REVIEW: Harlequin E Contemporary Romance Box Set Volume 1: Coming in from the Cold / Maid to Fit / Calling His Bluff / Baker's Law
Book 1: ...Late 20s temp bartender heroine and 29yo Olympic alpine skier have a 1 night stand during a snowstorm, which both want to continue. But Hero can’t allow it because of how he thinks his life will end up.
Book 2: ...33yo businesswoman has a busy life but doesn’t like feeling dependent on mid-20s ex-military Hero who she employed to tend her house and her 15yo daughter. How long will she hold off on their strong mutual attraction?
Book 3: ...28y.o. vet keeps surprising her childhood crush early-30s Hollywood photographer Hero since they saw each other again. He’s starting to see that the quiet & bookish little sister of his best friend is all grown up.
Book 4: ...34yo cupcake bakery owner reciprocates the interest of their town’s new sheriff 36y.o. Hero. However, she has a hard time trusting him when he suspects a 17y.o. boy who happens to be her new unofficial charge & employee of the recent store burglaries.
I only planned on sampling the 1st book (Bowen’s) because plain Harlequin books usually bore me so I haven’t read 1 in years. But Bowen’s book captivated me and surprised me with its drama and the kind of steamy sex scenes I’ve never read before in a plain Harlequin book. I read it all & I really liked it: the sex, angst, and sweet love between the Hero and heroine in the book. Hero’s terrible betrayal of heroine and his subsequent grovel later made me write an extensive review of this particular book.*** It also sparked my interest to read the other 3 books in this set. The second story by Avery had a slow start but it warmed up later with the sexy sexual chemistry between older heroine and bit younger Hero. Cousin’s story (3rd book) had some humor and adventure via Vegas high-stakes gambling, a lost cat, & Hero’s interfering actress ex-wife. It centered on heroine’s unrequited love for Hero who now sees her as a woman. It, however, was bogged down by multiple plotlines & characters & overall sense that heroine loved Hero more. McDonald’s story (last book) tackled some serious issues (i.e., homelessness, crime) in midst of a sexy and sweet love between Hero and heroine. It had depth and a solid romance.**
Recommended.
***A more detailed review with SPOILERS of the 1st book is on my blog. Click here.
**A more detailed review of this box set is on my blog. Click here.
*ARC provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review.
