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Romance
Reviews Today
RT Bookclub
Romance
Reviews Today
“…serious, sweet, funny, hot, and thoroughly entertaining…”
Gwen Chastain is in big trouble. While running her grandfather's
investment stamp business until he gets back from vacation, Jerry,
a new employee, manages to steal stamps worth over four million
dollars. Gwen doesn't want anybody to know the stamps are gone,
so she can't go to the police. Her sister Joss talks Gwen into going
to Las Vegas and trying to get the stamps back herself. Enter Nina,
Gwen's alter ego. As Nina, Gwen can face the crowds of Vegas without
flinching. Gwen is very button-down conservative, whereas Nina is
a show and heart stopper. Her first night in Vegas, Nina meets Del
Redmond, who she thinks is working with her ex-employee. Unfortunately,
Del turns out to be a reporter who works for the San Francisco
Globe. Gwen is not happy to have a reporter dogging her every
step, especially when she finds Jerry. Now, all she has to do is
get the stamps back without Del discovering what she is doing, and
without getting caught. Oh yeah, she also has to help a poker player
named Roxy beat some men in a pesky little tournament.
Del Redmond can't get the blonde out of his mind. As a one-night
stand, she was mind-blowing. He can't believe his luck when he finds
her in the same casino where he is staying, and thinks that maybe
the poker tournament he was sent to cover won't be so boring after
all. He has no idea how exciting Vegas will be for him. First, he
discovers Nina is actually Gwen, and then he discovers why she is
incognito. Del promises Nina/Gwen to help her get the stamps back
by sacrificing himself to pal around with Jerry, which gives Gwen
time to search Jerry's suite.
Kristen Hardy has a sure-fire winner with Certified Male,
her well-written, funny debut into the romantic suspense category.
Murphy's Law seems to follow Gwen wherever she goes. She's not really
comfortable as Nina at first; she almost gets caught in Jerry's
suite looking for the stamps; and the last person Gwen thinks would
betray her does. Del knows that Gwen is capable of doing everything
Nina does, so it drives him nuts for Gwen to hide behind the Nina
persona when she feels threatened. Del can't seem to make Gwen understand
that he fell in love with both parts of her personality. Jerry and
Roxy both add some color to the story. Readers will love Roxy's
take no prisoners attitude, whereas most readers will cringe at
Jerry, therefore making him the perfect bad guy.
Ms. Hardy is the next bright star in the world of romance. For a
novel that is serious, sweet, funny, hot, and thoroughly entertaining,
run out and grab your copy of Certified Male. --
Angela Camp
(top)
RT
Bookclub
“…another sexy winner.”
In Certified Male (4 1/2), Kristin Hardy has another
sexy winner. Great setting, details, and a smart, exciting caper
are combined with emotion and wonderful characters. Gwen Chastain
is a behind the scenes type woman. But while she is in charge, valuable
stamps are stolen from her grandfather's philately and investment
business in San Francisco. Gwen sets off to recover them. She follows
the thief to Las Vegas, disguised as the outrageous woman she never
wanted to be. San Franciscan sportswriter Del Redmond is in town
to cover a high stakes poker championship. Meeting Gwen, he realizes
she is more than the gambling bimbo she's pretending to be. Between
melting hot sex, wild poker games, and tension filled adventure,
their lives will never be the same.
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