECT title for this plot), the 'wrong bed' mix up is adorable and sexy and left me with that special feeling that I am in on the "secret" and I couldn't wait for the characters to figure it all out. Very sexy, like all of Kelly's books, but this one has a special emotional kick and a delicious mix-up that kept me smiling all the way through. From the rainstorm to the roses, this book is a blast!

"The Wrong Bed" sub-series of the Harlequin Temptation volumes are romances in which the sex comes before the love, usually as a result of happenstance. The first two of these romances I read both involved love making in the dark where one of the parties was greatly surprised when the lights came on. In "Two To Tangle" Leslie Kelly comes up with a different way of getting her heroine, Chloe Weston, into this predicament. Chloe is a window dresser at Langree's Department store. Working late at night arranging a new display, she is intrigued to see her boss, Troy Langree, changing a tire in front of the store during a rainstorm with his shirt off. The sight not only makes Chloe think of pagan rain worshippers but actually makes her whimper. More importantly she has to seriously revive her opinion about her stuffy boss, especially when he hits on her at a convention at the Dolphin Island Resort. When he introduces himself as "Trent," she figures he is aware that this is stepping over the bounds of boss-employee relationships, so she plays along and says her name is "Claudia." Despite the persistent voice of Sister Mary Frances warning her to be a good girl, "Claudia" and "Trent" have a great time. The only problem is that her pagan love god's name really is Trent and he is Troy's twin brother.

By now I understand that the readers of romances demand lots of complications and Kelly throws a whole bunch between Chloe and Trent, especially once she comes to the stunning realization that the man of her dreams is not who she thought he was. However, the best part of "Two to Tangle" is the concerted effort by Trent to convince Chloe that the right twin is not the Tony (sorry, you knew I had to try something like that). Trent fully appreciates the situation in which Chloe finds herself, even if she starts to forget it after her initial shock wears off. Yes, Tony tries to cause trouble, but fortunately Kelly makes that a minor sideshow. However, it seems that the fateful meeting between Chloe and her pagan was not merely a happy accident.

I like the way Kelly exploits the specifics of the situation with these two, what with her being a window dresser and he being the brother of the store's manager. What I especially liked was that Trent catches on to the confusion that is overwhelming Chloe, gives her space, and then begins his romantic campaign to convince her that everything that has gone wrong can be put to rights. There are none of the silly arguments that happen when human males start thinking with their lower brain, and a guy could actually do some of the romantic things Trent comes up with (even if they do not have access to a department store). "Two To Tangle" manages to avoid having the contrivances get in the way of the romance and there is plenty of romance to go along with the steamy little sex scenes. The result is an above average Harlequin Temptations tale and the best of "The Wrong Bed" stories I have read to date.

As for brother Troy, he gets brought down by outrageous bad girl Venus Longotti (you have to love that name) in Leslie Kelly's "sequel" to this tale, "Into the Fire."

Although I've loved all Leslie Kelly's books, this is my favorite so far. It had me chuckling from the first page and soon laughing out loud. I fell in lust with Trent right along with Chloe, and you will too! The secondary characters are a real hoot, so I was delighted to see there will be a sequel coming soon. I can't wait to see the other twin meet his match!

Ever since Chloe Weston started working for the family-owned department store, boss Troy Langtree frequently catches her eye. Although attractive, however, Troy does not initially seem to appreciate the joys of living. Then one night while working late on a window, with summer lighting in the midnight sky, Chloe sees Troy changing a flat in the rain. Suddenly the proper businessman becomes a pagan rain worshipper. With other hints of a wild streak lurking beneath that carefully polished exterior, Chloe cannot help being intrigued.

When people lined up five deep to admire her windows at the department store, Chloe is rewarded with an all expense paid trip to the South Florida Retailers & Merchandisers at a pricey Fort Lauderdale-area resort. In addition to furthering her career, the trip affords Chloe the opportunity to briefly escape the drudgery of school, work and supporting her family. She does not go seeking a fling, but when the man she believes to be Troy approaches her at the pool side, having admired her love of the elements, Chloe throws caution to the wind.

Trent might be an identical twin, but his approach to life is diametrically opposed to his brother's business life. Trent left the family fold to pursue his love of outdoors, and now owns a landscaping business. Three years ago Trent's money grubbing social climbing fiancée ditched him because he could no longer keep her in Mercedes convertibles. Subsequently, work has consumed his time and attention. Then he sees a delectable woman savoring the rain, and he cannot resist her allure. Neither Chloe nor Trent realize that their erotic encounter stems from a case of mistaken identity!

Through mistaken identity and the use of twins, author Leslie Kelly allows her characters the freedom to loosen their inhibitions and discover the pleasure of dancing the rain, walking on the beech, and the sensual touch of a new lover. The plot plays out skillfully, not belaboring the mistaken identity yet exploiting it to the fullest. In addition, characterizations sparkle. Chloe acknowledges her desire for paid bills and security, but depends upon her own abilities to provide. Her growth a character is phenomenal. Trent is every woman's erotic dream with the sensual description of his rain dance and joy in simple things. Further, readers intrigued by the bad-boy Troy will look forward to his story early in 2003. TWO TO TANGLE comes very highly recommended.

Though my first love is historical romance, I happily enjoyed the smart, funny contemporary romance Two To Tangle, by Leslie Kelly.

Full-time college student and part-time department store window dresser Chloe Weston has never been interested in her handsome but thoroughly business-like boss Troy Langtree until late one night she spies on him in front of Langtree's department store. Troy reveals his wild and passionate side in the way he responds to the rain while he's changing a flat tire. When Chloe finally sees him again outside the store-at a merchandising conference they're attending at a swanky hotel in southern Florida-the attraction is overwhelming, and they spend a wild night in bed.

Only Chloe doesn't realize that the man she's having passionate sex and falling in love with is actually Troy's reckless twin brother Trent. Believing Trent to be simply the name Troy uses for his alter ego, Chloe breathlessly plunges into the affair with `Troy', the kind of man she's always wanted-a secure, stable, nine-to-five type who won't endanger her financial security the way her reckless mother (whom she still supports) always has.

We the readers are wracked with suspense-how will Chloe react when she discovers the truth of who her lover is? Kelly does not disappoint. The novel takes us on a wild, tense, tender and romantic ride all the way.

Though I had a lot of fun reading Two To Tangle, I would have enjoyed it even more had Kelly shown more than immense physical attraction, witty repartee and some tender behavior as the basis of Chloe and Trent falling in love. I believed the lust between them but not fully the love, given their sharply divergent interests, values and lifestyles. While they become a bit more alike as Trent stretches Chloe's horizons, I would be more certain of their permanently overcoming the obstacles to their long-term happiness if they'd shared at least a few strong interests and if the respect and trust between them had been built with more detail.

Still, this is an engaging, pleasurable novel which contemporary romance readers should not miss.

I absolutely adored the idea that the romance of the two characters (three if you add Troy) was displayed for all to see through her window displays. It was so cute the way Chloe got creative and put real life into the creations. The love scenes were awesome and the ending was cute. My only complaint was that I would have been much harder on the mom in the end for her irresponsibility and not just blown it off like it was nothing.
Overall this book was sweet, romantic, funny and I would read it again and again.

I am a twin so I thought this would be fun to read. I enjoyed the book and will for sure read others by Leslie Kelly.

I thought Trent was such a sweet guy but Chloe irked me a bit in certain parts, that is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. I can't wait to read Troy's story next.

TWO TO TANGLE is a sexy, delightful read. From page one to the very end, Chloe and her topsy-turvy relationship with Troy - or is that Trent - will keep you smiling.

Two to Tangle had an interesting setup. Yes, it was probably an "only in a romance novel" kind of thing, but I liked it because while it depended on coincidence, it didn't depend on the characters acting like idiots or reasoning like no sensible person would. They reacted plausibly, and that is something that will make or break a book for me.

There were a couple of contrived, less believable details, like Trent's "signed contract" with his grandmother, but this was kept to a minimum and wasn't a major conflict in the story.

Both characters were likeable, and I enjoyed Trent's campaign to "win" Chloe. It helped that Chloe wasn't stupidly stubborn about it, she simply had a couple of doubts due to her family history and to the very rude shock she had received. She didn't hold what had happened against Trent, and was very reasonable about it. Refreshing. Oh, and plus, I liked them together, they were a nice fit.

All in all, a very nice book.