Book Title: For Love or Money
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 158
Author: Kathy DiSanto
Date Published: 1 April 2015
Synopsis:
A semi-sweet remix of Kathy's award-winning romantic comedy, sensual but not explicit!
“Whoever said a kiss is just a kiss never locked lips with Brent Maddox.”
Small-town practical to the soles of her size fives, high school English teacher Jen Casey has one weakness—she’s never been able to resist a dare. Ergo, when her BFF Candy Johnson throws down the triple-dog dare gauntlet, Jen has no choice but to accept the challenge. She e-mails former-classmate-turned-millionaire Brent Maddox, offering advice for the lovelorn.
But, really. Is it her fault Celebrity Magazine published the e-mail instead of forwarding it?
See, that’s the problem with dares in Jen’s experience—they almost always have dire consequences. Like Brent Maddox showing up on her doorstep—tall and golden and sexy as sin—determined to get payback. Like finding herself a reluctant guest at his sprawling Malibu hacienda, sentenced to a week of the same high life she blames for his romantic snafus.
Of course sparks start to fly. She’s only human, and Brent is an unexpectedly endearing hunk and a half. Unfortunately, Jen isn’t built for quick and steamy affairs. She’s been dreaming of that love of a lifetime man, and now she’s falling fast. She can run before it’s too late, or stay and take the biggest gamble of her life. Brent promises nights filled with passion, but will he ever offer his heart?
Review:
For Love or Money by Kathy DisantoMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.
This is the first book in the Golden States Hearts Trilogy. I absolutely LOVED it!
Jen Casey is a wonderful character. I liked her a lot. She is a high school English teacher, who also happens to be completely unable to resist a dare. This compulsion to prove that she can do anything anyone dares her to tends to lead her into trouble. But, will her latest dare prove to be more than she can handle?
This is a fun, lighthearted and entertaining read. This book was originally published as a Loveswept Romance. I used to love reading romances from that series, though I have no idea if they were a division of Mills and Boon or a completely different company. Nevertheless, when I heard that this book was being re-written and updated for the 21st Century, I grew excited. Having previously read a science fiction novel by this author, when she offered me the opportunity to read this book, I jumped at it.
I started to read this story and was quickly hooked. The characters are likable and lifelike. I love Jen's impulsive behaviour and, even though she should know better than to accept dares, she is just crazy enough to go through with them. I did, on occasion, think that her best friend Candy is one of those people who knows exactly which buttons to press to get a reaction. She takes perverse pleasure in winding Jen up and watching the feathers fly, so to speak. I did like her, though. Brent Maddox is a complex character. I liked him, as well as his response to Jen's e-mail. I found myself smiling through some of the dialogue, which to some may sound a bit cheesy, but that's part of the charm of this story, and the comedic situation that Jen finds herself in. The descriptions of the people and places are quite vivid and this meant I could picture each scene in my mind's eye with ease.
In a way, this story was a little bittersweet for me because I haven't read a sweet romance like this for some time, and it reminded me of how much I loved to read them. I cut my romance eye teeth on books such as this as a teenager and read them faithfully for many years. As an adult, my reading habit has seen a shift in genres, but I will always have a soft spot for romances such as this one. I can't wait to read the second book in the trilogy!
Kathy DiSanto has written a fantastic, sweet contemporary romance. I love her writing style, which is neither too fast nor too slow and the flow is wonderful; each scene flowed into the other like liquid. I am a huge fan of this author and will definitely read more of her books in the future.
As this book does not contain explicit scenes of sex (although there are some sensual ones), I highly recommend this book to teens (aged 15 upwards) and adults who love sweet contemporary romances. - Lynn Worton
View all my reviews
Kathy's publishing career dates back to 1997, when she published a two-book romance series with Bantam's Loveswept line. The first book in the series, For Love or Money, won a 1997 Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award.
In 2012, Kathy self-published two thrillers. Amanda's Eyes, the first book in a series featuring crime reporter A.J. Gregson, is a paranormal thriller that has garnered a 4.4★ average on Amazon and was a semi-finalist in Kindle Book Review's 2014 Best Kindle Book Awards. Her second thriller, Why Live?, is dystopian science fiction.
Current projects include the sequel to Amanda's Eyes, remixes of her two romance novels, and posts to her blogs Write Minded (on the writing life) and Momma D's Diary (a humorous look at aging and retirement).
As a communications specialist with a major university, Kathy wrote more than one hundred features for print and the web. Now retired and writing full-time, she enjoys meditation; reading; live performances by her sons (both professional musicians); brisk walks with her rescue dogs, Molly and Lucy; and playing handy gal around her 92-year-old, 4-square home in Martinsburg, WV.
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