Burning Up

July 5, 2010
Clichés and a hoary premise take all the fun out of Andersen's new contemporary romance. Macy O'James, "Sugarville's celebrity tramp," leaves a career of making sexy music videos in L.A. and returns to her tiny Washington State hometown to care for her injured cousin. Fire chief Gabriel Donovan lives at Macy's aunt and uncle's boarding house, where he's heard plenty of gossip about Macy and her wild ways. When scorching sexual tension ignites between Gabe and Macy, it also sparks a series of bitter fights as he tries to rein her in. Macy also has to contend with her high school nemesis, now the mayor's wife, who continues to hold a grudge. Experienced romance readers will be able to predict every turn of the plot: Andersen (Skintight) writes with an accomplished, confident hand, but with nothing new to say.

August 1, 2010

Ten years ago, scandal-ridden teenager Macy O'James left tiny Sugarville, WA, for Hollywood--and never looked back. Having returned to help her injured cousin and armed with flamboyant costumes, MTV video success, and a sassy attitude, Macy is determined to hold her own in a town where memories are long and feelings run deep. She just never expects to fall for the perceptive fire chief who sees beneath her facade and loves her unconditionally. VERDICT True to form, Seattle-based Andersen (Bending the Rules) has penned a smart, arousing, spirited escapade that is graced with a gentle mystery, a vulnerable, resilient heroine, and a worthy, wounded hero and served up with empathy and a humorous flair.

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