Just when I was lamenting the books that seemed like same-old, same old, here comes a book that takes a familiar storyline, and yet, makes it work. Always a delight to discover one of those.
Room… But Not Bored! by Dawn Atkins (HT 945)
(2003, Contemporary Series) 2/26/09
Grade: 4.5
Ariel Adams hasn’t had a good week… her business partner ran off with her lover, and left her with no job and only a few contacts. And a dilapidated beach house, complete with a live-in handyman. Ariel just wants Jake out of the house, but Jake is convinced he can show Ariel how to live for the moment and stop planning everything in her life.
Surprisingly satisfying! The hero and heroine jumped off the page, they were so well written. Ariel has to always be in control, but she’s tempted by the relaxed life that Jake lives. Jake is living the life of a beach bum, but he’s starting to wonder if that’s really satisfying. The conflict between them isn’t manufactured, it goes to who they are as people – and happily, neither one has to completely change for the other (although they both learn to compromise). I particularly liked Ariel’s enthusiasm about her work, which made her more than the stereotypical “uptight heroine”, but Jake’s background with his military Dad made his attitude believable as well. Overall, this was a book that didn’t necessarily break new ground, but made the familiar story sing with great writing and vivid characters.
I wasn’t sure how to grade this book. It wasn’t as deep as most of the books that I grade this highly, but it was just enjoyable from start to finish, and that’s a rare thing. Had to give it a grade up for that.
This book reminded me of Kathleen O’Reilly, who also writes determined heroines who love their work. (That’s surprisingly rare in contemporary romance.) But I think this book benefitted from less sex, since it’s a Temptation and not a Blaze. There were a couple of wonderful love scenes, but the characters didn’t jump into bed in the first 50 pages, and that felt a lot more natural, and gave the characters more time to get to know each other. After reading this book, I looked up Dawn Atkins at Amazon and I noticed all her other books are Blazes. I have to admit, that made me a bit reluctant to look up her other books.
Karen Wheless
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