Looking at her potential client, Atlanta image
consultant Victoria Sharpe is convinced the job will be a cross between What
Not to Wear and Man vs. Wild. She’d love to turn down the offer, but refusing
it—not to mention the referrals it could generate—just might break the bank.
Yet, agreeing to make over this man’s image might also break her heart. Again.
Max Brown will
tolerate anything to gain access to his trust fund. Returning to work in the
family business, even submitting to his mother’s demands to trade his
comfortable flannel for Armani is worthwhile if he can get the money necessary
to start a camp for at-risk boys. But then he sees he’ll be working with
Victoria Sharpe, his college girlfriend, the one who got away. Or, really, the
one he left. The impression he makes here will be the most important of his life,
and the person most as risk is himself.
This book is just right for those
days you're looking for a light, quick read. I read this in a matter of hours
and enjoyed every second of it.
Victoria "Tori" is an image
consultant and Max is her ex- boyfriend turned client. He broke her heart years
before by just leaving and breaking up with her in an email. Well, he's back,
working at his father's company in order to gain money from his trust fund so
that he can pursue his real dream opening a camp foe troubled boys. However, he
doesn't dress the part of executive and that is where Victoria comes in.
This book isn't heavy by any
means. While I enjoyed the characters, I
didn't become attached and didn't feel sad about the book coming to an end.
Honestly, this book left me feeling lighthearted and happy.
Max
jangled his car keys in his hand as he waited at Victoria’s door. He felt as
nervous as a fifteen-year-old on his first date. He wore the gray pants and
navy blazer Victoria had approved together with a brilliantly white shirt and a
yellow tie with small navy dots. He wiggled his toes in his new black oxfords
and marveled at how comfortable they were. True to her word, Victoria had
steered a wide berth around wing tips and had showed him that style and comfort
were not mutually exclusive.
He
knocked a second time and nervously straightened his tie. And when she finally
opened the door and he got his first glimpse of her, he let out a low whistle.
His gut told him he would have a hard time keeping his hands off her.
And hard
was the operative word as his body twitched below his belt. The black dress had
a ruffled skirt that skimmed her knee. The V neckline teased at her cleavage
but left plenty to the imagination. Simple sapphire and diamond earrings
sparkled as they caught the light, and he saw a matching bracelet circling her
wrist. While her high-heeled shoes were plain, they made her legs seem as if
they went on forever. And when she bent to pick up her purse from a table
beside the door, he caught a glimpse of her black lacy bra and gritted his
teeth in an effort to will his body to cooperate.
This
might be a very long and very frustrating night.
After
taking her arm and helping her negotiate the steps down to the drive, he held
her purse and wrap while she settled into the passenger side of his SUV. She
had certainly taken her own advice to heart. She was stylish and understated,
but he wasn’t so sure her classic beauty wouldn’t make her stand out like a
diamond among pieces of coal.
They
chatted about mundane things for most of the drive to his parents’ estate, but
when he turned into the long drive lined by towering pines, he posed a
question. “Are you okay with me introducing you tonight as my image consultant?
I mean, that won’t make you feel like…well, you know.” He was at a loss for
words.
“What you
are trying to ask is if I’ll be insulted if people think I am your employee.”
“Well,
yeah. I mean, you’re not, but in this crowd, that’s liable to be what people
assume. I was just thinking you might drum up a little business when people see
how you turned the beast into Prince Charming.”
“Too bad
I didn’t tame his raging ego, too.”
“Touché.”
Victoria
laughed, and once again Max had to scold his misbehaving libido.
In 2001, Marilyn discovered Romance
novels quite by accident, which led to a renewed interest in writing. She
started out by writing fanfiction about Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Superman,
which developed into a desire to write about her own characters. She’s had over
forty short stories published in the confessions and Romance magazines.
Also, she has taught a class in how to
effectively write for this genre and worked as a researcher and copy editor for
several Romance authors. All this combined to give her a great love of the
Romance genre and helped develop a multitude of friendships in the Romance
community.
She’s a member of Romance Writers
of America, as well as her local chapter, Heart of Dixie. In addition to
reading, Marilyn loves to knit (as long as it’s only a scarf), cook (in the
crockpot), garden (in a couple of pots on her patio), and her motto is “Have
passport, will travel.” She’d love to add to the list of 32 states and 21
foreign countries she’s already visited.
After raising two great sons, she loves
to spoil... er... dote on her two granddaughters.
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