The Love Trap (Avalon Romance)

Rating:
Summary: Be careful what you use for bait when baiting a love trap
Review: Carly thought the way to lower the noise level next door was to set a love trap for Dev, bait it with beautiful women and then he'd be too busy to make noise and she could get on with her arcitecture business. She didn't figure on the affect Dev had on her own heart, nor the way it would break in half when her love trap worked and he was attracted to another woman. A delightful story to wrap around your heart on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Just don't pick it up until you've got time to finish it! Guaranteed to steal your heart.

Rating:
Summary: When work keeps you together. . .
Review: Reviewed by Carol Leuchovius
A quick, fun read -Set in Wisconsin, taking a road trip down to Memphis, TN, then ending up happily ever after back in WI, but only when the hero and heroine finally figure out the most important thing in a relationship is effective communication.
Carly Ross is a structural engineer. Dev Sarrano is an ironworker. They find themselves neighbors when Dev is hurt helping a lady in distress and is convalescing with the help of a wheelchair, physical therapy, and very loud band saws. Carly storms across their adjoining yards and into his garage demanding some quiet time so that she can concentrate on her work that happens to have a deadline lurking nearby.
When her headstrong demand does not stop the noise, she decides what he needs is someone to occupy his time, quietly. She arranges a "love trap" or two, but the third one is what it took to quiet down the noise. When silence finally prevailed, Carly found she preferred the noise of the router to that of her breaking heart. She had fallen for the good-looking, generous, near-perfect man.
Dev finds Carly quite intriguing as well, but can't seem to get her mind off of her work long enough to get it on him. He finally gives up and decides to move back to the city. Carly decides to get on with her life, though on a different level than before she met Dev. But let us keep one thing in mind - all these decisions were being made in martyrdom. Each was trying to let go of what they loved -- each other.
Fran Shaff describes her characters clearly and doesn't lose sight of the details. She also manages to include insight into the life of a writer through the main characters. Like any artist, Dev struggles through dry spells when inspiration seems to be lacking. Carly struggles with snagging the great contract that will ensure her fortune and fame while ignoring the smaller ones that have provided her with much happiness and a comfortable living. Dev doesn't think of his artistic work as a "real job" like his physical labor as an iron worker, so he thinks he has to decide between the two, that one or the other makes the real Dev Serrano, not that the combination is truly what makes the man. And Carly agrees with Dev that the smaller projects, for the both of them, are the most fun. "They don't take long to finish, so [they] get a sense of completion with them much sooner than with a skyscraper (or novel?) that can take years to complete." Carly adds that "[t]he most fun is the beginning and the ending. The middle is only the long part between the fun parts." Sound familiar writing friends?
I enjoyed the underlying translation of the art of writing brought out in the careers and complications of Shaff's hero and heroine. Shaff had me cheering for Dev when he worked to strengthen his legs so that he might walk again. I shook my head at Carly when she focused too hard on what she thought would make her happy, ignoring the happiness staring her in the face on a daily basis. We have all been in similar situations, and may be there now. We would do well to pay attention to Shaff's metaphorical advice while we enjoy a lovely story about love, dreams coming true, and the importance of words we share with each other (and our readers)! CL

Rating:
Summary: Be careful what you use for bait when baiting a love trap
Review: This great books starts out an unexpected twist and hits you with hummor through out. You feel the frustration of the characters and wonder why they just don't talk to each other. You will not be able to put it down. Another great book by Fran Shaff

Rating:
Summary: THE Love Trap
Review: This great books starts out an unexpected twist and hits you with hummor through out. You feel the frustration of the characters and wonder why they just don't talk to each other. You will not be able to put it down. Another great book by Fran Shaff