WORTH THE TRIP by Penny McCall

Publisher: Berkley Sensations
Date Published: November 2010
ISBN: 9780425238479
Romantic Adventure
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Tammy
Obtained via: publisher


Penny McCall’s latest romantic adventure from Berkley Sensations, WORTH THE TRIP, is a tangle of clues, miscues and a tantalizing treasure hunt.

Psychologist Norah MacArthur’s con artist father is about to be released from prison, for his part in a bank robbery gone wrong. With the bank loot still missing some fifteen years after the heist, everyone and their brothers are on the hunt for the treasure and unfortunately, all leads point to Norah.

Not one to be left out, the FBI sends agent Trip Jones to keep an eye on Norah, while simultaneously attempting to find the stash for the bureau. Spending time with Norah proves to be both infuriating and frustrating and possibly, the assignment of a lifetime.

Penny McCall’s signature wit and humor shine through once again in WORTH THE TRIP, the story of two of the most unlikely people to ever be forced into close quarters. Norah seems oblivious to the upcoming circus, that surrounds her father’s release from prison and the hunt for the missing bank loot. Trip is shocked when Norah sees right through his innate charm and good looks. But when the crazies come crawling out of the woodwork, she reluctantly accepts the security that Trip provides her.

The story has good pacing and maintains its sense of mystery and adventure throughout. The minor characters, the persistent reporter, the nosy neighbor and Norah’s publisher among others, keep the humor high and the adventure constant. Romance fans that enjoy a little humor with their adventure, are sure to find WORTH THE TRIP exactly that, worth the trip.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

A MOTHER’S SECRET by Janice Kay Johnson

Publisher: Harlequin Super Romance
Publication Date: December 2009
ISBN: 9780373716029
Contemporary Romance
Paperback
Reviewed by Penny
Obtained via publisher



Rebecca has good reasons for not telling Daniel when they broke up that she was pregnant. She did not want any child of hers to have the same childhood that she had to endure, being shuffled from one parent to another. And didn’t Daniel make it clear that he was not interested in ever having children of his own?

Daniel has not seen Rebecca in five years. He is shocked to discover that she has kept a secret from him for all of these years, the fact that they share a son. Daniel’s own past makes him very sensitive to this deception. Can he ever get over it?

I enjoyed reading this story, however it contained so much back-story from the previous books about members of Daniel’s family that it did bore me and I found myself just quickly skimming parts of the book rather than reading them. With this book having limited space I felt that the characters could have used more depth to them and this could have been accomplished by down sizing the family history. However, I understand that some of this is necessary for this to be a stand-alone book.

I felt Daniel’s pain and anger at being kept in the dark about the existence of his son. Rebecca is the kind of heroine that I like in that she is an independent and stubborn woman. And while I disagree with the choices she made in keeping Malcolm a secret from his father, I can understand her motives based on her own childhood experiences. Both of these are good people at heart and you can’t help but root for them and hope for the happy ever after that they could have had five years ago had they been on the same page.

A MOTHER’S SECRET is a pleasurable read. I am sure lots of people will enjoy this story much more than I did. It has a lot going for it, like a handsome leading man, a strong-minded heroine, and a good plot.




THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW

DOUBLE THE PLEASURE by Lori Foster, Deidre Martin, Jacquie D’Alessandro & Penny McCall

Publisher: Berkley Sensation Date published: December 2008 ISBN: 978-0-425-22406-9 Contemporary Erotic Romance Trade Paperback Reviewed by Dawn Obtained by Publisher Four fabulous authors bring you a fun filled romp as friends and lovers find you can have double the pleasure between friends, lovers and more. Lori Foster kicks things off with one of her Winston Brothers stories in DUECES WILD. Here you meet the Winston twins, Dex and Hart. Hart wants to train for MMA but doesn’t want anyone to know about it so he persuades his twin, Dex to apartment sit for him and basically impersonate Hart while he is off training. Christy Nash is Hart’s neighbor and when the man she thinks is Hart starts flirting with her, she wonders what the heck happened. This is a man who never gave her two blinks before. Will she find out that Dex is impersonating Hart and will she forgive him? I love Lori Foster’s DUECES WILD. Full of interesting characters and some wonderful scenes between Dex and Christy had me sighing in delight but I have to admit, Dex and Christy were great together even after the switch-a-roo comes out in the open. Ms. Foster delivers a wonderful kick off in DOUBLE THE PLEASURE and I look forward to seeing who snares Hart Winston in the future. In Deidre Martin’s THE LUCK OF THE IRISH, She introduces the readers to her new series, Wild Heart Saga with Maggie O’Brien; a feisty and independent woman who had her heart broken one too many times. This time she is determined to not let a man close to her again until hunky Brandon Kelly walks into her life. As Maggie succumbs to his seductions and falls for him, Brandon’s deepest secrets come out and this time Maggie has to decide to forgive him or leave the one man who completes her, heart, body and mind. THE LUCK OF THE IRSIH is a pure gem in my opinion. Ms. Martin captures her characters perfectly and keeps the tension on simmer even as Maggie and Brandon succumb to passions desires and heat things up a notch. I loved the way Ms. Martin really captures the characters and shows the reader not just their hearts but also their flaws as well. They were quite endearing and I am now a new fan of Ms. Martin. In Jacquie D’Alessandro, she keeps the romance alive with her story of two very different people who seem to either hate or love each other. In YOUR ROOM OR MINE, Ms. D’Allesandro keeps the tension on high as Jack Walker, the new department head finds himself saddled with the one thing he hates…..a consultant. Enter Maddie Price, a woman who handles difficult assignments with a smile yet this Jack Walker pushes every button she has and ones she never knew about before. Sparks fly between these two as they find themselves caught in desires grip and first impressions. YOUR ROOM OR MINE is a wonderful story that will have you laughing one minute and sighing the next. Ms. D’Alessandro captures the characters perfectly and shows us how first impressions can be wrong while keeping the sexual tension between Maddie and Jack simmering throughout the story. A very enjoyable story and I look forward to more from this author in the future. The final story centers on death, lost loves and lots of mayhem to boot. In DOUBLE THE DANGER, Dr. Abigail West finds herself looking at a John Doe in the morgue that she recognizes. It’s her former lover, Drake. What is even weirder is that he isn’t even dead. Now the adventure begins as these two former lovers have to dodge hit men, secrets and small town mayhem. Can Abby forgive Drake as his secrets come to life even as she falls in love with him all over again? I liked Ms. McCall’s finale to DOUBLE THE PLEASURE. With some intriguing characters and lots of zany fun, DOUBLE THE DANGER keeps the reader guessing what happens next with each madcap adventure that Drake and Abigail find themselves on. Ms. McCall is a wonderful storyteller though I could have used some more sexual tension in this one, but overall, it was a satisfying read. DOUBLE THE PLEASURE is a wonderful anthology full of multi-dimensional characters, lots of sexual tension and tight writing. Each author seamlessly weaves their story around the reader and I, for one, couldn’t put DOUBLE THE PLEASURE down. If you enjoy four wonderfully told stories full of fun, adventure and romance, then grab DOUBLE THE PELASURE and settle in for a night of pure fun. I look forward to more in the future form these talented authors.

THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF THIS BOOK. THIS IS AN OBJECTIVE UNBIASED REVIEW