Don't let this cartoony cover influence you - I didn't like these kicky covers when the publishers started using them, still don't like them, and they can be deceiving. I pulled this book off my bookcase thinking it would be an R&D (read & discard) but it turned out to be a charming, delightful read, my first Hailey North but not my last (can't wait to glom her backlist). Charming, likeable characters, set in one of my favorite places (New Orleans), while light on plot it's deeper on character driven story: a widowed mom who'll do what it takes to care for her three children; a rich, cynical hero who thinks the worst of her but finds the true meaning of relationships and family the more he gets involved with the heroine and her family. I loved this story! A sleeper of a book that turned into a keeper. ( )

#17, 2004

Well, this book wasn't what I was expecting, and so I found it a bit of a disappointment, but that's perhaps not entirely fair, as it wasn't bad book - just not a genre I usually read. Based on the cover artwork and comments, I was expecting something along the lines of "Bridget Jones" - romantic, but smart and funny. Well, this was more of your typical one-step-above Harlequin romance novel. About a woman who marries someone for money, and when the fellow is killed unexpectedly finds herself a rich widow in the midst of this old money New Orleans family. And of course, the late husband's "wicked" brother turns out to be too sexy to be ignored. This isn't generally the type of thing I read, but it really was a decent story. The characters were surprisingly likeable, and had motivations for their actions that didn't seem entirely contrived. So, for anyone who likes an easy romance, this was a decent one. ( )