Rating: 
Summary: Andersen's Worst Book
Review: The hero of this book is so incredibly judgemental, antagonistic, overbearing and such an all-around unpleasant person I couldn't finish reading it. Any woman who would involve herself with this jerk is either a glutton for punishment or has lost her marbles. I have read every book Andersen has written, and take my word for it: give this one a pass and look for SHADOW DANCE instead.
Rating: 
Summary: An entertaining read
Review: This was my first book by Susan Anderson and I was highly entertained. The story of Veronica and Cooper was great and at times funny. There was also the added bonus of intrigue regarding the death of Veronica's sister Crystal and how Cooper was tied to it. I look forward to reading this author again in the future.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read
Review: This was my first book by Susan Anderson and I was highly entertained. The story of Veronica and Cooper was great and at times funny. There was also the added bonus of intrigue regarding the death of Veronica's sister Crystal and how Cooper was tied to it. I look forward to reading this author again in the future.
Rating:
Summary: Typical Romance
Review: This was your typical romance novel. She meets him, hates him, can't resist him, has sex with him, falls in love with him . . . and so on. And I loved it. The only thing that would have made this book better is if the focus was a little more of the other elements of the story, instead of just Ronnie and Coop. Their relationship was hot and full of scenes that will leave you screaming for more. Overall, a great romance with a pretty good sub-plot.
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously wicked fun
Review: Veronica Davis would rather be anywhere on earth than Fossil, Washington. Her hometown is an unpleasant reminder of a lifestyle she left behind. As a restoration specialist, Ronnie has traveled the globe, restoring castles and palatial mansions to their former glory. Once upon a time, however, she served drinks to a rowdy group of customers at her father's bar. She watched her mother work herself into an early grave; endured her father's chauvinistic attitude; and gritted her teeth at her sister's fast and loose behavior. It was a relief to escape the smoke, pawing hands and limited options a Davis woman faced in the town of Fossil. Her sister, Crystal, has been murdered, however, and a shell-shocked Ronnie returns to her roots, determined to provide her niece, Lizzy, with a maternal influence.A month has passed since Crystal's funeral; Ronnie was out of the country on a job, and failed to leave a forwarding number. Hence, it took some time for Ronnie's best friend, Marissa, to track her down. Guilt, grief and panic at her new parental status hit Ronnie like a phantom punch to the stomach. Lizzy is no doubt traumatized by her mother's death; to make matters worse, Lizzy's father has been charged with the crime. Eddie Chapman has jumped bail, however, and is now on the run. Needless to say, Ronnie has a lot to deal with. The last thing she needs is to step foot inside of the Baker Street Honky Tonk (her father's old bar, and now Lizzy's inheritance). Ronnie has every intention of selling the bar, so her planned visit is meant to be brief and perfunctory. Cooper Blackstock, the newly hired bartender, has other plans; the Honky Tonk is woefully understaffed, and until a new employee is found, Ronnie -- with her white, white skin -- will help fill the void. Got that, sweatpea? An ex-marine, Coop drills out his orders with gruff disdain. Veronica Davis may look like Snow White, but her character is anything but lily white -- or so he presumes. Crystal Davis was a cold, calculating, overblown bimbo, and she had her claws firmly into his stepbrother, Eddie. How different could the sister be? Coop's relationship to Eddie, however, is a secret he's kept from the good folks of Fossil. His job at the Honky Tonk is the perfect cover; he can collect gossip and information about Crystal's murder, and hopefully uncover a new clue (that supports his brother's innocence) while remaining incognito. Living under the same roof as Ronnie and his young niece, Lizzy, poses a bit of a problem, though. (Coop arranged to rent the attic in Crystal's house before Ronnie returned to Fossil).
Lizzy is unaware of Coop's identity because he was an absentee uncle -- and the deception is killing him. Lizzy deserves to know the truth, and yet, Coop is reluctant to sabotage his plans. His red-hot attraction to Ronnie is also a distraction, as one by one, his assumptions about her fly out the window. Something has to give, and soon, before Coop stumbles into a freefall... Head Over Heels is deliciously wicked fun; the sexual tension between Coop and Ronnie positively sizzles through the pages. Ms. Andersen is an old hand at providing her readers with relationships that are overtly sexual. Genuine emotion is never sacrificed for cheap thrills, however. Coop and Ronnie have a genuine connection; they also share a few hang-ups that interfere in developing a trusting relationship. Childhood scars often follow a person into adulthood, and unconsciously influence the choices we make; Coop and Ronnie are influenced thusly. Predictably, Coop and Ronnie fight their attraction to each other in the beginning. Just once, I would like a hero to acknowledge that, yes, this woman is something special -- instead of deluding himself into thinking that sleeping with the heroine once will kill any future urges to do so. (Thankfully, Coop only nurtures this fantasy for a brief time). Ronnie is likewise blind about the depth of her attraction to Coop. After their first physical encounter is prematurely aborted, she insists that it was all a mistake. Again, I wish such half-hearted posturing could be avoided all together. Although the humor is somewhat muted, Head Over Heels had the expected effect on me: I was effortlessly entertained by Ms. Andersen's fast, breezy writing style. I would happily sacrifice a multitude of modern day amenities (if my budget was horribly stretched) to read a novel by Ms. Andersen. She has set a benchmark for witty, sexually charged romance, a chic smartness, and heroes who are absolutely too delicious to miss.
Rating:
Summary: Deliciously wicked fun
Review: Veronica Davis would rather be anywhere on earth than Fossil, Washington. Her hometown is an unpleasant reminder of a lifestyle she left behind. As a restoration specialist, Ronnie has traveled the globe, restoring castles and palatial mansions to their former glory. Once upon a time, however, she served drinks to a rowdy group of customers at her father's bar. She watched her mother work herself into an early grave; endured her father's chauvinistic attitude; and gritted her teeth at her sister's fast and loose behavior. It was a relief to escape the smoke, pawing hands and limited options a Davis woman faced in the town of Fossil. Her sister, Crystal, has been murdered, however, and a shell-shocked Ronnie returns to her roots, determined to provide her niece, Lizzy, with a maternal influence. A month has passed since Crystal's funeral; Ronnie was out of the country on a job, and failed to leave a forwarding number. Hence, it took some time for Ronnie's best friend, Marissa, to track her down. Guilt, grief and panic at her new parental status hit Ronnie like a phantom punch to the stomach. Lizzy is no doubt traumatized by her mother's death; to make matters worse, Lizzy's father has been charged with the crime. Eddie Chapman has jumped bail, however, and is now on the run. Needless to say, Ronnie has a lot to deal with. The last thing she needs is to step foot inside of the Baker Street Honky Tonk (her father's old bar, and now Lizzy's inheritance). Ronnie has every intention of selling the bar, so her planned visit is meant to be brief and perfunctory. Cooper Blackstock, the newly hired bartender, has other plans; the Honky Tonk is woefully understaffed, and until a new employee is found, Ronnie -- with her white, white skin -- will help fill the void. Got that, sweatpea? An ex-marine, Coop drills out his orders with gruff disdain. Veronica Davis may look like Snow White, but her character is anything but lily white -- or so he presumes. Crystal Davis was a cold, calculating, overblown bimbo, and she had her claws firmly into his stepbrother, Eddie. How different could the sister be? Coop's relationship to Eddie, however, is a secret he's kept from the good folks of Fossil. His job at the Honky Tonk is the perfect cover; he can collect gossip and information about Crystal's murder, and hopefully uncover a new clue (that supports his brother's innocence) while remaining incognito. Living under the same roof as Ronnie and his young niece, Lizzy, poses a bit of a problem, though. (Coop arranged to rent the attic in Crystal's house before Ronnie returned to Fossil).
Lizzy is unaware of Coop's identity because he was an absentee uncle -- and the deception is killing him. Lizzy deserves to know the truth, and yet, Coop is reluctant to sabotage his plans. His red-hot attraction to Ronnie is also a distraction, as one by one, his assumptions about her fly out the window. Something has to give, and soon, before Coop stumbles into a freefall... Head Over Heels is deliciously wicked fun; the sexual tension between Coop and Ronnie positively sizzles through the pages. Ms. Andersen is an old hand at providing her readers with relationships that are overtly sexual. Genuine emotion is never sacrificed for cheap thrills, however. Coop and Ronnie have a genuine connection; they also share a few hang-ups that interfere in developing a trusting relationship. Childhood scars often follow a person into adulthood, and unconsciously influence the choices we make; Coop and Ronnie are influenced thusly. Predictably, Coop and Ronnie fight their attraction to each other in the beginning. Just once, I would like a hero to acknowledge that, yes, this woman is something special -- instead of deluding himself into thinking that sleeping with the heroine once will kill any future urges to do so. (Thankfully, Coop only nurtures this fantasy for a brief time). Ronnie is likewise blind about the depth of her attraction to Coop. After their first physical encounter is prematurely aborted, she insists that it was all a mistake. Again, I wish such half-hearted posturing could be avoided all together. Although the humor is somewhat muted, Head Over Heels had the expected effect on me: I was effortlessly entertained by Ms. Andersen's fast, breezy writing style. I would happily sacrifice a multitude of modern day amenities (if my budget was horribly stretched) to read a novel by Ms. Andersen. She has set a benchmark for witty, sexually charged romance, a chic smartness, and heroes who are absolutely too delicious to miss.
Rating:
Summary: engaging contemporary romantic suspense
Review: When Veronica Davis left Fossil, Washington years ago, she had no plans to return. However, sometimes family is more important than personal needs. Veronica has come home to learn why Eddie Chapman killed her sister Crystal, and to care for her niece Lizzy, Eddie's abandoned daughter, struggling without either parent at a time of deep need.
Veronica obtains a job at the Honky Tonk bar, a place she vowed to never work again as she once did when her father owned the joint. However, the new bartender/manager Cooper "Coop" Blackstock makes her time there feel like she is in hell. Coop figures birds of a feather or is that sisters of a feather so that he concludes Veronica is just like Crystal though he finds himself reluctantly attracted to the "princess". Actually, Coop has his own agenda in trying to solve Crystal's murder. Though both detest the feeling, Coop and Veronica begin to fall in love.
Harriet Klausner
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