Summer Fever

Enjoyable Summer Anthology
4 stars

A collection of 5 Mills & Boon summer stories to get you in the mood for the sun.


Rex on the Beach – Stephanie Bond
Private investigator Lucy is looking for a runaway groom and the only person who seems to know where he might be is the best-man Rex. But is it business or pleasure when getting close to gorgeous Rex is the only way to get the information Lucy needs?

This was an excellent, fun story with a really great cast of characters. Although we know Lucy is lying - you still root for her and Rex to work it all out. A great summer romance.


Getting into Trouble – Leslie Kelly
Allie Cavanaugh is fed up of being a single, alone and bored. So when she finds herself kissing a hypnotist at the carnival she realises things are looking up. But Damon Cole isn't who he says he is. But then again, neither is Allie.

Another fabulous read from Leslie Kelly focusing this time on Allie, Sabrina's little sister from Here Comes Trouble. It still works well as a stand-alone story and both Damon and Allie are very sexy and enjoyable characters.


Shaken and Stirred – Heidi Betts
Abby Weaver is happy with her well-ordered life. But when she is forced to go on a girlie holiday she decides to make the most of it. But when she finds herself on holiday alone there's little more she can do but hook up with the tastiest marine on the beach.

This was a fun story about a self-conscious girl and the man who finds her so very attractive. It was in turns sweet then sexy but always a fun, beach read.


Summertime Blues – Kate Austin
Now into her 40s, Ardella Simpson is ready for her life to finally start and it looks like she’s landed her dream job in an aquarium to top it all off. And it doesn’t hurt that the owner of the aquarium might just be her dream man.

Without sounding too harsh – I found this story almost pointless. It didn’t hold my attention or make me feel of summer. Not really my cup of tea.


Kokomo – Jennifer Greene
Jane Whitcomb is at the top of the corporate ladder and burning out fast – she’s now divorced and her children are grown with kids of their own. So she asks her assistant to book her a holiday to Kokomo where she meets an old flame and a whole set of adventures begin.

This was definitely one of the poorer stories of this anthology. Jane was written (and throughout the story, called) an utter bitch and I just couldn’t identify with her. Also, I really prefer happy endings in a romance rather than just the fact that our heroine now has hope that she’ll get a happy ending.


Overall, the first three stories of this set were outstanding and well worth the price of the book. While I personally didn’t enjoy the last two stories, I would still recommend this book for some light reading if you’re a fan of Mills and Boon.

* The first three stories – Rex on the Beach (Stephanie Bond), Getting into Trouble (Leslie Kelly) and Shaken and Stirred (Heidi Betts) were previously published in the anthology Heat Wave in July 2007 *