"Four superb contemporary romances"

Rochelle Alers. DC Carver High School teacher Viola Chapman is responsible for this year's career initiative event so she sent letters to twenty-two businesses soliciting their help. Tyrell Hardcastle, part owner of Leo's Supper Club, agrees to meet with Viola. When they meet they are attracted to one another, but Viola feels she is too old for the younger man.

Donna Hill. Noah Hardcastle and Tara Mitchell are engaged, but he refuses to set a date. Jazz pianist Rachel Beaumont returns to town after leaving Noah to further her career five years ago. She plans to retrieve Noah.

Brenda Jackson. Roni Hardcastle is away from the supper club to teach music for six weeks at Columbia. He fondly thinks back nine months to when he met Sydney Corbain at her brother's wedding and would not mind seeing her again. His wish comes true as the litigation lawyer is taking a needed rest in town.

Francis Ray. Tanner Rafferty visits D.C. to ensure that his new hotel opens on time. He is having lunch at Leo's when he overhears Ayanna Hardcastle tells her friend Sheri she is seeing someone so she does not want a blind date with the latest hunk offering. Tanner sees an opening to meet the beautiful woman so he joins their table saying he is her boyfriend.

These four superb contemporary romances each center each on one of the admirable Hardcastle siblings. Each tale is a delightful stand alone yet enhances the other novellas with consistent use of family members and the club they own, making for a delightful anthology.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 29, 2004

Summary

Welcome back to Leo's supper club, where seduction is always on the menu . . . Rochelle Alers, "Love Lessons" Tyrell Hardcastle is knocked off his feet when he meets a local high school teacher. Now all he has to do is overcome her objections to him being the "younger man". Donna Hill, "Lady in Waiting" Noah Hardcastle is engaged to beautiful Tara Mitchell. However, their relationship is threatened when Noah's first love Rachel, returns to D.C. to prove to him that he is all she ever really wanted. Brenda Jackson, "Irresistible Attraction" Sydney Corbain never forgot her explosive encounter with Tyrone Hardcastle at her brother's wedding. So when she runs into him in New York City on business, they both see this as an opportunity to explore their undenaible attraction. Francis Ray, "Blind Date" Ayanna Hardcastle pretends that she is dating wealthy businessman Tanner Rafferty, in order to get her matchmaking friend off her back. But, she never imagined that Tanner Rafferty would show up to collect on that claim!