TEST
This is the first book in the Damaron series I’ve read, and if they’re all this good, I’m going to go back and find more. This book is a winning blend of romance and humor, and only a slight misstep in the heroine’s thinking process prevented it from being a true keeper.
Nathan Damaron is taking a stroll in Paris when a beautiful young woman runs up to him and asks him to kiss her as if he’ll never let go. He obliges her, and as she runs off, he sees her meet a young man with a video camera. Being a wealthy, powerful Damaron, he expects some sort of tabloid scandal or blackmail to follow.
When Danielle realizes who she has kissed, she knows she has to go find him and apologize. Her father was a business associate of the Damarons, and she feels honor bound to apologize to Nathan and explain the reason. He is initially cold to her, but as her strength and spirit show through, Dani wins him over. He says because she won her scavenger hunt she owes him, and he asks her to go to a ball with him. She accepts and takes the first step in their relationship.
Mind you, this is all in the first couple of chapters of the book, which moves very quickly. The characters help it move as well. Dani is a ballet teacher in a bad part of New York who likes working with underprivileged kids. She a natural nurturerer and helper. She’s sweet and kind with a great, dry sense of humor. My problem with her grew out of an oft-used plot point that turns perfectly good heroines into temporary birdbrains. See, after an earlier accident which killed her boyfriend and her unborn baby, she is convinced she can never have children. Of course, Nathan wants children, so, of course, she turns Nathan away from her. Why, oh why, do authors do stuff like this? Not only did I want to bop Dani on the head, I wanted to bop the author as well.
Nathan was delicious. I must like my heroes with a dark, dangerous edge, because that’s what Nathan has. He also has a sense of humor as well as a healthy sense of suspicion for fortune hunters. Once he decides Dani isn’t one, he lets himself go and fall in love – but he doesn’t realize that’s what’s happened until his cousins point it out and she’s already pushed him away.
Some of the best parts of this book were the humorous exchanges between Dani and Nathan and scenes involving his cousins, Sin and Lion (I really kinda like those names). I kept wishing I had my own personal jet like the Damarons did. These people are so wealthy it was fun to read about it – it’s a completely different world.
Despite a somewhat predictable ending, reading this was a great way to while away an afternoon. I’m really going to miss the Loveswept line and hope other publishers pick up some of their authors, like Fayrene Preston.
Grade: B+
Book Type: Series Romance
Sensuality: Hot
Review Date: 03/01/98
Publication Date: 1998/12
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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.