Review: Kept me reading
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 15, 2014
MAID FOR MARTIN is the first in Samantha Lovern's California love trilogy series.Randi Sanders is employed by an agency that provides temporary maids to the rich and famous. She is their most trusted employee because she treats the clients with respect, doesn’t fawn, and works hard. Randi keeps the temptation to be awed at bay by avoiding films, TV and the media, and therefore doesn’t have a clue who most of the clients are. Martin Taylor is the latest. Drop-dead gorgeous up-and-coming film star, in a going-nowhere relationship and a fast deteriorating situation he can’t avoid—Christmas and New Year with his and his girlfriend’s families. Randi is hired for the 10-day period and spends most of those days believing Martin is the chauffeur Mike and, of course, falls for him big time.The scenario is totally implausible but the author gets away with it and had my admiration for doing so. It’s her deft handling that makes the story believable. She keeps you hanging for pretty well the whole book and, believe me, I was hanging. Approaching conflict begins right at the outset. With every page turned I expected the denouement but I was kept waiting and waiting. It certainly got me in.The story is told from third person multiple points of view. It’s mostly from Randi and Martin’s perspectives but other major characters also make themselves heard. The language style is a little different—I think it’s the author’s Southern roots making themselves heard—and it added to, rather than detracted from, the overall. There’s plenty of realistic dialogue that drives the story along.As well as paperback and ebook editions, this book is also available in audiobook format. I listened to the sample chapter and was impressed with the quality of narration. The author obviously used a professional and it shows.Samantha Lovern also writes under the name of Samantha Fury.