The
Sweetheart Mystery
Brash
& Brazen #4
by
Cheryl Ann Smith
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Harper
Jane Evans is so over pro
cheerleading but she’s not quite ready for prison. Good thing she’s
got a badass ex-boyfriend ready to go to bat for her . . .
Sure,
Harper made a few unsavory threats against her team’s manager—she’d
had a few drinks and she despised the skimpy uniform he expected her
to wear. That didn’t mean she wanted him dead. But when the sleazy
dude is found murdered in his tighty whiteys, Harper is the number
one suspect—and former FBI agent Noah Slade is the one man who can
help. Too bad she once told Noah she never wanted to see him again .
. .
Noah
may have done a number on Harper’s heart all those years ago, but
he’s determined to do right by her now. Yet the fiery beauty isn’t
the only demon from his past, which makes hunting down a murderer by
her side . . . complicated—never mind the powerful attraction still
pulsing between them. Good thing he’s willing to do just about
anything to keep from losing Harper again. And an old love just might
bring her a new career—assuming she can stay out of jail . . .
Harper Evans is gutsy and stubborn She doesn’t really know when to let things go and her big mouth has gotten her into plenty of trouble in her lifetime. However, this time her troubles are a bit more serious as she is now the main suspect in the murder of her sleezy boss. Noah Slade has a past with Harper and now the only person who can help her clear her name. The question is whether they can put their past aside long enough to work together? Especially since the chemistry between them is undeniable…
I loved Harper. She is one sassy girl with quite a few admirable qualities that make you like her; that is till she opens her mouth! She has this habit of shooting off her mouth without thinking which has often landed her in awkward and embarrassing situations. I admired her determination. Noah on the other hand took some time to settle in. I liked the fact that he ‘realised’ his mistake with Harper and when he gets a chance to make up for it, he goes out of his way to help her. I wished for more back story on him though. The chemistry between Harper and Noah did not really work for me as even though I was repeatedly ‘told’ about it, I never really felt it. The plot was simple and straight forward. No surprises for me in the book. But I did like the way the author handled the narrative. The language was lucid and the plot had a steady pace. Quite a few chuckles sprinkled through the story. But what is it with the goat though?
I am a bit curious about certain side characters in the book and as such I may pick up the other books in the series.
Harper dug through her closet and pulled out a
little red dress that she’d been saving for a special occasion. A charity event
with Noah was the perfect place to dust it off. Small crystals edged the hem
and bodice, giving the dress sparkle and she needed sparkle. After his comment
in the car, she wanted to knock Noah’s feet out from under him.
Since
his confession, she’d been feeling warm and fuzzy. Despite locking down her
heart with a chain Noah couldn’t break, she just couldn’t completely shake him
off.
Yes,
she agreed to sex, no frills, all fun, sex. But she couldn’t quite fully give
him her trust.
What
if they dated, got married, and had kids? Then something crappy happened. Would
Noah run for refuge with another woman? He had before. Could she take that
risk?
Equal
parts of her were worried, and ready, to take the next step. She so wanted to
test his lovemaking skills.
With
the tide turning away from her as his best suspect, Mignon was unlikely to
interrupt her and Noah again. By the end of the evening, she hoped to be knee
deep in the sheets with a warm and naked Noah.
After
showering and flat ironing her hair for a different look, she put on makeup and
a barely-there red bra and matching tiny panties. Next, she slipped into the
dress and loved the feel of the satin against her bare skin.
Shoes
with sparkles on the straps completed the picture. She’d just found her dress
clutch when Noah arrived. She’d left the door unlocked. “You ready?” he called
out.
Taking
a deep breath with her hand on her chest, she walked into the living room on
high heels.
Noah went still. “Wow.”
Dressed
in a tux with a white shirt and bowtie, he was heart-stoppingly handsome. Not
only had he shaved, but he’d had his hair trimmed. “Yeah, wow back.”
She
joined him. He took her hand and kissed the inside of her wrist, sending
tingles up her arm. Up close, he smelled spicy and male. If not for the chance
to speak to Betty Anne, and having spent too much time on her hair, she
would’ve chucked their plans and taken him right to the bedroom.
Noah
offered her his arm. “Is it appropriate to be very aroused right now?”
Laughing,
she linked her arm through his. “I hear you.” She steered him to the door before
she lost her resolve to behave. Going with an attempted baseball analogy, she
said, “You’re pitching pheromones that I’m catching.”
National
bestselling author 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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