Spotlight Review:

HUNK FOR THE HOLIDAYS – Katie Lane

Grand Central's Forever

ISBN: 978-1-455-52236-1

September 2012

Contemporary Romance

December in Denver, Colorado

The McPhersons are a large, close-knit extended family. The four sons and one daughter of Big Al all work for the family business, M&M Construction. Cassandra's no less a hard worker than her father and brothers, but she'd rather be out on the job sites or designing buildings rather than being stuck in the office. Maybe now that her father must take it easy after a heart attack, she can branch out…

The company Christmas party looms with all the aunts and cousins sure to want to set her up with a man, so she does what she's done since her breakup with her last boyfriend eighteen months ago. She hires an escort to be her date. When the latest one walks into the office, Cassie's pleasantly surprised; he's not the usual lightweight college boy. His name is James, and he's a hunk.

James Sutton is puzzled at the reception given him when he shows up for his appointment with Al McPherson. It gradually dawns on him that Cassie McPherson mistakes him for her date. Intrigued, he goes along with the misunderstanding, planning to identify himself eventually. Little does he know how many opportunities to come clean will be missed.

The sexual attraction between Cassie and James is red hot! And, really, they are made for each other—if only they wouldn't keep messing things up. The original misunderstanding is followed by more hasty judgments, lost tempers, and hurts.

Cassie is a strong, intelligent woman with a talent being wasted in accounting. She's frustrated career-wise as well as sexually, and she doesn't handle it well at the party. To complicate matters further, James is a gentleman, but he's also a man building his own construction company who has underbid M&M on a couple of occasions. He doesn't realize that Big Al considers him a conniving rival, and has warned Cassie and her four protective brothers against him. James doesn't understand that he is in enemy territory. I must confess to liking James much more than Cassie, who doesn't show her best side after too much champagne. She eventually gained my sympathy, however.

HUNK FOR THE HOLIDAYS contains several quirky characters, foremost is Aunt Louise (affectionately called Aunt Wheezie), who likes to see the younger generation pair up. A secondary romance adds a sweet note, and who knows, maybe Wheezie will orchestrate something for Cassie's single brothers in future novels.

Jane Bowers