Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Well, pan-fry me in a cast-iron skillet and call me cornbread! Just when I thought I had read everything Christina Dodd had written, I happened upon this hidden gem in Amazon's sub-basement archives. Primitive cover art that looks like something rejected by the publishers of my big sister's 1950s Nancy Drew collection, plus the early date of publication, gave me low expectations, relative to Dodd's better known work. But I'm such a fan, I couldn't resist.
Yowsa! :-D
Here's how my inner panel of judges arrived at a score of 4:
Sensuality: Level Orange! The shower scene is a solid DEFCON 5 and we should all be grateful it didn't trigger a global nuclear exchange.
Originality: 5.
Technical: 3.75. (Darn Russian judges!)
Mind you, I had a blast with this little book. But even Christina Dodd had to start somewhere, and if I scored this any higher, there would be no room to reward the high polish that is typical of her later novels. That said, "Lady in Black" is sheer fun; as sexy, witty and entertaining as anything I've read in the romance genre lately.
Who else but Christina Dodd would think of making her heroine a butler with a faux-English accent (it's part of the job description, she explains) whose duties to her elderly employer include helping put his pants on. That's what she's doing when the old guy's sexy grandson happens upon the unsettling sight of gramps and his young blonde butler tumbling about on the bed, laughing, and engaging in what appears to be un-butler-like behavior.
Reid accepts the innocent explanation of their morning routine, but has a tougher time accepting the obvious friendship between his grandfather and an attractive female employee. Add the the fact that there's a new will - with this woman's name on the list of those who stand to benefit from his grandfather's death - and Reid naturally suspects the worst. (Shades of Anna Nicole!)
The stage is set for the kind of tension between grandson Reid and butler Margaret that Dodd so skillfully brings to a sizzle.
What a delightful afternoon I spent with this book, and how eager I am to look for other Lost Works by my favorite authors. The trick? Search amazon by the author's name, and use the pull-down menu to list the results by Publication Date. Recent or upcoming books will be listed first, and a minute or so spent scanning back in time might reveal a hidden treasure like this one.
Happy hunting. And if you're very, very lucky, happy showering!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Lady in Black (Kismet Romance)
Click here for more information about Lady in Black (Kismet Romance)
0 comments:
Post a Comment