Review: A Delectable Bonbon of a Book!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 6, 2013
Fashioning a Romance is a swoon-inducing read that will hit the sweet spot of any romantic. When the story begins, American Caitlyn Taylor has scored a dream gig as fashion designer-in-residence for posh British socialite Sophie Harrington. Sophie is a kind and generous boss who really appreciates Caitlyn and thinks of her as a friend (Thank you to the author for not making this character a sterotypically abusive diva!) Grateful for her good fortune, Caitlyn has an all work/no play mentality. She just wants to create beautiful garments and leave all the club-hopping and man-chasing to Sophie. That is until she meets Sophie's handsome charmer of a brother, John.An incorrigible flirt and infamous womanizer, John wastes no time in putting some of his well-practiced moves on Caitlyn. Although she can't deny that there's chemistry between them, Caitlyn has no interest in being another notch on John's bedpost (Girlfriend has some serious trust issues with men thanks to her oft-married father.) John is baffled by Caitlyn's seeming indifference, but he refuses to give up, getting sneaky and tricking her into a romantic getaway with him. Can Caitlyn continue to resist John when he woos her in the City of Light? No spoilers here, but I want to commend Ms. Mercer for bringing Paris, its wonderful sights, and its beautiful ambiance to life on the page. I have now added "Have a romantic picnic in the Rodin Museum's Sculpture Garden" to my bucket list!A few of my favorite things about this book - 1) I loved that there was a measuring tape in the header for each new scene. It was a cute and clever reminder that the heroine was a fashion designer. 2) The author did a great job of describing the intricacies of Caitlyn's craft without being too ponderous about it. Clearly, she's well-versed on the subject of design, and it showed. 3) Sophie wasn't in that many scenes in the book, but she certainly made her presence known. The character was so effervescent and entertaining; I'd love to read a sequel to Fashioning a Romance, starring Ms. Sophie! 4) I adore a good epilogue, and the one in this book was first-rate. Written from the POV of a snarky society columnist, the epilogue was more biting than the rest of the book and it was fun to see all the characters through the eyes of an outsider. There was a line in the epilogue that made me laugh so hard I choked on my Diet Coke!In summation, Fashioning a Romance is a delightful romp that I would recommend to anyone looking for an engaging, romantic read. I am definitely adding Ms. Mercer's second novel, Unmasking Maya, to my TBR pile!