TEST
I’m a huge fan of reality television, so this book sounded like a surefire winner, with the hero and heroine stranded on a deserted island as competitors in a reality documentary. I was disappointed that the reality TV portion of the book was glossed over, but found it to be a light, generally enjoyable read.Aust 
Kristi Wilde works for Sydney’s best PR firm. Without her knowledge, Kristi’s boss signed her up to be the female contestant on a reality TV documentary featuring one hot woman and one hot man on a deserted island for a week. Kristi isn’t happy about the situation until she learns about the large prize money; she doesn’t need the money, but plans to give it to her struggling sister and niece. The setup felt unethical to me, with Kristi’s boss coercing her to do the show so that their PR firm would be hired by the channel producing the show.
Once Kristi agrees, her boss tells her the bachelor is Jared Malone, a man Kristi was involved with eight years earlier. Although initially upset, Kristi eventually decides that this might be a way to get closure on their relationship.
Jared, an ex-tennis pro, is doing the show for publicity for the recreation center for disadvantaged kids with which he’s involved. Although wealthy, Jared has decided he’d rather spend his money directly on the center than on publicity, so decides the show is the way to go. This didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I suppose it helped that one of his friends is involved with the production. Jared is disturbed to discover that Kristi will be the woman on the island. He dumped her via telephone when she became too “clingy” and “demanding.”
As a fan of reality TV, I thought the majority of the book would focus on events on the island; that isn’t the case. In fact, a lot of what happens during the week is really glossed over, with just snippets of challenges and conversations.
The chapters begin with tweets and blog excerpts from their island experiences – the show’s way of having them communicate with the public. I felt these made the book feel current, but also provided insights into the different ways the two viewed the same experiences on the island.
I’ll have to admit that within the first few paragraphs, I was overwhelmed with references to “Christian Louboutin fuchsia patent peep-toes,” and “four-inch Choos,” and “Chanel No 5,” and so on. Fortunately, these references weren’t anywhere nearly as heavy in the rest of the book.
The majority of the book was rather light, but entertaining. However, one thing I really liked is that they both show growth over the course of a very short book, and gained insights into the previous behaviors. They each realize that they both acted badly in the past. A lot happens after they leave the island, but the ending felt a bit rushed. I found myself wanting just a bit more.
Grade: C+
Book Type: Series Romance
Sensuality: Subtle
Review Date: 25/09/10
Publication Date: 2010/09
My first memory is sitting with my mother on a blanket in our backyard surrounded by books and she is reading one of them to me. My love of reading was encouraged by my parents and it continues to today. I’ve gone through a lot of different genres over the years, but I currently primarily read mysteries (historical mysteries are my favorites) and romances (focusing on contemporaries, categories, and steampunk). When I’m not reading or working, I love to travel, knit, and work on various community projects.
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Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.