"A delightfully funny read"

LOVE ON LINE ONE Jake Danforth was the class Romeo in high school... and the love of Julie Sommerfield's life back then. Until the disastrous event which happened at the senior prom, changing her mind about him for good... or so she thought.

Now they are all grown up and Jake is going through a rather public divorce. He's got a morning radio show, which his callers seem to think makes his private life public. When he insults Julie on his show, she's had enough. She had been the counselor/psychologist his wife had seen before the divorce, and Jake twisted everything around that his ex-wife had said about her, to make it material for use in his show.

Julie agrees to an interview on his show, after he basically cons her into it, but wears a disguise so he won't know who she really is. Things get ugly and she is even more embarrassed after the show. How could she have ever thought Jake was any sort of Romeo?

When Jake discovers who she really is, he is floored... she's "the one that got away" for him, and he has never forgotten her. When he tricks her into helping him with his dating techniques, for discussion on his show, Julie finds herself been drawn even more under his spell. Until the day comes that they both realize it is a new game they are playing, one they are playing for keeps.

Until Jake's ex wife gets involved, deciding maybe she wants to keep Jake after all. Will Julie and Jake ever get together to act on their feelings for each other?

This was a cute story, with quite a different spin on the Romeo and Juliet story. Things always seem stacked against Jake and Julie, always interfering with the powerful attraction they have for each other. Neither one has ever forgotten the other, nor the event which happened on prom night, changing their lives forever. Jake is determined to win her over for good this time, and has quite a time proving to her it's worth it.

There was also a nice additional side story, one involving Julie's best friend and a business rival. All of the characters in the story are so lively; one can't help but love them all. The reader gets to know some of Julie's clients rather well also, adding another level of depth to the story. The whole thing is laugh out loud funny, providing many moments of entertainment. But there is a level of high school silliness to the plotline, which can get slightly annoying at times. All in all, however, this was a fun read, worth the time taken to indulge in this humorous tale.

NOT PRECISELY PREGNANT Paige Montgomery is a reporter for WMAC news, "Where Nice News Matters," in Erie, PA. She is known by everyone for her optimistic attitude, and her Pollyanna view of the world. She was doing a segment for her "About Town" feature for the TV station, posing as a pregnant woman to see how people would respond. While interviewing a young man who had given up his seat for her on a shuttle bus, she starts to feel pains in her abdomen. She is at first convinced it's nothing until they get so severe, she really feels like she is pregnant.

Riley Calhoon is also a news reporter, for a local paper, who is known for his "Get Real" column, where he gives the city a dose of real life, to make people wake up and realize what was going on in the world. He had borrowed a friend's cab for the day and unexpectedly comes across Paige, in disguise, who was looking and sounding ready to give birth immediately. He rushes her to the hospital, and tries to distract her with idle chatter while they are en route. He is surprised by himself and the effort he was making to keep her calm. Everyone knows him for being opinionated and negative. But something about this woman struck him in a way he couldn't imagine.

A few days later, Paige tracks him down to thank him for helping her. If not for him, her appendix would have ruptured and she could have died. She calls him her hero and wants to interview him for her news broadcast. Riley refuses; afraid to let anyone see the crack in his surly attitude she causes, making her swear to not reveal his role in her rescue without his express agreement and gives her a hard time. Paige is bound and determined to get her interview one way or another, and is convinced she can bring him around.

She starts dogging his footsteps everywhere he goes and Riley gets more irritated the more she "runs into" him. In spite of that, he finds himself actually having a smidge of feelings for her, loving her bright view of the world through her rose-colored glasses. The two couldn't be more opposite, but for some unexplainable reason, he intrigues her as well. Even with memories of their disastrous first meeting several months ago, a blind date set up by her Aunt Annabelle, and the fact they couldn't stand each other then, there is something drawing them to each other, which neither can define nor explain. They find themselves in a relationship of sorts, mutually beneficial to the both of them....

Until Riley's secret about his rescue of Paige gets out. He accuses her of lying and manipulating him to get her story, and is furious with her. She swears she never told anyone about it and is so hurt by his accusations, that she wants nothing to do with him. Now Riley realizes the truth, he really does love her, and was mistaken about her. But how to get her to forgive him? Riley enlists the help of WMAC, and the entire city, to prove his love for Paige. He comes up with a scheme even Paige couldn't resist. Or could she?

Ms. Jacobs has done it again! Her story is a pleasure, full of characteristic humor and charm. Paige's "glass half full" outlook on life and Riley's "glass half empty" attitude are at odds from the beginning, even apparent in the flashback memories they both have of their first meeting, the blind date from hell. But that only adds to the hilarity of their relationship when they meet again. What comes next is a comedy of errors as Paige tries to bring him around to her way of thinking.

Aunt Annabelle adds another touch of mirth to the story, with her persistent belief the two are meant for each other. Her habit of cheating at cards also is amusing, which no one can catch her at, but all are convinced she does, adding some lively moments to her life in a retirement home. Even the animal characters in the story, Riley's dog, Pugsley, he is roped into adopting and Paige's attack cat, Cuddles brighten the story, bringing out even more humor, and a soft side to Riley. Another bright spot in this lively tale, is the cameo appearance of a few beloved secondary characters from the book DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

One can never go wrong with a story by Ms. Jacobs, and that is proven once again here, in NOT PRECISELY PREGNANT. Her books are guaranteed to provide plenty of entertainment, and more laughs then should be legal. Her love of life, and her ability to find the fun in anything, comes out on every page. This is one reader who is a die-hard fan, and will remain so for as long as the books keep coming. If this book is any indication, and it is, Ms. Jacobs will be around for a long time, adding "joie de vive" to every day.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, December 2002/January 2003. All rights reserved.

Reviewed by Kelley Hartsell
Courtesy Love Romances
Posted January 24, 2003

Summary

NOT PRECISELY PREGNANT by Holly Jacobs
Paige Montgomery is known in certain circles as Pollyanna Paige. She's lives by the station's motto, Nice News Matters. When she gets in trouble she's rescued by an unlikely hero...Riley Calhoon. He's more known for his cynical columns in the paper than for playing white knight, yet this time he rides to the rescue and saves Paige's life. Now she wants to tell the world that he's a hero, but Riley prefers to keep that news to himself.

Whether or not he thinks of her as a real reporter, Paige is going after this story with a real-reporter's tenacity. Unfortunately, Riley tends to find himself injured when Paige is around...hockey pucks, killer cats, run-away trucks and chronic heartburn. If the two of them don't end up killing each other, they may find what they've got is...love?