Review: Hot Read
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 14, 2011
What do you when the hunky guy next door is being harassed by the town sheriff? You take the opportunity to get real neighborly of course!That's exactly what Michaela Miller did for ex-Marine and local body shop owner, Scott O'Callaghan. A comment that was meant to simply put the rude behaving sheriff in his place opens the door for Michaela and Scott to get to know one another better and, BOY HOWDY, do they take advantage of it!!Ms. Stuart has penned a terrific little novella that is full of heart and heat. Sometimes you read a book and it just makes you smile when the hero and heroine are so right for each other and the chemistry just clicks. One of the elements that immediately caught my attention was the easy dialogue. The conversations sounded real. Often times an author gets too grammatically correct and the dialogue comes off stiff and forced. Ms. Stuart's writing style is smooth and genuine.You get a small glimpse at the family that Michaela was brought up in and can see how the strength of that family bond has made her very independent and self-assured. Those personality traits come through pretty clear when she confronts the sheriff and when she lets Scott know without a doubt that she is interested in more than just friendship.Likewise, Scott wasn't brought up with quite the same strong family unit that Michaela experienced. He is slow to trust and is completely caught off guard when she stands up for him to the sheriff. He does have a bit of an alpha streak when it comes to Michaela and doesn't hesitate to take control when they finally give in to the mutual attraction.For such a short story, Ms. Stuart packs in some steamy as well as heart-warming scenes. If you are looking for a quick little diversion you should seriously consider picking up a copy of Tempting Alibi. This was my first introduction to Ms. Stuart's work but it certainly won't be my last.Originally posted at Whipped Cream Reviews