Review - TEMPTED INTO THE TYCOON'S TRAP by Emily McKay

I was lucky enough to get a pre-release copy of Emily McKay's new Silhouette Desire novel. Tempted into the Tycoon's Trap is a Romantic Times Top Pick and my personal favorite of her books so far. Here's my review:



Cece Cassidy writes action-adventure movies – ticking time bombs, natural disasters, lots of thrills. She doesn’t do love stories. But when Lillian Hudson, her beloved Godmother, asks her to write the story of how she met her own husband during World War II, she can’t turn her down. Even if it means working for Hudson Pictures, which she had sworn she would never do. Even if it means seeing Jack Hudson, the unsuspecting father of her young son. Jack made it very clear three years ago that he wasn’t interested in a family and Cece has no intention of forcing one on him. Unfortunately, there are no secrets in Hollywood. . . .


There are certain things I expect when I pick up a Desire novel – sizzling chemistry, powerful alpha males, glamorous settings, and story lines that rollercoaster the characters from the dizzying heights of passion to the depths of the despair. Tempted into the Tycoons Trap hits on all cylinders - from Cece’s deception about the identity of her ‘adopted’ son to the real reason Jack ended their affair. Jack and Cece are both products of their own parents’ spectacularly failed marriages, providing plenty of baggage to go around. The Hudson Dynasty and Hollywood setting oozes glamour and intrigue. The chemistry between Jack and Cece is scorching hot.

To my delight, there were several elements of this book that made it stand out from the crowd for me. McKay has endowed Cece with a smart mouth and brash attitude that keep her more than a match for Jack right up to the last page. She’s a great ‘alpha female’ who knows what she wants and is successful and powerful in her own right. Jack is perfect. McKay effortlessly transforms him from Heartless Jerk (but secret Tortured Romantic), to Bewildered Male, to Our Hero. The entire book is permeated with a deft sense of humor which kept me turning page after page and utterly destroyed the overwrought ‘soap-opera’ feel I get from too many novels in the Desire line.


I have read two of Emily McKay’s previous books and enjoyed both of them. In my opinion, this book represents a huge leap forward in her writing. This has all the passion and drama I expect from Desire in a great contemporary voice. Desire fans, move Emily McKay into your must-buy author list!



That's all for today, folks!

Irene

Not a Blogga

Ok - I know this is a horrible way to start out, but we need to get one thing clear from the outset - I AM NOT A BLOGGER.



Blogging sounds wonderful (really, I can write about anything that catches my fancy?) - but if I am allowed to indulge myself I'll never get any actual work done. And, let's face it, I doubt you care that Great Aunt Hilda called yesterday and described the cutest thing her cat did.



So:

• I am NOT committing to regular posts - but I will update when I have news (or something catches my fancy, or I'm procrastinating something else).


• I WILL try to let you know if something in my life may actually interest you (the fellow writer or reader). This will most likely be in the form of "Today I just finished reading. . . ." or "Here's a great article on. . . ."


• I hate to admit it, but eventually I will probably vent - I'll just go ahead and issue a blanket apology now

To get you in the spirit of how this works:

I just finished reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. (Thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Funn for the great gift!). This was absolutely a great read and coincidentally summs up my religious beliefs (a nice twofer, that). If you haven't read it, rush right out and get a copy!

Ciao!

Irene