Monday, January 16, 2006

Her Bodyguard by Michelle Jerott

I read this book (which has been sitting in my TBR since 2002) for AngieW's January TBR Challenge to read a Contemporary Romance.

Title: Her Bodyguard

Author: Michelle Jerott

Year published: 2001

Why did you get this book? After reading my first Jerott, Absolute Trouble, and loving it, I glommed her entire backlist. There were only four total written under the Jerott pseudonym at that time. This was the last unread Jerott in my TBR.

Do you like the cover? Yes, very sexy. It's a photograph type and I love the man kissing neck of woman theme.

Did you enjoy the book? Yes, it was enjoyable but not my favorite Jerott. I graded it a B-.

Was the author new to you and would you read something by this author again? Besides the other three Jerott's, I have also read three written under her new pseudonym, Michele Albert. I will definitely be reading her next book out in May 2006 (Hide in Plain Sight).

Are you keeping it or passing it on? Passing it on, good but not a keeper.

Anything else? HB seemed a bit like a romantic suspense but it is marketed as a contemporary romance. Lili Kavanaugh is a bridal shoe designer from NY who is visiting Chicago when she becomes the victim of a kidnapping attempt. Her very rich parents hire a team of bodyguards led by Matt Hawkins. Lili is a bit of a spoiled brat at first and I didn't like her much but as the story progressed I warmed up to her a lot. Matt is gorgeous, sexy and totally yummy. They make a hot couple and the sexual tension was well done. The mystery storyline that revolves around a gangster shooting and pair of shoes from 1933 was very interesting and unusual. Like most women, I love shoes (Bob thinks I have too many, I think I don't have enough). So it was very fun to read a mystery that centered around a shoe designer and a beautiful pair of shoes.

4 comments:

Rosario said...

So you don't think the cover looks vampire-y, either? I don't get it; I've heard Jerott had to start writing under another name because of low sales, and that her publisher kind of admitted the problem wasn't in her writing, but that they'd goofed on her cover look. I don't dispute this (I do think she's a wonderful writer), but I must be weird, because her covers always looked lovely to me.

I mean, ok, the one in All Night Long, which showed the hero (a red-headed farmer) as a dark-haired guy in a tux, doesn't go with the content of the book, but it's still quite pretty (and for that matter, the cover of Off Limits is even worse... a cartoon cover on what's actually quite a dark book). I've always adored the colouring of A Great Catch; that's my fave.

Moving away from covers, I very much agree with you about the book itself. It's good, but not as good as some of her other books. I really enjoyed the way the mystery is about something in the past (mostly).

ReneeW said...

Rosario, No I didn't think it looked vampire-y because it was a photograph taken in bright daylight so it didn't have that 'vibe'. I remember that controvery with Jerott's covers. I agree, the only goof I think was in the cover for All Night Long, great cover, just had NOTHING to do with the book. And I too loved the cover for A Great Catch.

Seems like there are too many publishers who don't get the connection between the book and the cover. For me (a very visual person) it has to be right in tone and theme.

Milady, I have seen that alot too. Maybe publishers think there is a much bigger market for Contemporary than for RS. And I think most readers don't get the difference either.

Kristie (J) said...

I LOVED Absolute Trouble too. Hero construction worker working undercover as exotic dancer - yummers! My favourite by her I think followed by Off Limits. I was kind of disappointed by her last one though.

ReneeW said...

Kristie, I have Absolute Trouble, A Great Catch and All Night Long on my keeper shelf, but I haven't been that impressed with anything she has written under the Albert name. None have been keepers for me but I will read her next one.

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