Review: 4.5 blue ribbons from Romance Junkies
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 19, 2012
Paloverde, Texas 1877Isis Garrett might have arrived in Paloverde on the bride wagon but she certainly isn't interested in entering the state of wedded bliss herself.  She's already experienced a failed romance that left her devastated and disillusioned.  Her only desire is to start a library so she can share her love of books with others - and the desire she feels for the preacher is proving to be an extremely annoying problem.Pres MacKay may be a preacher now but at one time he was a bounty hunter and he's definitely all male - and he has his eyes set on the prickly Isis.  Offering his church as a place to store her books has turned out to be a stroke of genius.  After all, she can't avoid him altogether if they're sharing the same building.As the town preacher Pres is willing to put his own needs aside and see that the other men of the town find their wives first but something about Isis calls to him.  She's not like the other would-be brides with their flirtatious, giggly mannerisms.  In fact she appears to find the town lacking so he's extremely curious about who she is and why she's there.Every attempt Pres makes at getting to know Isis is met with resistance but when he finally gives in to his desire and kisses her he discovers that her sexual desires compliment his own beautifully.  The trouble is that Pres has made a promise to himself and to God not to partake in sexual intercourse until after he's exchanged wedding vows.  Isis isn't interested in marriage and won't share her reasons behind her decision not to marry.  It's up to Pres to find a way to get the prickly librarian to open her heart and trust him with her fears.  It won't be an easy feat but he's up to the challenge - the only other option is a life without Isis and that's a fate he's not willing to consider.Jane Leopold Quinn's HOT UNDER THE COLLAR is a wonderful mixture of historical and erotic romance.  I adored Pres and Isis who each have pasts they're uncomfortable sharing with each other.  They have a fresh and open minded way of viewing the world that you wouldn't expect in a historical story yet it works perfectly and makes the erotic aspect of the story even more stimulating.  One of the things that I really enjoyed about this story was Isis's friendship with Opal, a prostitute. Ms. Quinn shows the true mettle of Isis's character in the simple way she refuses to bow under society's constraints - and Pres backs her on her stance.  HOT UNDER THE COLLAR is an adorable romance that has me quite eager to check out the rest of her stories.Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)