THE
SWEETHEART KISS
by
Cheryl Ann Smith
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Pub
Date: May 9, 2017
Jess
Lucas works hard at the all-female PI firm Brash & Brazen, and
after a brush with death, she’s determined to play hard
too—preferably with a certain detective on the Ann Arbor police
force…
Jess was stuck at a frenemy’s wedding, playing bridesmaid in a mustard-yellow monstrosity, when chaos erupted. First the bride’s ex tried to stop the wedding. Then someone really put a damper on the big day by sending a bullet through a stained glass window and into one of the groomsmen. At least her ugly dress came in handy to stop the bleeding . . .
While the poor guy is rushed to the ER, Jess gets grilled by a gorgeous cop who’s not thrilled to learn she’s part PI and part pit bull. But he has to admit she’s highly observant . . . and he observes that she’s pretty hot, too.
The thing is, Jess was walking up the same aisle as the victim, and Sam suspects she was the real target. It’s more than professional duty that makes him want to protect her—if he doesn’t arrest her first for interfering in his investigation . . .
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My love of books started in
grade school with The Nancy Drew mysteries.
Mysteries are still the first section I visit in the bookstore. I can’t get enough. I enjoy reading them all, the dark,
spine-tingling thriller and the light, fast-paced, amateur sleuths. The Sweetheart Kiss is on the light
side with a good crime to solve, a budding romance and some funny moments are included
for good measure.
The Sweetheart Kiss is the third book in the Brash & Brazen series by
Cheryl Ann Smith. This is the first book
in the series I read and I can confirm that the book stands on its own. It is so much fun meeting the Brash &
Brazen characters that I immediately purchased the first two books in the
series when I finished this one.
Brash & Brazen is an
all-female private investigating firm that is the brain child of the very
wealthy Irving. He recruited three
cheerleaders and trained them to be top-notch investigators who form a solid
team. The group is reminiscent of
Charlie’s Angels with Irving as a more grandfatherly Charlie. The Sweetheart Kiss focus is Jessica
(Jess) Lucas. She is not only the target
of the crime but also the PI on the case.
The story begins with Jess as a
bridesmaid for a woman she can’t stand.
The bride-to-be stole Jess' high school boyfriend and Jess hasn’t
forgiven her. The thing is Jess has a
good heart, and the bride didn't have anyone else. As the bridal party enters the church, a
gunman fires and hits Jess’ partner by mistake.
Detective Sam Wheeler of the Ann
Arbor police is called to the scene. He
knows the Brash PIs and butt heads with one of the ladies while on a prior
case. He isn’t looking forward to
working with another “ball buster” female PI at all--even if she is hot.
I like the characters, the plot,
and, well everything about the story.
Sam isn’t a man who gets into relationships. His house is immaculate and all male. He doesn’t bring women home because he likes
the option of walking away on his terms.
His home is his sanctuary. Sam
was burned in the past and can't bring himself to trust women.
Jess isn’t big on relationships
either. It's a shame these two are
thrown together to solve this case. As
hard as they try to keep their working relationship professional; things happen
that make it hard to resist the attraction especially since Jess has been celibate
for months..
The banter between Sam and Jess
is well done with many funny moments as they build not only a smooth working
relationship but also a personal one. I
love how Jess invades Sam's bachelor space and makes him cringe by adding a
feminine touch here and there.
Cheryl Ann Smith is a new author
to me. She writes a nicely plotted
whodunit romance with continuous action. The romantic sub-plot progresses at a
consistently believable pace. I love the
ancillary characters. They are some of
the best I’ve read lately, especially the well-endowed “naked protestor.” They all gave me some laugh out loud moments.
If like me, you enjoy a fun,
light-hearted mystery with romance you will love The Sweetheart Kiss. I am hooked on the series and look forward to
reading more by Cheryl Ann Smith in the future.
4.5
STAMPS
Cheryl
Ann Smith became hooked on romance at age fourteen when she stayed up
all night to read The Flame and The Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss. Her
own writing journey happened much later, when one afternoon she ran
out of books and decided to write her own. Previously, she has
published five sexy Regency novels and one novella with Berkley in
her School for Brides series.
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