Second Time Lucky by Debbi Rawlins

Readable but ultimately forgettable romance

3 stars

Hot shot lawyer, Mia Butterfield, has decided to pack in her high flying career to open her own business. But before she settles down to the hard work and lack of money, she and her friends are going to have one final spring break in gorgeous Hawaii.

Mia’s boss, David Pearson, is determined to get Mia back so he can land a lucrative account. So he follows her to Hawaii – quite a departure for a workaholic like him. But is he really going to win Mia back for the firm, or for himself?

I liked the premise of this story and it was executed fairly well. However…the story wasn’t thrilling and really lacked any real sparkle or magic.

I liked both David and Mia but their relationship was a little bit strange. It felt as though the author couldn’t quite decide what the power dynamic between the couple was supposed to be. This made David especially seem at times quite weak and at other times a real alpha male – it was quite odd. There was the usual heat for a Blaze romance but nothing that gave me goosebumps.

And the twist – you could have seen it coming a mile away but when it actually arrived it was a little pointless and unbelievable.

Overall this was a good enough book to read on a rainy afternoon. It wasn’t overly exciting and it, if I’m honest, was a little forgettable but not wholly bad. I suspect that Mia’s two friends Shelby and Lindsay will have their own stories soon making this the first in a trilogy of stories.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Disappointing summer anthology

2 Stars

THE GUY DIET by Thea Devine

Food columnist Lo Cavallera has decided that it’s time to give up men. Unfortunately newspaper editor Jed Costigan has plans to change her mind.

Written in first person and also third person, this is a terribly written, pretentious and cringe-worthy story with a shallow, distasteful heroine and a lackluster hero. It wasn’t hot – just juvenile and crude. Embarrassingly bad.

LIGHT MY FIRE by Debbi Rawlins

Marketing guru Jordan Samms has been ordered to take a break from her hectic life. She decides to take a wilderness vacation where hunky tour guide Zach Wilde might just take her mind off her work.

A pretty stereotypical story of high flying city girl stuck in the wilderness. While being fairly well written – unfortunately the heroine was sarcastic, spoiled and deserved a good slap of reality. The hero could do so much better which isn’t ideal in a romance.

NO RESERVATIONS by Samantha Hunter

Edie Stevens is shocked when she gets to her holiday cottage by the ocean only to find it occupied by gorgeous Joel Roberts because of a mix-up with the dates. They plan to steer clear of each other but they didn’t count on their sizzling chemistry.

It isn’t the most interesting story I have ever read but this was still a sweet, enjoyable tale with likeable characters and a good, solid romance. Easily the best story of the bunch.

This is supposed to be an anthology of stories that are hot and perfect for summertime reading. Unfortunately, the first two stories are mind-numbingly bad and despite the sweet warmth of Samantha Hunter’s tale, it just isn’t good enough to make this book one I would recommend. There are much better anthologies out there that I think would be a more satisfying read. 2 stars.

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 *

Heat Wave

Fun, Sexy, Summery Read

5 stars

It's quite unusual to read an anthology where all the stories are really good - normally you get at least one that's not as strong as the others. But in Heat Wave - all three stories are excellent and make perfect reading if you're sitting in the sun or just wishing you were.

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.