"One of the books for 2005"
In Calder Rose, Kate Angell's bright and charming debut
book, we were treated to the hero's t-shirts with zany
slogans. With her newest novel, Crazy For You, readers are
enchanted with an even more laugh provoking device - the
hero's silk boxer shorts! Bree Emery is nearly speechless
when she's first brought aboard the cruise liner, Majestic,
to meet the owner, one sexy Sexton St. Croix. The super
stud darling of the paparazzi, they'd dubbed him "Sex" at
the age of sixteen and he's done everything to live up to
that reputation. There he is, standing in a pair of brown
boxers with images of McDonalds' fries, Big Macs and Cokes
all over his boxer shorts and the words 'Supersize Me' on
the fly. From that point on, Angell is in firm control of
this utterly funny, laugh out loud book that is also very
well crafted with strong research, vivid characters that
leap off the pages, and an underlying poignant touch that
marks this book as one of the best for 2005. The premise is wonderfully charming. Sex St. Croix owns a
whole fleet of cruise ships, but the Majestic was special.
It was also haunted. Put into dry dock after the murder-
suicide of Sex's uncle Randolph by a Roaring Twenties
flapper named Daisy, everyone now firmly believes Daisy
haunts the ship - why it was put in dry dock after the
sensational deaths years ago. Everyone claimed Daisy was
still around and not above pitching a hissy fit now and
again, which sent guests running. On the anniversary of the
St. Croix line, Sex is determined to either exorcise the
ship or have it cut up piece-by-piece for salvage. To that
end, he's scheduled a five-day cruise for psychics and has
offered a one hundred thousand dollars finder's fee to the
one who chases Daisy away. Originally, he hired only Bree,
since she was the 'real thing', but Sex's sister Cecelia
opened bookings to any Tarot toting self-proclaimed
paranormal pundit. What makes this book work so well is the
writer's no-nonsense belief that Daisy indeed haunts the
Majestic and Bree is a true psychic. By stating that
clearly and up front, Angell permits the reader to go into
that story with the same unshakable foundation. Bree and Sex instantly shoot sparks off each other, but
Bree, whose primary input is the sense of touch, refuses to
touch Sex with a ten-foot poll - well always with something
between their skin! Bree soon is captivated with the funny,
but poignant spirit of the beautiful flapper Daisy, and
becomes convinced the tales about her being a gold-digger
and a murderer is erroneous. Setting about to prove to Sex
Daisy was wronged causes problems between them since Sex is
convinced Daisy killed his great-great uncle and wants her
ghost gone. A secondary romance between Cecelia and Sex's Man Friday,
Jackson Kyle also heats up the pages. Cecelia has been in
love with Jackson for ten years, but the man has stubbornly
tried to keep his distance, believing the beautiful heiress
too high above his working man's status. Their battles for
and against their love is as heart stealing as Bree's and
Sex's coming to terms with what's happening between them.
Backing up the vibrant hero and heroine and secondary
characters, is the wacky 'cast' such as Sex's great-great
grandfather Ramsey St. Croix, his role-playing sex-crazed
nurse Mimi, Zara with her Ouija board predictions and Shay
the crystal ball psychic scammer. Angell shows a strong, deft craft in creating these well
drawn people, characters she thoroughly understands,
breathing life, love and quirkiness into their souls. The
writing will have you amazed at the strong research into
the flapper era, breathless at the passion not only between
the two couples, but the gentle growing love shown in
flashbacks between Daisy and Randolph, and have you
laughing so hard it hurts. It's a ballet dance upon the high wire done with the
incisive genius of this rising star in Paranormal Romance. It just does not get any better than this.
Reviewed by DeborahAnne MacGillivray
Posted March 15, 2005
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