TBR Challenge 2013: Categorically Speaking
Ah, new year…new resolve to dive deep into the TBR for the multi-blog TBR Challenge. This month we’re easing in with short reads (novellas, category books, etc..) and so I went pulled out 2004 release In Like Flynn from Harlequin’s now-defunct Flipside line. I didn’t remember having this book, but as soon as I saw the author’s name I knew immediately why I would have picked it up. Dorien Kelly is the author of Do-Over, which is to this day one of my very favorite lawyer romances. Most romances involving the law center on criminal practice, but I’ve always worked in the civil realm and Do-Over a pitch perfect portrayal of what life in a sizable corporate firm is like. Short on glamor, long on drudgery and intense politics.
With this book, Kelly turns her focus to life in a family-run restaurant chain. Annie Rutherford comes from an overachieving family and while she has an MBA, she’s still the black sheep as she works for a pizza chain in Ann Arbor rather than a silk-stocking investment firm or something of that nature. Annie dreams of showing the owner of the chain how to make it into a franchise, but Mr. Donovan has other ideas – he wants to create an Irish pub like one he enjoyed on vacation. He places Annie at the helm of this project and announces that he plans to bring in an Irish consultant to work with her. Faced with the change in her dream business plan as well as an unwanted partner, Annie resolves to freeze out Daniel Flynn – even if he does turn out to be utterly gorgeous when she meets him.
Not only is Daniel gorgeous, but he’s renting a townhouse on Annie’s street and their project will require them to at least behave civilly as they spend lots of time together. Annie’s boss throws research travel trips at them and the chemistry just builds from there. This book was slower to catch my interest than Do-Over in large part because the heroine spends a little too much time belittling herself, but once I got into it, I really enjoyed it. Kelly’s portrayal of the moderately dysfunctional family business that employs Annie rang true and had just the right amount of crazy to make me laugh rather than roll my eyes. And I really enjoyed Annie and Daniel. The two truly are at opposite places in life, but the ways in which they recognize and work with their conflict feels very real.
The author sums up the heart of the difference between Annie and Daniel in two sentences: “If confidence were a tradable commodity, Daniel Flynn would be a billionaire. And unless she[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Annie] picked up this skill, she’d forever be broke.” Daniel has the natural ability to connect with almost anyone he encounters while Annie struggles with body image issues and a feeling of never quite measuring up. As trite as it sounds, Annie spends much of this book learning how to stand up for and love herself because until she does that, she’s not going to appreciate how much Daniel comes to love her. Kelly tells her story with a light touch and plenty of funny moments, but real emotion runs beneath the surface of the tale and that’s what keeps it from feeling like mindless slapstick.
In Like Flynn is one of those examples that shows how good category romance can be. It’s only 218 pages, and the story works completely within that small space. The author creates a vivid setting and strong characters with a minimum of words. I’ve read a lot of romance, but Annie and Daniel stand out as characters and that’s a sign of good writing. It’s not perfect, but it is definitely wonderful. Best of all, Harlequin recently re-released this story as an eBook. If you’re looking for something fun, definitely try this one out. I’d give it a solid B.
– Lynn Spencer[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
you have a very awesome and informative post. A well written article. I am a book lover too..
Flipside probably died on the vine because I never got hooked on them. I see the words “”romantic”” and “”comedy”” attached to a book and my brain freezes up. The cartoon cover trend from several years back damn near killed me. But this one does sound really cute! Will have to check it out….
I have to admit that I never read that many Flipsides back when the line was actually active. I tended to favor the longer Red Dress Ink books instead. I know you don’t like cartoon covers, but some of those books were seriously good. I never had the serious hate for cartoon covers that some readers did, but they just didn’t catch my eye very much either.
Oh, both “”Do Over”” and “”In Like Flynn”” sound delightful! I will have to add those to my wishlist. I purchased “”The Last Bride in Ballymuir”” when the kindle version was deeply discounted, but have not yet gotten around to reading it. My mom read it and adored it, so I’m anxious to dive in!
That should be quickly, not nicely although I suppose that would be true also.
I really liked Do-Over as well. I will have to give In Like Flynn a try. I also started my Lean Mean Thirteen Challeng (on the Poppouri board) with short romances. The nice thing about these short books is even if they are horrible they get off the pile nicely.