Getting Her Man

Rating:
Summary: An ok story with a FABULOUS hero...( 3 1/2 stars)
Review: Diana Belmaine is a Private Investigator. Recently a case has fallen into her lap involving some very pricey artifacts that have gone missing. Her first suspect? The oh so sexy Jack Austin. Good Lord...Drool much? The man was hot. Thick wavy dark hair, a strong active bod, and a sharp mind to go along with it. Truly, I was in love with the man. The idea for the book was an interesting one, but it took me too long to read. It was way too easy to put down. If I had to put my finger on what bothered me, Id have to say that it was Diana. She wasnt awful, but she definitely rubbed me the wrong way for some reason. Still, it was an entertaining read and the epilogue was one of the best that I have ever read. This is my second read by Michele Albert. I can safely say that it wont be my last.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific!
Review: I very much enjoyed this book. Other reviewers have explained the story line; I won't rehash. I highly recommend this book if you like your stories fast paced, sexy, fun and funny.

Rating:
Summary: Terrific!
Review: I very much enjoyed this book. Other reviewers have explained the story line; I won't rehash. I highly recommend this book if you like your stories fast paced, sexy, fun and funny.

Rating:
Summary: Hero is one of People's Most Eligible Bachelors - FUN!
Review: Michele Albert also writes under the name of Michelle Jerott. I have read two of Jerott's novels, both more dramas than humorous and both have been five star ratings in my mind. Since Getting Her Man is so different from her two previous novels she has written, I am guessing that her contemporary humor romances may be written as Michele Albert.

This is a difficult book for me to review because I do not believe "my tastes" in a book should negatively impact my rating of a book - if that type of book is tremendously entertaining to others. This humorous romance is formula writing found in many contemporary romances today. The hero is absolutely heart stopping. That is no different from most romance writing. The heroine, however, in this humorous formula, is usually cheeky and brazen and insists on being in charge of the romance. She is often willful to the point of being dangerous with her life and the life of others. She is so obsessed with being as strong or stronger than the hero (even in physically challenging situations such as losing a life). Scenes are written of her discussing her possible romance with her girlfriends again and again. I find these scenes boring and a waste of pages. NOW, that is only my opinion. My personal preferences have lowered this review from 4 stars to 3 stars. In all other ways that don't involve the heroine's highly aggressive personality, this book is easily a 4 star rating. So, if you enjoy the type of heroine that I have just described, please increase this rating to a 4 star rating for your purposes.

Archaeologist Jack Austin is a cool guy in every way and has been named by People Magazine as one of the most eligible bachelors of the year. The magazine contains a full-page picture of him and needless to say - women are drooling all over him. He is very handsome, teaches at Tulane University, and heads up archaeology expeditions to a Mayan site that he discovered some years before. He is a strong character and gives into the heroine without losing any of his masculine appeal. He is an underdog fighting a battle for antiquities that is hidden from the public's eye.

Diana Belmaine is a beautiful, wisecracking private investigator hired to find a stolen Egyptian artifact. She aggressively hits the trail looking for the thief and immediately discovers that this theft has similarities to other recent thefts. She decides that Jack Austin is her primary suspect for several reasons but primarily because most of the other thefts - she has not been hired to solve - involve Mayan artifacts. And Jack is totally committed to protecting and preserving these artifacts. So she hits Jack hard again and again with her suspicions and although she makes Jack wary, he finds himself strongly drawn to Diana. He handles her interrogations with humor and throws more than a few sexual innuendos at her - totally throwing off her sense of balance in her very professional investigation.

Usually, the possibility that one of the leads may be a thief, keeps me from reading a book. It is just a tough scenario to work around. But Albert writes this theft mystery with great finesse and gives the book a better than average mystery in the process.

Once we get to know Jack and Diana, we enjoy their great repartee with its fantastic humor. I would read a scene more than once because I would laugh just as much each time I read the scene. It is through this humor that I finally developed a real liking for the heroine. The sensual scenes are few - one rates a solid 4.0 and the others are probably a 3.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

The book moves a little too slowly once you reach the middle. I put it down for a few days during this time. But once I picked it back up, the pace accelerated. The closer I came to the end of the book, the more I appreciated Diana as she became more loving and understanding.

This is not a book I will keep to read again. The hero, Jack Austin, had tremendous possibilities with his character. But he was continually overshadowed by Diana as she not only insisted on solving the mystery, but also on knowing all of Jack's secrets although many of those secrets were really none of her business as far as her investigation was concerned. If the heroine could have been just a little tamer and kinder, this book would have been rated higher in my eyes.

Rating:
Summary: Hero is one of People's Most Eligible Bachelors - FUN!
Review: Michele Albert also writes under the name of Michelle Jerott. I have read two of Jerott's novels, both more dramas than humorous and both have been five star ratings in my mind. Since Getting Her Man is so different from her two previous novels she has written, I am guessing that her contemporary humor romances may be written as Michele Albert.

This is a difficult book for me to review because I do not believe "my tastes" in a book should negatively impact my rating of a book - if that type of book is tremendously entertaining to others. This humorous romance is formula writing found in many contemporary romances today. The hero is absolutely heart stopping. That is no different from most romance writing. The heroine, however, in this humorous formula, is usually cheeky and brazen and insists on being in charge of the romance. She is often willful to the point of being dangerous with her life and the life of others. She is so obsessed with being as strong or stronger than the hero (even in physically challenging situations such as losing a life). Scenes are written of her discussing her possible romance with her girlfriends again and again. I find these scenes boring and a waste of pages. NOW, that is only my opinion. My personal preferences have lowered this review from 4 stars to 3 stars. In all other ways that don't involve the heroine's highly aggressive personality, this book is easily a 4 star rating. So, if you enjoy the type of heroine that I have just described, please increase this rating to a 4 star rating for your purposes.

Archaeologist Jack Austin is a cool guy in every way and has been named by People Magazine as one of the most eligible bachelors of the year. The magazine contains a full-page picture of him and needless to say - women are drooling all over him. He is very handsome, teaches at Tulane University, and heads up archaeology expeditions to a Mayan site that he discovered some years before. He is a strong character and gives into the heroine without losing any of his masculine appeal. He is an underdog fighting a battle for antiquities that is hidden from the public's eye.

Diana Belmaine is a beautiful, wisecracking private investigator hired to find a stolen Egyptian artifact. She aggressively hits the trail looking for the thief and immediately discovers that this theft has similarities to other recent thefts. She decides that Jack Austin is her primary suspect for several reasons but primarily because most of the other thefts - she has not been hired to solve - involve Mayan artifacts. And Jack is totally committed to protecting and preserving these artifacts. So she hits Jack hard again and again with her suspicions and although she makes Jack wary, he finds himself strongly drawn to Diana. He handles her interrogations with humor and throws more than a few sexual innuendos at her - totally throwing off her sense of balance in her very professional investigation.

Usually, the possibility that one of the leads may be a thief, keeps me from reading a book. It is just a tough scenario to work around. But Albert writes this theft mystery with great finesse and gives the book a better than average mystery in the process.

Once we get to know Jack and Diana, we enjoy their great repartee with its fantastic humor. I would read a scene more than once because I would laugh just as much each time I read the scene. It is through this humor that I finally developed a real liking for the heroine. The sensual scenes are few - one rates a solid 4.0 and the others are probably a 3.5 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines).

The book moves a little too slowly once you reach the middle. I put it down for a few days during this time. But once I picked it back up, the pace accelerated. The closer I came to the end of the book, the more I appreciated Diana as she became more loving and understanding.

This is not a book I will keep to read again. The hero, Jack Austin, had tremendous possibilities with his character. But he was continually overshadowed by Diana as she not only insisted on solving the mystery, but also on knowing all of Jack's secrets although many of those secrets were really none of her business as far as her investigation was concerned. If the heroine could have been just a little tamer and kinder, this book would have been rated higher in my eyes.

Rating:
Summary: Get in line. This one is going to fly off the shelves.
Review: Michele Albert is by far the most incredible author I've ever read. For the life of me, I can't figure out why she is not at the top of list of romance authors but my hope is this incredible piece will catapult her there.

Formerly writing as Michele Jerrott, I have read every story she's written and been amazed at her advanced ability to create an all-encompassing masterpiece. Her story lines are unique, original and spellbinding. Her characters are just as intriguing and detailed. You feel like you know them intimately by the time you've read the last word. She introduces just the right amount of wit and sex to satisfy both humor seekers and sex devotees. Her heroines are self-sufficient and strong yet womanly and believable. Her heroes are original and fantasy inducing yet sensitive and real. Most authors create characters that bring `baggage' into the relationship. Michele does not make a major issue of those learning experiences and create over extended problems to prolong the story before uniting her heroes and heroines. In other words, her characters are mature and deal with their past history in realistic terms that don't drag the piece down. So many times when I'm reading a piece, I want to say, "Get over it, will you, and get on with life." Some authors make such a commotion out of getting their lead players together, that it distracts from the story line and frustrates the readers.

Michele reveals the facts with vocabulary that is sophisticated without the reader requiring a dictionary. She uses proper forms of English, spelling and punctuation that flow smoothly, encouraging you to keep going. There is no awkwardness, dull moments or lulls to her writing. She discloses information at a comfortable pace that makes you want to keep reading without rushing, savoring every word and enjoying the interplay between the characters.

She brings history to life in a contemporary setting that intrigues enough that you will find yourself looking for non-fiction books about the topic. Settings are described in a way that put you in the center of the story. You feel as if you are a bystander a few feet from the character, viewing it from their eyes, hearing the sounds, and smelling the aromas as the character is. Yet, it's never too heavy. It always seems to be just the right amount of description to place you there but not over extend or bore.

In short, her books are masterful works by a consummate professional. She doesn't have `the recipe' where only the people and places change. I'm tired of reading the same story over and over but slightly changed. Authors who churn out the same thing in a slightly different `flavor' each month do not impress me. You can tell that Michele spends a great deal of time researching her story line and developing something new and unique.

Anyone who reads this piece will want to read every book Michele has written so just save your self the time and pick them all up at once. You will not regret it and will be as eager as I am for the next book to hit the shelves.

Break out the champagne, pop in your favorite CD, start the fire and enjoy a feast for the senses. Yes, there is a recipe for success and Michele is serving it up to you on her best china. You will walk away from the table nourished and comfortably content but ready to return and eat your cheesecake too.

Rating:
Summary: Get in line. This one is going to fly off the shelves.
Review: Michele Albert is by far the most incredible author I've ever read. For the life of me, I can't figure out why she is not at the top of list of romance authors but my hope is this incredible piece will catapult her there.

Formerly writing as Michele Jerrott, I have read every story she's written and been amazed at her advanced ability to create an all-encompassing masterpiece. Her story lines are unique, original and spellbinding. Her characters are just as intriguing and detailed. You feel like you know them intimately by the time you've read the last word. She introduces just the right amount of wit and sex to satisfy both humor seekers and sex devotees. Her heroines are self-sufficient and strong yet womanly and believable. Her heroes are original and fantasy inducing yet sensitive and real. Most authors create characters that bring 'baggage' into the relationship. Michele does not make a major issue of those learning experiences and create over extended problems to prolong the story before uniting her heroes and heroines. In other words, her characters are mature and deal with their past history in realistic terms that don't drag the piece down. So many times when I'm reading a piece, I want to say, "Get over it, will you, and get on with life." Some authors make such a commotion out of getting their lead players together, that it distracts from the story line and frustrates the readers.

Michele reveals the facts with vocabulary that is sophisticated without the reader requiring a dictionary. She uses proper forms of English, spelling and punctuation that flow smoothly, encouraging you to keep going. There is no awkwardness, dull moments or lulls to her writing. She discloses information at a comfortable pace that makes you want to keep reading without rushing, savoring every word and enjoying the interplay between the characters.

She brings history to life in a contemporary setting that intrigues enough that you will find yourself looking for non-fiction books about the topic. Settings are described in a way that put you in the center of the story. You feel as if you are a bystander a few feet from the character, viewing it from their eyes, hearing the sounds, and smelling the aromas as the character is. Yet, it's never too heavy. It always seems to be just the right amount of description to place you there but not over extend or bore.

In short, her books are masterful works by a consummate professional. She doesn't have 'the recipe' where only the people and places change. I'm tired of reading the same story over and over but slightly changed. Authors who churn out the same thing in a slightly different 'flavor' each month do not impress me. You can tell that Michele spends a great deal of time researching her story line and developing something new and unique.

Anyone who reads this piece will want to read every book Michele has written so just save your self the time and pick them all up at once. You will not regret it and will be as eager as I am for the next book to hit the shelves.

Break out the champagne, pop in your favorite CD, start the fire and enjoy a feast for the senses. Yes, there is a recipe for success and Michele is serving it up to you on her best china. You will walk away from the table nourished and comfortably content but ready to return and eat your cheesecake too.

Rating:
Summary: ESCAPIST FUN AT ITS BEST
Review: Michele Albert, formerly known as Michele Jerrot writes romance of sheer escapism like her previous bestseller Her Bodyguard. This time round is no different except that Getting Her Man sees her associated with a theme she is most familiar with - archaelogy.

With a nifty grip on her subject, Ms. Albert deftly intertwines the theft of priceless artefacts and steers the story somewhat resembling The Thomas Crown Affair with an intelligent private investigator Diana Belmaine hunting for the bold kleptomaniac except that things get a whole lot complicated when the prime suspect is the devastatingly gorgeous bachelor Dr. Jack Austin in this cat-and-mouse game. Diana is hired by rich socialite Carmichael to recover his stolen Egyptian collection of the pharoah Tutankhamen regime and Jack is coincidentally an archaeologist sponsored by him.

Since it is a romance, it is predictible that Jack ends up stealing Diana's heart but what is unexpected is Ms. Albert's evocative characterization that provides them dimension and engages us to dig in deeper for the mystery and their wondrous chemistry. Ms. Albert weaves the intense seduction through smoldering dialogues and passion; wraps us in unfettered romance and warmth when both of the betrayed souls seeks comfort in one another. It is rollicking fun with the dynamic duo exchanging catty barbs and outwitting one another, leaving us convinced that these two are really committed and totally in love.

And not many romances can accomplish that with an emotional sincerity that is exclusively found in the honorable and passionate Jack as well as the pragmatic Diana. This read is classic escapist fun at its best which also succeeds in being sexy, smart and sassy. So while Diana is getting her man, both of them are bent on stealing our hearts as well.

Rating:
Summary: Fast-Paced and Sexy
Review: P.I Diana Belmaine is hired to find a lost Egyptian Eighteenth Dynasty artifact..And her investigation brought her to Dr. Jack Austin, sexy archeologist who also made it to the People's "America's Most Eligible Bachelor" list. Diana knows he's guilty and determined to find evidence for it. However, she couldn't also denied the hot sparks between them

For those of you who don't know, Michele Albert is formely known as Michelle Jerott. I always love her books and this one is no exception. It's one fast-paced sexy book and hey, when things set in New Orleans, what can go wrong? *LOL* I'm very much looking forward to Bobby's own story in October 2003.

Rating:
Summary: Great read!
Review: Somewhere along the line I read that Michelle Albert likes to write romances where the girls get to have all the fun. And I would say she definitely achieves that goal in this book. Before I go any further, let me also say that if you can get your hands on a copy of "Absolute Trouble" (written as Michelle Jerott), read this too. It was great to catch up with some of those characters in this book.

Jack and Diane's story has it all - chemistry that sizzles right from the start, my favorite New Orleans locale, interesting and refreshing story line that hasn't been used over and over again - and what makes that so good is the author's background in archaeology. Will Diana get her man? Oh yeah...from the moment Diana walks in to Jack's office, the game begins, and doesn't let up until the end. Can't wait to see what she has in store for Detective Halloran!