Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Footloose - 3rd in the Bellagio Inc. series
Author: Leanne Banks
Publisher: HQN
ISBN: 0-3737-7128-2
Release Date: September 2006
Genre/Sub-genre: Contemporary Romamce
Year/Setting: Present day - FL Keys/Atlanta
Overall Rating: 4.75
Sexual Content Rating: Sexual
Language (Profanity) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: None
Leanne's Website:
www.leannebanks.com
Poor Amelia Parker got dumped by her fiancé, Will, for the third, and hopefully final time. Luckily, she’s given the chance to get away, to become Lillian Bellagio’s assistant in the Keys. It’s there, in a Tiki bar that she decides to make a list of some of the things she wants to do in order to regain or relearn what her identity is apart from a man. First on the list is to drink a Hurricane or three, which may turn out to be two too many.
Enter Jack O’Connell, loner, venture capitalist. Shark. He sees Amelia and is intrigued. Finding his opportunity he does his spiel, and helps her with the list in a man sort of way. But wait, things get more interesting. She works at Bellagio...currently for the matriarch of Bellagio. And that’s more important as Lillian and Bellagio Inc. has something he wants and Amelia’s going to help him get it. Did I mention he was a shark?
As the relationship heats up, things start to change in a confusing way for both. It’s time for Jack to cut out, leaving Amelia to work through her feelings, her confusion.
Soon it’s back to Atlanta and Bellagio headquarters and a job that fits Amelia to a T. Only there’s a glitch by the name of Jack. She finds out he not only lied, misled, used her, but he’s also taking up office space at Bellagio. Space that the head honchos were loath to give him. He’s an outsider and therefore not to be trusted.
Things remain confusing. Jack remains secretive and she doesn’t know what to feel or think. Yes, she’s angry and hurt, but there’s something about him that intrigues her...something she can’t fight as she sees, bit by bit, beneath Jack's layers. So she doesn't fight it. Too hard. But she does insist they keep their relationship a secret. She wants to keep her job...and her independence.
Jack agrees for a time, but he’s tired of being a "dirty little secret." He’s tired of a lot of things. He’s tired of wanting what can never be his, what never was his.
Surely there’s got to be a way for true love to win...
Your emotions will come into play when reading Amelia and Jack's story. On more than one level. Amelia is one to empathize with and root for. Jack on the other hand is a jerk with heart. It’ll be up to the reader to decide if he’s all jerk or all heart or a combination of the two.
A bonus with this story is we're given a chance to revisit "old friends" from Feet First and Underfoot as well as make new ones. And that’s always nice as we often wonder, "how they’re doing."
Leanne Banks continues her Bellagio Inc. series with flair. But be warned; this is not a story for the more conservative reader. Footloose is oh-so-sassy. The sexual tension and banter and play is so hot the words practically sizzle off the pages.
Now I’m waiting for Brooke’s story...
Connie
Question or comment regarding the review or the book? Click here and let Connie know.
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