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D and S Security #2
Too Good To Be True
From New York Times Bestselling Author Kasey Michaels comes a funny contemporary romance ... and Book 2 (of 2) in the D&S Security Series.
"Using wit and romance with a master's skill, Kasey Michaels aims for the heart and never misses." -- Nora Roberts
In TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, the sequel to CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU, Kasey Michaels delivers an equally delicious romantic comedy. Grady Sullivan, a private investigator, has been hired by a toilet paper millionaire to find out which of his heirs is out to kill him for his fortune. The heroine is the millionaire's unknown granddaughter who suddenly shows up on his doorstep. Is she who she says she is? Grady can't help falling for her... but is she too good to be true?
Finished TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? Find out how D&S Security partner Quinn Delaney found his true love. Read Book 1 in the D&S Security Series, CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU.
"Using wit and romance with a master's skill, Kasey Michaels aims for the heart and never misses." -- Nora Roberts
In TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, the sequel to CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU, Kasey Michaels delivers an equally delicious romantic comedy. Grady Sullivan, a private investigator, has been hired by a toilet paper millionaire to find out which of his heirs is out to kill him for his fortune. The heroine is the millionaire's unknown granddaughter who suddenly shows up on his doorstep. Is she who she says she is? Grady can't help falling for her... but is she too good to be true?
Finished TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? Find out how D&S Security partner Quinn Delaney found his true love. Read Book 1 in the D&S Security Series, CAN'T TAKE MY EYES OFF OF YOU.
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First published February 1, 2001
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194 people want to read
About the author
Kasey Michaels
307 books541 followersKasey Michaels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 books (she doesn't count them). Kasey has received three coveted Starred Reviews from Publishers Weekly, two for the historical romances, THE SECRETS OF THE HEART and THE BUTLER DID IT, and a third for contemporary romance LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY (that shows diversity, you see). She is a recipient of the RITA, a Waldenbooks and Bookrak Bestseller award, and many awards from Romantic Times magazine, including a Career Achievement award for her Regency era historical romances. She is an Honor Roll author in Romance Writers of America, Inc. (RWA)
Kasey has appeared on the TODAY show, and was the subject of a Lifetime Cable TV show "A Better Way," in conjunction with Good Housekeeping magazine, a program devoted to women and how they have achieved career success in the midst of motherhood (short version: "with great difficulty").
A highly praised nonfiction book, written as Kathryn Seidick, "...OR YOU CAN LET HIM GO," details the story of Kasey and her family during the time of her eldest son's first kidney transplant.
Kasey has written Regency romances, Regency historicals, category books including novellas and continuities and a few series "launch" books, and single title contemporaries. She has coped with time travel, ghosts, trilogies, the dark side, the very light side, and just about everything in between. Hers is also the twisted mind behind her ongoing Maggie Kelly mystery series starring a former romance writer turned historical mystery writer whose gorgeous hunk of a fictional hero shows up, live and in color, in her Manhattan living room – to melt her knees, to help her solve murders, and to leave the top off her toothpaste. And, says Kasey, she's just getting started!
Series:
* His Chariot Awaits
* Lion On the Prowl
* Crown Family
* London Friends
* Chandlers Request
* The Trehan Brothers
* Maggie Kelly Mystery
* Romney Marsh
* Sunshine Girls
Kasey has appeared on the TODAY show, and was the subject of a Lifetime Cable TV show "A Better Way," in conjunction with Good Housekeeping magazine, a program devoted to women and how they have achieved career success in the midst of motherhood (short version: "with great difficulty").
A highly praised nonfiction book, written as Kathryn Seidick, "...OR YOU CAN LET HIM GO," details the story of Kasey and her family during the time of her eldest son's first kidney transplant.
Kasey has written Regency romances, Regency historicals, category books including novellas and continuities and a few series "launch" books, and single title contemporaries. She has coped with time travel, ghosts, trilogies, the dark side, the very light side, and just about everything in between. Hers is also the twisted mind behind her ongoing Maggie Kelly mystery series starring a former romance writer turned historical mystery writer whose gorgeous hunk of a fictional hero shows up, live and in color, in her Manhattan living room – to melt her knees, to help her solve murders, and to leave the top off her toothpaste. And, says Kasey, she's just getting started!
Series:
* His Chariot Awaits
* Lion On the Prowl
* Crown Family
* London Friends
* Chandlers Request
* The Trehan Brothers
* Maggie Kelly Mystery
* Romney Marsh
* Sunshine Girls
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 14, 2012
I think I finally put my finger on the difference between chick lit and romance novels. Romance novels are about the hearts and lives of two people who fall in love. Chick lit is just kind of silly, and I don’t think the people who produce it like women very much. Chick lit heroines always seem to be perceived by the hero as foolish and bumbling, despite their independence, as if their survival was merely a happy accident until the wise hero came along to take over.
I didn’t dislike Annie Kendall, an heir-for-hire heroine in this mystery farce, but I didn’t quite warm to her, either, because the author didn’t give a clear picture of who she really was, relying instead on the superficial observations of the characters to tell us. Likewise, the hero, Grady Sullivan, was a cardboard cutout of the Modern Average Single Guy in Women’s Fiction. No further description necessary. The rest of the quirky characters were all stereotypes for a mansion mystery taken from central casting. We have Archie Peevers, the mean, wacky old man who made his billion in toilet paper and hasn’t left his rooms in 10 years. Archie’s eldest, weakling son, AW, has a severe, super-thin, pearl-wearing dragon of a wife, Mitzi. Muriel, the daughter, is a homely spinster with no fashion sense. Junior, the horny playboy son, rounds out the family with his painfully stupid bimbo, Daisy. Dickens looks and behaves as a cadaverous, dry-witted butler should. Dr. Sandborn, Archie’s personal physician, has a drug addiction and a drinking problem. Maisie plays the lazy, drawling, yet somehow indispensable assistant oozing off-the-wall sex appeal.
The plot was loosely woven together on the premise that Archie Peevers believed one of his children wanted him dead, so he hired Grady Sullivan to protect him. As a red herring, Archie hired Annie to pose as his long-lost granddaughter, and Grady winds up spending the bulk of his time protecting Annie, most of it naked and between sheets. Grady doesn’t really believe anyone is out to kill Archie until he’s shot at with a crossbow, and then bad things happen to Annie, so he starts looking for suspects.
Grady and Annie, with help from Maisie, who apparently can’t open her mouth without uttering the word “honey,” piece the puzzle together while exchanging pithy one-liners meant to be funny, and falling in love. I just couldn’t manage to get into any of it, and as a result, I wasn’t having very much fun. In the end, everything falls neatly into place, despite a dragged out, disjointed, badly-handled conclusion that had lost meaning by the time we finally got there. My interest in any of the goings-on at Peevers Manor had waned long ago.
This book wasn’t horrible. It was just forgettable, and lacked that indefinable ingredient that makes a good book grab me and make me want to go along for the ride. Based on this first Kasey Michaels experience, I don’t believe I’ll subject myself to another.
I didn’t dislike Annie Kendall, an heir-for-hire heroine in this mystery farce, but I didn’t quite warm to her, either, because the author didn’t give a clear picture of who she really was, relying instead on the superficial observations of the characters to tell us. Likewise, the hero, Grady Sullivan, was a cardboard cutout of the Modern Average Single Guy in Women’s Fiction. No further description necessary. The rest of the quirky characters were all stereotypes for a mansion mystery taken from central casting. We have Archie Peevers, the mean, wacky old man who made his billion in toilet paper and hasn’t left his rooms in 10 years. Archie’s eldest, weakling son, AW, has a severe, super-thin, pearl-wearing dragon of a wife, Mitzi. Muriel, the daughter, is a homely spinster with no fashion sense. Junior, the horny playboy son, rounds out the family with his painfully stupid bimbo, Daisy. Dickens looks and behaves as a cadaverous, dry-witted butler should. Dr. Sandborn, Archie’s personal physician, has a drug addiction and a drinking problem. Maisie plays the lazy, drawling, yet somehow indispensable assistant oozing off-the-wall sex appeal.
The plot was loosely woven together on the premise that Archie Peevers believed one of his children wanted him dead, so he hired Grady Sullivan to protect him. As a red herring, Archie hired Annie to pose as his long-lost granddaughter, and Grady winds up spending the bulk of his time protecting Annie, most of it naked and between sheets. Grady doesn’t really believe anyone is out to kill Archie until he’s shot at with a crossbow, and then bad things happen to Annie, so he starts looking for suspects.
Grady and Annie, with help from Maisie, who apparently can’t open her mouth without uttering the word “honey,” piece the puzzle together while exchanging pithy one-liners meant to be funny, and falling in love. I just couldn’t manage to get into any of it, and as a result, I wasn’t having very much fun. In the end, everything falls neatly into place, despite a dragged out, disjointed, badly-handled conclusion that had lost meaning by the time we finally got there. My interest in any of the goings-on at Peevers Manor had waned long ago.
This book wasn’t horrible. It was just forgettable, and lacked that indefinable ingredient that makes a good book grab me and make me want to go along for the ride. Based on this first Kasey Michaels experience, I don’t believe I’ll subject myself to another.
April 22, 2017
This book was a lot of fun. Take the definition of a dysfunctional family, throw in a tough PI hero and a feisty heroine, some mystery and romance and you have a engaging read. Toilet paper tycoon Archie doesn't trust his family and hires Pi Grady and pretend heiress Annie to find out which of his family members is plotting against him. Archie is not a nice guy and his family all has reasons to want him dead. The mystery is not overly taxing, but Annie and Grady are likable characters, even though they drive each other nuts. The family is not so likable, but they do provide a lot of laughs, especially Archie and Dickens. An enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
September 8, 2023
Is she a golddigger or not, why is she at this crazy estate. Grady has been hired to protect the foul-tempered toilet paper tycoon. When Annie is thrown into the mix, Grady has his work cut out for him. How many times can you quit and then unquit. This book is hilarious.
March 26, 2017
Just too damn funny. Makes you smile from the very beginning
October 17, 2022
Too comedic when I was looking for more romance. Wasn’t the right tone for me with such a great premise.
September 3, 2023
2.5. Just OK. Would have rated it higher, but it was a bit complicated and tedious at times. Brady's assistant was ridiculous. Don't know that I will read further books by this author.
July 17, 2016
I received a copy of Too Good to be True by Kasey Michaels in exchange for an honest review.
When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure I was going to finish it because I didn't like any of the characters. There are too many characters I want to read about to spend time on ones I don't like. Grady was a jerk, Annie was money hungry, and Archie was, well Archie was Archie. Soon I learned my mistake. Grady wasn't a jerk: he was a good man forced into a bad situation with people he didn't like. He wanted to quit, to walk away, but he signed a contract and he'd stay.
Annie wasn't money hungry: she was just enjoying the toys that came with the largest amount of money she'd ever seen. She was possibly the long lost granddaughter of Archie, so why shouldn't she enjoy the new wealth?
And Archie was, well, Archie was still Archie.
That begins the tale of a truely disfunctional family. A.W., son number one, is so dependent on his wife, he can't speak a sentence without looking to her to finish it. The wife, Mitzi, plays the role of snobbish, entitled rich to the hilt. The second son, Archie Junior, is addicted to drugs, booze, spending money, and sex - not nessisarily in that order. Muriel, the only daughter, is plain, gullible, and would rather fade into the background.
The story continues from there. Crossbow bolts in headboards, shredded clothes, poison, gunshots, boiled stuffed bunnies, and a game of chicken with a huge SUV are some of the events that keep this story moving to the denouement of this tale of greed, hate, honor, and romance. Don't forget the romance.
Don't let the first chapter fool you like it did me; this is another great read from Kasey Michaels!
When I started reading this book, I wasn't sure I was going to finish it because I didn't like any of the characters. There are too many characters I want to read about to spend time on ones I don't like. Grady was a jerk, Annie was money hungry, and Archie was, well Archie was Archie. Soon I learned my mistake. Grady wasn't a jerk: he was a good man forced into a bad situation with people he didn't like. He wanted to quit, to walk away, but he signed a contract and he'd stay.
Annie wasn't money hungry: she was just enjoying the toys that came with the largest amount of money she'd ever seen. She was possibly the long lost granddaughter of Archie, so why shouldn't she enjoy the new wealth?
And Archie was, well, Archie was still Archie.
That begins the tale of a truely disfunctional family. A.W., son number one, is so dependent on his wife, he can't speak a sentence without looking to her to finish it. The wife, Mitzi, plays the role of snobbish, entitled rich to the hilt. The second son, Archie Junior, is addicted to drugs, booze, spending money, and sex - not nessisarily in that order. Muriel, the only daughter, is plain, gullible, and would rather fade into the background.
The story continues from there. Crossbow bolts in headboards, shredded clothes, poison, gunshots, boiled stuffed bunnies, and a game of chicken with a huge SUV are some of the events that keep this story moving to the denouement of this tale of greed, hate, honor, and romance. Don't forget the romance.
Don't let the first chapter fool you like it did me; this is another great read from Kasey Michaels!
July 25, 2016
When Grady Sullivan took the job guarding Archie Peevers, he didn't realizes it would be a life changer. The toilet-paper king is not a nice man and his relations are greedy vultures. Things get wild when Annie Kendall arrives. She tells everyone that she's Archie's unknown granddaughter. Grady is speechless. Is it her sassy attitude or her beauty that leaves him stunned? I haven't laughed so much in a long time. Kasey Michaels has out done herself. These characters are devious to the extreme. Every single person has a reason to kill Archie. It turns out that Annie is here to stir the pot at Archie's request. The old man is tormenting his heirs and making Annie a target. Poor Grady he has his hands full. Maisie, his assistant, is a trip who has more than a few quirks. I was hooked. I loved the romance, the characters and the non-stop action. The Peevers Mansion awash in tons of bloodred velvet was a perfect setting for all the back stabbing and double dealing. There are surprises galore. What an enjoyable adventure!
January 12, 2015
great fun
This is the second D &S Security romance I have read and they were both great fun. I especially enjoyed this one, modelled on the traditional mystery genre of potential murder in an Agatha Christie type setting, including group reveal at the end. The leads are likeable, the rfirst St are not, but they are dreadfully amusing. Mysteries abound, romance blossoms (and yes, there are some sexual encounters but they are tasteful and not super graphic). The dialogue is crisp, characters do have thoughts about something other than sex, and the plot unravels nicely. A great holiday read.
This is the second D &S Security romance I have read and they were both great fun. I especially enjoyed this one, modelled on the traditional mystery genre of potential murder in an Agatha Christie type setting, including group reveal at the end. The leads are likeable, the rfirst St are not, but they are dreadfully amusing. Mysteries abound, romance blossoms (and yes, there are some sexual encounters but they are tasteful and not super graphic). The dialogue is crisp, characters do have thoughts about something other than sex, and the plot unravels nicely. A great holiday read.
September 6, 2011
One of Michaels battle of the sexes romances with Annie being the feisty heroine and Grady the wise-cracking hero. At stake, the life of toilet paper billionaire Archie Peevers who repeatly changes his will to keep his wimpy family in line. Add a starchy butler named Dickens, Grady's snappy assistant Maisie, and an air-head but possibly lethal girl friend and you have a bubbly romance to while away an afternoon.
November 30, 2013
This book was almost too silly and unbelievable. Enjoyed the 1st book in the series so I actually bought this on Kindle (for .99 I hope) Did not like any of the characters, including the hero and Heroine-could not figure out why he even liked her let alone fell in love!! The secretary was ridiculous and the villians evn more so! Do not recommend this book.
September 29, 2013
A delightful, funny, romantic mystery! The second in the D&S Security Series. The book has lots of twists and turns and laugh out loud situations. I liked the first book in the series better, but this one definitely is an entertaining read.
September 25, 2009
Modern
November 5, 2010
couldn't even finish it. Although a possibly good storyline, the language was revolting and demeaning.
November 30, 2010
The characters in this book is detestable. There is too much conspiracy in this book. The story line is complicated. I did not like reading this book at all.
July 7, 2011
Fun talk, quirky chrctrs
September 4, 2012
Rated
October 10, 2012
This is an author that I have read a lot of and have added her books to my 'keeper' book shelf. Most I have read at least twice and some even more than that.
October 16, 2013
3.5 stars
July 20, 2014
I enjoyed this one too. Some parts were a little corny, but I liked the suspense. I did not see the reveal coming at all.
June 11, 2016
Mean old rich man and his wacky kids. He hires a bodyguard and a fake heiress to protect himself and throw his heirs off track. A totally dysfunctional family and a surprise ending
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews