"fun contemporary romance"

A nurse at San Antonio's Santa Rosa Hospital, Joni Montgomery knows a Code Blue emergency has just hit home when her mama warns her that Grandmother "GP" Pettigrew is visiting her in two weeks with plans to stay until her granddaughter is married. Joni not only does not wish to have a husband at this time, she worries that the type of male GP will foster on her is that of a hunk with a dangerous job and a reckless attitude. Joni needs a fake boyfriend to con GP into leaving town. She has no prospects so she turns to blind date Carter Sullivan who readily agrees to be her pretend beau.

However, Carter has his own agenda as this cop now fully believes in love at first sight. He plans to go along with Joni's scheme to fool GP until he persuades her to make the sham real even if it means enlisting GP's help.

The theme of using phony lovers to spin duplicity to fool a meddling beloved older family member has been used numerous times but this remains a fun contemporary romance. The story line works because GP seems so genuine, a wonderful, caring, kind, obstinate busybody. Everyone except the female protagonist will agree that the lead duo belongs together and that M&Ms are great aphrodisiacs.

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 17, 2003

Summary

Joni Montgomery needs a guy to pretend to be her boyfriend long enough to persuade certain family members to let up on the marriage thing. Her last hope is a blind date. Carter Sullivan is tall, gorgeous and agreeable to her scheme. Perfect! He's also too tempting for Joni to resist. But a little between-the-sheets time will just make their brief charade more believable, right?

Carter believes in love at first sight. And when he meets the beautiful, sexy Joni, he falls hard and fast. Too bad she's insisting this relationship is temporary. After some steamy embraces, he's convinced she feels the same way about him...even if she won't admit it. Fine. He'll just tantalize her senses until she says she wants him, too!