Review: Pleasant Surprise
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 13, 2012
Reviewed by Janna for My Secret Romance Book ReviewsThis book was provided by the author/publisher in return for an honest review.Melissa McGuire is a news producer who is tricked by her well meaning, but bossy grandmother to attend a bachelor auction that benefits the Widows and Orphans charity for firemen and policemen.  Her grandmother secretly bids on and wins her choice for Melissa.  Melissa is horrified that her "Grans" bid on a young fireman. She rushes from the room and plows right into Harry Brody, who is the Fire Captain of the San Gabriel fire department. She automatically assumes he is one of the bachelors up for bid on and begins to insult him for him doing something embarrassing in the name of a charity.Everyone believes that Nelly, Melissa's grandmother, bid on Bachelor number 5 for herself. Ryan, aka Bachelor number 5, is getting ruthlessly teased and harassed by his fellow firemen and begs the Captain to take his place. Instead of breaking an old lady's heart he agrees to go one a date with Nelly.  Nelly, who has her own agenda, fakes being sick so Melissa must stand in her place.Brody and Melissa are two opposites and in their minds not right for each other. Especially after getting into a fight and being asked to leave from part of their date, but one hot and heavy kiss against her front door and they can't deny the sparks that fly sexually between the two.Brody has a love/hate relationship when it comes to newscasters. He feels that they take advantage of people at some of their lowest moments. Now, add into the mix a firehouse of hot firemen, a high maintenance diva news anchor who makes Melissa's life a living hell, her father who is a recovering alcoholic, a little boy asking for help and two exes who should never have reentered the picture and you have a story that can kinda go either way.I picked this book up because I saw the cover and said ooohhh hot firemen! This story definitely has potential.  I started reading and at first I just couldn't get hooked. I loved the idea of a bachelor auction, especially for charity. I told myself I was going to finish this book because I hate not finishing a book or giving it a chance to hook me in....and I am so glad I continued.Jennifer Bernand goes into great detail of how hot and available the firemen where of this one particular station, but she also made sure to acknowledge how firemen are true heroes, not just hot guys in a uniform. You get to know a little about some of the firemen and want to find out more.  I began to form a love/hate relationship with Ella, the diva news anchor that Melissa is a producer for.  While I could have maybe done without so much Ella and her crap that she pulled I do realize that in the end it all works out and makes people see what is truly important.  I also cried when Rodrigo turned up at Brody's door.I will admit maybe I like this books so much because my grandfather was a fireman and even though he retired before I was born he still had his turn out gear at home. I just remember thinking that it was so cool that he was a fireman.  This book turned out to be a pleasant surprise and I am looking forward to reading the next book which comes out soon.  I love finding new authors to read and Jennifer Bernard, in my opinion is one worth trying.