~ Review: Too Hot To Handle ~

PLOT SYNOPSIS:  Fed up with “trifling” men, the last thing Jenny Eastman wants is to become playboy Jared Cates’ flavor-of-the-month.  So she’s more than eager when a group of Jared’s former flames enlist her help to teach him a lesson.  But when Jenny’s smooth moves ignite an irresistible passion, she will have to play for the highest of stakes between heartbreak and love – forever. 

REVIEW:  This is the last in the saga of the Eastman and Cates families.  It was about two less-than-perfect persons coming together in healing and love.  Beautiful Jenny Eastman has had her pick of men.  She has always been in control, setting the tone for these relationships.  Then she meets Jared Cates, the son of her Mother’s new husband.  Jared is a player extraordinaire.  Jenny tries to fight her attraction to him.  She doesn’t want to be another notch on his belt.

Jared Cates is flagged in the SCORNED database.  What is the SCORNED database you ask?  It’s an informational database, maintained by Sisters Committed to Overcoming Rejecting Narcissistic Egomaniacal Dogs (SCORNED), a group of women tired of being used and abused by players.  It lists the men’s past wrongs, physical and material attributes, and warnings about character flaws.  Jared has dated just about everyone in the group, so naturally he is flagged as the top dog.

Jared is too hard to resist and Jenny succumbs to his charms.  Soon she discovers that she has been used.  A close friend, who also dated Jared, convinces her to join SCORNED.  She gets involved in a plot to teach Jared the error of his ways.  All of this sounds like the making of a pretty fun and intriguing story.  The women of the group, SCORNED, have an interesting agenda.  It may seem tacky but most women can all relate to where they are coming from.  The thought of sisters getting together and lending support to each other is a beautiful thing.  Right?

Well, these women are just too bitter.  They are too keyed on revenge and I couldn’t get into it.  Most of these women were head over heals in love with these men at some point or another.  Moreover, to consider sharing my intimate situations with them was not realistic.  In the case of Jared, most of the women had actually been intimate with him.  I cannot get with telling my business like that.

Jared was fine and successful, but I just did not feel any emotional attachment to him.  Jenny was strong on one hand, and then weak on the other and that bothered me.  Knowing Jared and Jenny had trouble pasts and were less than perfect, I still held out hope.  I hoped that they would get themselves together and find true happiness.  I found that instead of hoping that they got it together, I was praying that they wouldn’t

This concept for this story had great potential…  A woman set out to teach a man a lesson with the support of her “sister girlfriends”, only to discover true Love.  I was excited.  There were parts that were fun and I did stay interested throughout the reading.  I can’t say that I didn’t enjoy the book; it had some fun parts.  I just expected more from this story and TOO HOT TO HANDLE just didn’t meet my expectations.

Just as the main characters Jenny Eastman and Jared Cates lacked substance individually, so too did this entire story. Most of the secondary characters also had character flaws, which is to be expected.  However, the main characters involving themselves with them in such a friendly manner irritated me.

Overall, I am disappointed, but I still enjoy Monica Jackson’s style.  I’m hoping that the next release from this talented writer will be redeeming.

21st September 2001

wayne@romanceincol.net