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A DELIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS - Angie Daniels Parker Publishing/Noire Passion November 2006 |
SYNOPSIS: A woman from a penny-pinching background torn between her attraction to a working-class man and her dreams of living a prominent and lavish lifestyle. While she pursues a doctor who she thinks is her lottery ticket, his best friend is determined to prove to her that he is the better man.
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: |3+| La-Tessa Montgomery
REVIEW: Berlin Dupree has decided that marrying for status is the best way to attain the opulent lifestyle she desires. Having left the inner city, she’s determined to never return. Her plans in no way include getting involved with a blue collar playa from the hood, no matter how fine he is. When Berlin believes a certain doctor from her office is playing Santa at the holiday party, she wastes no time planting the kiss to end all kisses on him. What she doesn’t know if that at the last minute, Reginald Hodges takes over the Santa duties.
When Berlin realizes her mistake, she tries to put the incident
behind her, but neither Berlin nor Reggie can forget the chemistry they
created in that steamy moment. Berlin needs her fixer upper painted, and
has no choice but to turn to Reggie. Reggie is all too happy to help
her, he will do so only if she agrees to three dates with him, the
catch: he is in complete control. Left with no other choice she accepts,
but will their attraction and any hopes of a future together be able to
withstand her firm resolution to marry for status and social standing?
A DELIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS is a quick, delightful read. I must say, I
enjoyed seeing the rather siddity Berlin get taken down a peg or two by
Reggie. But trust me, she enjoyed every minute of it!! These two are hot
from the very beginning and their passion only grows the story unfolds.
While Berlin comes across as a gold-digger initially, you are able to
empathize with her a bit when the heart of her rationale comes to light.
Reggie is her perfect equal in that he challenges her and her misguide
thinking, but remains cool as he does so.
I enjoyed A DELIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, but I found Berlin to be
irritatingly stubborn one time too many. While I understand the need to
be cautious, there is a fine line between looking out for yourself and
letting an opportunity pass you by. The book is full of passion, but I
found the author’s choice of words a bit gutter in a couple of scenes.
This may be the norm for the noire passion genre, but I found its use a slighty hampered my full enjoyment of the story.
All in all, I rather enjoyed this story, especially the interplay
between Berlin and Reggie. This is a quick read and perfect for an
afternoon getaway.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com |20th October 2006