Review - Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly

I usually don't read category romances. When I do, they are recommended by friends on Twitter or in the blogosphere. So taking a chance on a category is kind of a big deal to me even if that book is available for free from the Kindle Store. When I picked up Slow Hands by Leslie Kelly, all I knew was that I missed my boy, I needed a short, steamy romance, and that Harlequin Blaze delivers that.

What I found was a sweet, sometimes silly story. Madeline is a rich workaholic from a wealthy family who are all notoriously bad at relationships of the romantic variety. Jake is an "all-American boy" who loves baseball, hot wings, nachos, and women with curves. Luckily, Madeline loves all those things too.. er, except that last one. But she is one, so that's okay. It basically starts out with Jake spying Maddy from behind a curtain where he's getting auctioned off for a charity. He is instantly drawn to her because she looks very different from the other women at the event (she happens to be the only brunette) and she seems "out of place" there. She has come to outbid her stepmother on a European gigolo who is also at the auction so that her father's heart doesn't get broken again. Thanks to a mix-up in the program, Jake is sold as the gigolo instead of the Chicago Paramedic (the fact that this book is in Chicago = <3), and the relationship begins with Maddy thinking he's a man who has sex with women for money. Mind you, she's still drawn to him. Irresistibly, in fact. And he won't take no for an answer.

It sounds like I'm ragging on this book. I'm really not. I really enjoyed the silliness, and Maddy has the sense when she realizes her mistake to not blame Jake for going along with it (once he, of course, realized what she thought of him). What I didn't really enjoy was how faultless Jake came out of the whole thing. He was kind of the perfect guy, except for one moment of weakness when he verbally seduces Maddy in front of their waitress. Of course, it leads to mind-blowing sex, but he has a few moments of guilt for not being a gentleman.

Despite my eye-rolling at his perfect American Boy-ishness, Maddy had some real issues. But they weren't deep dark secret issues. She had to deal with normal woman stuff - the kind of hang-ups many women get about love and relationships. That, and there is a lot of steamy foreplay that makes this book sizzle. Kelly also has a great sense of humor and a talent for internal monologues that I admire.

Yes, I will read this book again. Yes, I am buying the next one in the series... did I honestly think they weren't going to let the Gigolo have his own story?

-------------------------------------------------

Recommended for a short, steamy, enjoyable read