Naughty by Nature (Harlequin Temptation, No. 866)

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment...
Review: I have to disagree with the previous reviewer.

This book started out with a bang, with Morgan falling into bed with Vanessa by mistake, thinking she was someone else. After that, the plot just sort of went downhill. I felt the whole "secret admirer"/bomber storyline really didn't go anywhere. Of course the resolution was tied up nice and proper, in only a few short pages.

Vanessa struck me as being overly childish, while the fact that Morgan was blantantly looking forward to sleeping with Lucy (the friend/maid) in the first two pages of the book really turned me off. Overall, a disappointing read.

Rating:
Summary: A disappointment...
Review: I have to disagree with the previous reviewer.

This book started out with a bang, with Morgan falling into bed with Vanessa by mistake, thinking she was someone else. After that, the plot just sort of went downhill. I felt the whole "secret admirer"/bomber storyline really didn't go anywhere. Of course the resolution was tied up nice and proper, in only a few short pages.

Vanessa struck me as being overly childish, while the fact that Morgan was blantantly looking forward to sleeping with Lucy (the friend/maid) in the first two pages of the book really turned me off. Overall, a disappointing read.

Rating:
Summary: A little too contrived, even for a "wrong bed" romance
Review: Now, certainly there is going to be some degree of contrivance in any of "The Wrong Bed" sub-series of Harlequin Temptation romances. Secret Service agent Morgan Fine has been flirting with Lucy, the maid of ex-Senator Ellery Verne, and since this is supposed to be his last night he intends to make his move. But after a night of great sex he discovers that his playmate is not Lucy but rather Vanessa Verne, the senator's wild daughter. Morgan knows this is wrong on just so many levels, but there are several complications in Jule McBride's "Naughty by Nature" that keep the fun going. One of them is pretty good: Vanessa has been getting steamy letters from a "secret admirer" that Morgan has been reading as part of his job. The Senator is worried that some weirdo is after his daughter and insists Morgan catch the guy. Vanessa knows there is no threat, but she cannot explain why. Meanwhile, the Senator, a die-hard conservative, has some tricks up his own sleeves.

This is a pretty good contrivance; it keeps Morgan from running as far away from Vanessa as he can get and it makes a human agent part of the contrivance, instead of leaving everything up to Fate. However, McBride goes over the top with the other major plot element. Ellery Verne is one of three former senators who has formed a lobbying committee to review national maternity-leave policies and explore the idea of extending maternity leave from three months to six. This has outraged an extremist who is sending letter bombs to the ex-Senators. This explains why Morgan is reading Vanessa's erotic letters and sets up the non-romantic climax of the novel, but the idea of some nut going ballistic because maternity leave encourages women to be in the workplace, thereby further eroding the nuclear family, is a bit much.

I understand that longer maternity leave is going to appeal to the readers of this romance and I appreciate that if the hunk is a Secret Service agent it would be nice to see him in action, but this particular plot line just strikes me as taking the long way around. Besides, I liked the Senator's own little secret, which could have been exploited to much better advantage by the author. That revelation piqued my interest in the comic possibilities of how "Naughty by Nature" would play out, but then McBride went a different route. Add to this equation the fact that Vanessa Verne's reputation as D.C.'s most scandalous socialite is a mite overblown, and the contrivances became too overbearing for my taste.

Rating:
Summary: A little too contrived, even for a "wrong bed" romance
Review: Now, certainly there is going to be some degree of contrivance in any of "The Wrong Bed" sub-series of Harlequin Temptation romances. Secret Service agent Morgan Fine has been flirting with Lucy, the maid of ex-Senator Ellery Verne, and since this is supposed to be his last night he intends to make his move. But after a night of great sex he discovers that his playmate is not Lucy but rather Vanessa Verne, the senator's wild daughter. Morgan knows this is wrong on just so many levels, but there are several complications in Jule McBride's "Naughty by Nature" that keep the fun going. One of them is pretty good: Vanessa has been getting steamy letters from a "secret admirer" that Morgan has been reading as part of his job. The Senator is worried that some weirdo is after his daughter and insists Morgan catch the guy. Vanessa knows there is no threat, but she cannot explain why. Meanwhile, the Senator, a die-hard conservative, has some tricks up his own sleeves.

This is a pretty good contrivance; it keeps Morgan from running as far away from Vanessa as he can get and it makes a human agent part of the contrivance, instead of leaving everything up to Fate. However, McBride goes over the top with the other major plot element. Ellery Verne is one of three former senators who has formed a lobbying committee to review national maternity-leave policies and explore the idea of extending maternity leave from three months to six. This has outraged an extremist who is sending letter bombs to the ex-Senators. This explains why Morgan is reading Vanessa's erotic letters and sets up the non-romantic climax of the novel, but the idea of some nut going ballistic because maternity leave encourages women to be in the workplace, thereby further eroding the nuclear family, is a bit much.

I understand that longer maternity leave is going to appeal to the readers of this romance and I appreciate that if the hunk is a Secret Service agent it would be nice to see him in action, but this particular plot line just strikes me as taking the long way around. Besides, I liked the Senator's own little secret, which could have been exploited to much better advantage by the author. That revelation piqued my interest in the comic possibilities of how "Naughty by Nature" would play out, but then McBride went a different route. Add to this equation the fact that Vanessa Verne's reputation as D.C.'s most scandalous socialite is a mite overblown, and the contrivances became too overbearing for my taste.

Rating:
Summary: exciting political romance
Review: The Valentine Bomber sent two explosive letters to two former US Senators who along with another retired colleague is leading the debate on extending maternity leave. So far luck has insured no one has been hurt, but Secret Service Agent Morgan Fine is assigned to watch over Vivian Verne, the daughter of the third retired senator.

Morgan has done his duty, but has kept his distance from the vixen he watches. Now with his two weeks of bodyguard service over, Morgan makes a play for Vivian's maid Lucy Giangarfalo, who invites him to her bedroom. The next morning after awakening to the best sex of his life, a horrified Morgan realizes he spent the night with that man eating Vivian. As the threat to her safety rises, there is a direct correlation of risk to his heart that goes up proportionally as Morgan and Vivian fall in love.

NAUGHTY BY NATURE is an exciting political romance that shows the danger to individuals when extremists try to take control of any issue worthy of debate and ultimately synergy. Though how Morgan mistook the six-foot Vivian for the five-foot Lucy seems impossible even with the duo steaming the sheets in the dark. Still, the lead couple is an engaging pair who drives a strong tale forward. Jule McBride provides readers with an interesting tale of love and compromise that leaves the reader thinking about solutions not sound bytes to other complex issues.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: exciting political romance
Review: The Valentine Bomber sent two explosive letters to two former US Senators who along with another retired colleague is leading the debate on extending maternity leave. So far luck has insured no one has been hurt, but Secret Service Agent Morgan Fine is assigned to watch over Vivian Verne, the daughter of the third retired senator.

Morgan has done his duty, but has kept his distance from the vixen he watches. Now with his two weeks of bodyguard service over, Morgan makes a play for Vivian's maid Lucy Giangarfalo, who invites him to her bedroom. The next morning after awakening to the best sex of his life, a horrified Morgan realizes he spent the night with that man eating Vivian. As the threat to her safety rises, there is a direct correlation of risk to his heart that goes up proportionally as Morgan and Vivian fall in love.

NAUGHTY BY NATURE is an exciting political romance that shows the danger to individuals when extremists try to take control of any issue worthy of debate and ultimately synergy. Though how Morgan mistook the six-foot Vivian for the five-foot Lucy seems impossible even with the duo steaming the sheets in the dark. Still, the lead couple is an engaging pair who drives a strong tale forward. Jule McBride provides readers with an interesting tale of love and compromise that leaves the reader thinking about solutions not sound bytes to other complex issues.

Harriet Klausner