 |
QUEEN OF
HEARTS - Adrianne Byrd Harlequin Kimani/Arabesque September 2009 |
SYNOPSIS: Television producer Keenan Armstrong believes Jalila's search for love would make a hit reality show. Suddenly Jalila's the star of Queen of Hearts, with a string of fine bachelors vying to win her attention...
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE |4+| Susan Plummer
REVIEW: Like
looking forward to Thanksgiving at my mom’s house, or sipping on one of the mean
Virgin Pina Coladas my 14-year my daughter makes, so too I look forward to the
release of an Adrianne Byrd novel. These things never disappoint and once again
Ms. Byrd delivers a story that features with memorable characters, an
entertaining story line and a really, really great romance. QUEEN OF HIS HEART
delivers all this and in a quick and engaging novel.
Successful businesswoman, Jalila Goodwyn longs for her prince charming but after kissing several frogs and even one who wants to kiss her toes, she is downright fed up with the dating scene. When handsome TV producer, Keenan Armstrong pitches an interesting offer for Jalila to star in a reality show where she has the pick of three eligible bachelors she readily accepts, except there’s one hitch. The only one man holding Jalila's attention is not a contestant. It’s none other than Keenan.
Now Jalila’s dilemma is how
to win her King of Hearts when he's not even competing -- or is he?
The plot is intricate and well laid out and unfolds from one engaging scene to
the next. Dialogue is a strong suit for Ms. Byrd and she masterfully executes it
with characters who share rich exchanges filled with humor, candor, and
eye-popping pillow talk.
Keenan is so emotionally at odds with himself; he's literally caught in a conflict of interest. His character is very real and three-dimensional because beneath his nonchalant attitude which is all male; is a man with the capacity to feel and love deeply. Jalila is like so many successful women who buy into the misconception that a woman needs a man to complete her. She has much to offer and there is no reason for lowering her standards to a toe-sucker. Jalila’s friends are all hysterical and truly add to the development of this very enjoyable novel.
Set in the competitive city of Los Angeles where the lines between reality and
fantasy are often blurred, it is the perfect location to showcase how fluid
feelings can be.
Ms. Byrd has upped the ante with the use of more colorful expressions in
QUEEN OF HIS HEART
but the essence of a Byrd novel remains and I loved it and readers are going to
love it too.
reviewer@romanceincolor.com | 25th September 2009