Trouble in High Heels

June 19, 2006
Despite a cover featuring a modern pair of designer heels, this far-fetched romantic intrigue feels like a Regency awkwardly dressed in contemporary clothes. You have your arrogant rake, playboy Italian count and indicted jewel thief Roberto Bartolini; the woman who can tame him, his gorgeous attorney Brandi Michaels; and a gaggle of high-society supporting characters among the Chicago elite. Throw in a steamy, melodramatic early encounter between Roberto and Brandi, a world-renowned diamond called the Romanov Blaze, a Chicago crime ring and a silly court ruling that places Roberto in Brandi's custody, and you have a romance with an identity crisis. There are moments of suspense and flashes of sensuality (buried beneath groaners like "I only want to take you to the brink of pleasurable insanity"), but the story doesn't hang together. The protagonists rarely transcend their stock roles, and the chaotic plot is oddly predictable. Dodd, who cut her teeth on historicals, has penned memorable contemporaries (see Close to You
), but this tale is much like cubic zirconia—sparkle and flash but little else.

August 15, 2006
When a rather misguided effort at vengeance against her faithless ex-fiancé leads attorney Brandi Michaels into a brief fling with attractive Italian count Roberto Bartolini, she suddenly finds herself drugged, involved with jewel thieves and other assorted criminals, and in more danger than she could ever have imagined. A sassy, intrepid heroine and a gorgeous hero with more than his share of secrets singe the pages of this nonstop adventure, which hooks its readers until the end. A fast-paced, diverting read. Multi-award-winning Dodd ("The Barefoot Princess") lives in Washington State.

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2006
Brandi Michaels is out for revenge. After learning her fiance ad dumped her to marry his pregnant girlfriend, Brandi--who had just moved to Chicago to start her new law career--pawns her engagement ring and uses the money to buy a gorgeous pair of sapphire earrings, a knock-'em-dead designer gown, and shoes to die for. Dressed to kill, Brandi arrives at a high-society soiree celebrating the famous Romanov Blaze diamond searching for the perfect man to distract her from her romantic sorrows. Roberto Bartolini, an Italian count, does the trick. Brandi spends one perfect weekend with him, assuming that she'll never see him again, only to discover that the irresistibly sexy nobleman is not only a suspected jewel thief but also her firm's new client. " New York Times" best-selling Dodd will dazzle readers with this fabulously fun tale of danger, desire, and diamonds, which features yet another winning combination of the author's trademark smart and snappy writing, delightfully original characters, and deliciously sensual romance. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)