Harriet Klausner's Review Archive
Miami waitress Ruby Runyon feels as if a miracle has occurred when Jimmy Golden takes her out on a second date. Ruby gets a lot of first dates, but never seconds because her companions expect her to jump into their bed based on her background, but when she refuses they never return. Dreaming of becoming Mrs. Golden and escaping the trailer park, Ruby learns that Jimmy is married and has mob connections. Needing to flee her date, Ruby crashes a yacht party that leaves for the Bahamas.
On the yacht is Keaton Danning, a former advisor to a King and now garbage control expert to the egotistical hedonistic exiled Prince of Pelagia. Keaton finds the stowaway charming and humorous as she spouts nonsense. As they become acquainted on the sea voyage, Ruby and Keaton fall in love. However, he is a blueblood who can trace ancestors forever while her blood contains trailer fumes making genealogists fear what is in her tree. This makes anything permanent seem impossible.
TAKE ME, I'M YOURS is an amusing contemporary romance that fans of jocular tales will enjoy because of the warmth and humor of the charcaters. The key cast members sailing on the yacht feel genuine particularly the bantering between the lead duo mindful of a modern day Gable-Lombard. The support cast, notably the Prince's fiancee, provide a unique look at them. Elizabeth Bevarly provides her readers with a wonderful tale that never takes itself seriously even the romance.
Harriet Klausne
AGAIN AND AGAIN Susan Johnson Kensington, May 2002, $15.00, 32 pp. ISBN: 157566805X
In 1821 Yorkshire, a snowstorm forces the carriage containing divorcee Caroline Morrison to stop at a nearby inn when she is stunned to see Simon Blair also stranded there. Caroline remembers the great sex with her former lover, but has not forgotten Simon's tryst with her maid. Still Simon seduces Caroline who pleads with him to continue until they both climax. They make love several more times before she sneaks away.
Caroline heads north to her governess job in remote Netherton Castle while Simon searches for her. Ian and Jane Carlisle welcome Caroline to their home and introduce her to their two children. Three days later, a frustrated Simon arrives at Netherton Castle to recover from losing Caroline again. Both Simon and Caroline are shocked to see one another in the middle of nowhere. That night Simon enters Caroline's room and they share great sex, but neither trusts the other outside the bedroom. Thus anything permanent except for an occasional fling seems impossible.
Known for her erotic romances, award winning Susan Johnson uses two astronomical coincidences and a minimal plot to tell the tale of a pair who has no relationship except under the covers. The story line employs explicit sex and reasonably uses profanities in weird ways to further the tension between the lead couple. The tale is too flimsy except for those readers who enjoy sexual escapades from lead characters AGAIN AND AGAIN.