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Elusive Obsession
Julie Keaton is an attractive widow, raising two children on her own. It's a never ending challenge being both mother and father, but she's worked hard and is proud of what she's been able to provide for her children. She's never accepted the circumstances behind her husband's death. Was it a tragic accident or was he killed because he knew too much?Fate steps in when Julie's sister asks her for a last minute favor. Mardi owns a party specialty and catering business. Julie is to pop out of a birthday cake, do a little bump and grind, for an 85 year old senior citizen. It's an easy $200.00 for a half hour's work.Julie's favor turns into a nightmare when the banquet staff delivers the cake to the wrong party. The birthday boy is no geriatric senior citizen, but a virile, handsome male no older than 35.Scott Landis was losing interest in his surprise birthday party. His boredom is cut short when his special birthday gift arrives in the form of a sexy, blond stripper. It had been a long time since he felt this instant attraction to a woman, especially a female who makes her living entertaining men. When he gets hit in the face with a lacy red garter, he decides its time to have a little fun and wonders how much she would charge to celebrate his birthday in a more private setting.
312 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2013
About the author
Judy Kentrus
60 books247 followersI’m a romantic at heart, having married my high school sweetheart, who is still the love of my life. While raising our two children, I was a “closet” writer and managed to complete four books. With the e-book explosion, I bottled up my courage and selected my favorite book, reworked the story line, and self-published “Elusive Obsession,” November 6, 2013.
I like to create characters that the reader can relate to/with. Sometimes while writing a scene, I find myself laughing out loud at the hilarious situations I literally toss them into. They’re not perfect with beautiful bodies, they make mistakes, their not afraid to say I’m sorry, they are not afraid to compromise and they suffer all human emotions. Most important, they love with all their heart..
I like to read books with a “twist” or two in the storyline and you’ll find these OMG situations in my stories. They are stand alone books, but I bring the characters from the first book into the follow-up story. I’ve already got readers clamoring for the next book, “Maid to Order”, that centers around Russell, a character from “Elusive Obsession.”
My characters also love to spend time in the kitchen and whip up their favorite dishes and treats. You’ll find a yummy dish or sweet from the books on my website: judykentrus.com.
I hope you enjoy my books and I love to hear from my readers.
Judy
I like to create characters that the reader can relate to/with. Sometimes while writing a scene, I find myself laughing out loud at the hilarious situations I literally toss them into. They’re not perfect with beautiful bodies, they make mistakes, their not afraid to say I’m sorry, they are not afraid to compromise and they suffer all human emotions. Most important, they love with all their heart..
I like to read books with a “twist” or two in the storyline and you’ll find these OMG situations in my stories. They are stand alone books, but I bring the characters from the first book into the follow-up story. I’ve already got readers clamoring for the next book, “Maid to Order”, that centers around Russell, a character from “Elusive Obsession.”
My characters also love to spend time in the kitchen and whip up their favorite dishes and treats. You’ll find a yummy dish or sweet from the books on my website: judykentrus.com.
I hope you enjoy my books and I love to hear from my readers.
Judy
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
May 30, 2014
I really liked it. Warm, family, with a hint of spice.
The biggest plus for me? Heroes do not take offense at each other, problems will be solved right away, do not hide animosity a few days / weeks to be reconciled. There is a problem - let's talk, let's explain. I really liked the concept of this book. Without any tears, accusations.
Second plus: Brilliant kids. To the mention of them at once I am smiling. Two hyperactive six-year-old girls and a teenage boy which prematurely became a man, how everyone are persuading him.
Julie, a widow who works more than strength to her children to have everything they need to be happy. Scott, a widower with a daughter who did not know the taste of of hearth and home. They are different, but are complementing each other.
I would recommend wholeheartedly.
PS. Minus: e-book needed editorial correction.
PPS. I'm curious history of Russell and Linc. Fragment at the end of the book sharpened appetite.
The biggest plus for me? Heroes do not take offense at each other, problems will be solved right away, do not hide animosity a few days / weeks to be reconciled. There is a problem - let's talk, let's explain. I really liked the concept of this book. Without any tears, accusations.
Second plus: Brilliant kids. To the mention of them at once I am smiling. Two hyperactive six-year-old girls and a teenage boy which prematurely became a man, how everyone are persuading him.
Julie, a widow who works more than strength to her children to have everything they need to be happy. Scott, a widower with a daughter who did not know the taste of of hearth and home. They are different, but are complementing each other.
I would recommend wholeheartedly.
PS. Minus: e-book needed editorial correction.
PPS. I'm curious history of Russell and Linc. Fragment at the end of the book sharpened appetite.
December 19, 2013
4.5 Stars~~~~A very sweet, enjoyable story by a talented new author. I loved Julie and Scott's characters. The kids were wonderful side characters. I did feel like Julie was kind of 'superwoman' and made me feel like I couldn't do what she did on a daily basis. Probably that's why it's called fiction(; Nora Roberts always pulls that on me with her lead female characters, too. There was great romantic tension, throughout. Intimacy was very well done. Oh, by the way, I think I'm in love with Linc. Kinda sad that I will have to wait for his story!
December 9, 2013
Looks like I'm the very first person to review this wonderful book here on Goodreads!!
When I started reading this story, I found myself smiling a lot. The more I read the more I wanted to read. Couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I was very intrigued by these characters. The story forms around Julie Keaton, a window with two kids and the hunky Scott Landis, a hot sexy rich guy that owns his own construction company....did I mention he was really hot?!!
I really loved this first novel by new author Judy Kentrus....whom I just happen to know. She loves to bake goodies and she incorporated her love of baking into her book, which I found to be a very clever addition to the story line. How Julie and Scott first meet is very memorable, when Julie jumps out of a cake at what she thinks is a birthday party for an elderly gentleman....she gets a surprise!....but then so does Scott!!!!! He can't seem to forget this beauty. Scott voraciously pursues Julie throughout the book. I found this so cute!!
I recommend this great fun romance to those who love a good laugh, steamy love scenes and a happy ending! I look forward to this fabulous new authors next book with much anticipation~~
When I started reading this story, I found myself smiling a lot. The more I read the more I wanted to read. Couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I was very intrigued by these characters. The story forms around Julie Keaton, a window with two kids and the hunky Scott Landis, a hot sexy rich guy that owns his own construction company....did I mention he was really hot?!!
I really loved this first novel by new author Judy Kentrus....whom I just happen to know. She loves to bake goodies and she incorporated her love of baking into her book, which I found to be a very clever addition to the story line. How Julie and Scott first meet is very memorable, when Julie jumps out of a cake at what she thinks is a birthday party for an elderly gentleman....she gets a surprise!....but then so does Scott!!!!! He can't seem to forget this beauty. Scott voraciously pursues Julie throughout the book. I found this so cute!!
I recommend this great fun romance to those who love a good laugh, steamy love scenes and a happy ending! I look forward to this fabulous new authors next book with much anticipation~~
February 14, 2014
Well done Judy Kentrus.
Well written and fun to read - an HEA story worth the read. Julie and Scott are very likeable "characters and how could you not love "Trouble and Double Trouble"!
The emotions - funny, anger, and sadness - have been written with expertise - the hot scenes were, well hot! :)
I guess I needed this book as a cleanser for all the serial killers residing in the darker reaches of my mind :)
Looking forward to "Maid To Order" - love the "sneak peak".
So, congratulations Judy - keep up the good writing.
Well written and fun to read - an HEA story worth the read. Julie and Scott are very likeable "characters and how could you not love "Trouble and Double Trouble"!
The emotions - funny, anger, and sadness - have been written with expertise - the hot scenes were, well hot! :)
I guess I needed this book as a cleanser for all the serial killers residing in the darker reaches of my mind :)
Looking forward to "Maid To Order" - love the "sneak peak".
So, congratulations Judy - keep up the good writing.
August 13, 2016
Original review found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/
I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This was a nice quick read for me that followed the usual formula of romance novel with some slight exceptions. There was the usual boy meets girl and instant attraction that one would expect in this type of book however that is where the similarities end.
Instead of the usual drawn out denial of attraction that can make these types of books nauseating the characters explored their feelings right away albeit slowly. There was not the expected jump in to bed scenes before getting to know each other in this story. I liked that and found it refreshing. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of steamy scenes however we get to know the characters first and it builds to the anticipation of the physical aspect of their relationship instead of what I find is too often building towards the emotional connection well after the physical has already been explored.
The other aspect of the story that differed was the family dimension that was added to the storyline. A lot of the story surround the children of Julie and Scott as they learn to build a life together. This was refreshing and added a bit more substance to the story. I also like the fact that the story did tow a little bit of a moral line with Julie and Scott refusing to succumb to their attraction with the children in the house. This added depth to the story and its characters.
For readers who like their stories steamy this does story has something for them as well. It also has the perfect male character to fall in love with. Seriously these male characters put the real life men to shame. No wonder we read so much ;-)
All in all this was an enjoyable romance with a little bit of depth. There were some interesting supporting characters which I believe will be the subject of a sequel or two. I will keep my eyes posted for the next instalments.
I won a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
This was a nice quick read for me that followed the usual formula of romance novel with some slight exceptions. There was the usual boy meets girl and instant attraction that one would expect in this type of book however that is where the similarities end.
Instead of the usual drawn out denial of attraction that can make these types of books nauseating the characters explored their feelings right away albeit slowly. There was not the expected jump in to bed scenes before getting to know each other in this story. I liked that and found it refreshing. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of steamy scenes however we get to know the characters first and it builds to the anticipation of the physical aspect of their relationship instead of what I find is too often building towards the emotional connection well after the physical has already been explored.
The other aspect of the story that differed was the family dimension that was added to the storyline. A lot of the story surround the children of Julie and Scott as they learn to build a life together. This was refreshing and added a bit more substance to the story. I also like the fact that the story did tow a little bit of a moral line with Julie and Scott refusing to succumb to their attraction with the children in the house. This added depth to the story and its characters.
For readers who like their stories steamy this does story has something for them as well. It also has the perfect male character to fall in love with. Seriously these male characters put the real life men to shame. No wonder we read so much ;-)
All in all this was an enjoyable romance with a little bit of depth. There were some interesting supporting characters which I believe will be the subject of a sequel or two. I will keep my eyes posted for the next instalments.
January 26, 2016
Birthday surprise
To make ends meet, widowed mother Julie helps out as a birthday surprise for an elderly man, but by mistake, she ends up popping out of Scott's cake. Then the fun begins as she puts him on, escaping with his clothes. Scott is enamored with her despite the joke she plays on him and tries to locate her.
Just when his hope of ever finding her again is reached, he meets her in a different role altogether. Sparks, previously ignited, are rekindled, and the romance is on. There are three complications in the way to true love: Billy, her son, Susan, her daughter, and Vicky, his daughter. Will they overcome these and other issues?
A sweet contemporary romance that has moments of joy, moments of spiciness, and even some tearjerker moments.
Two little issues, which don't really affect the story: the cover shows a long-haired blonde woman with a dark-haired man, but Julie is described as auburn. The other is the prevalence of so many green-eyed characters (truly uncommon). However, the story is a true romance, worthy of being read. Having read the sequel first, this reader had to read this one, too.
To make ends meet, widowed mother Julie helps out as a birthday surprise for an elderly man, but by mistake, she ends up popping out of Scott's cake. Then the fun begins as she puts him on, escaping with his clothes. Scott is enamored with her despite the joke she plays on him and tries to locate her.
Just when his hope of ever finding her again is reached, he meets her in a different role altogether. Sparks, previously ignited, are rekindled, and the romance is on. There are three complications in the way to true love: Billy, her son, Susan, her daughter, and Vicky, his daughter. Will they overcome these and other issues?
A sweet contemporary romance that has moments of joy, moments of spiciness, and even some tearjerker moments.
Two little issues, which don't really affect the story: the cover shows a long-haired blonde woman with a dark-haired man, but Julie is described as auburn. The other is the prevalence of so many green-eyed characters (truly uncommon). However, the story is a true romance, worthy of being read. Having read the sequel first, this reader had to read this one, too.
August 10, 2014
Great job, Judy Kentrus. You would never know this is a debut novel. You've covered all the essentials for a good romance and done it with polish and humour.
I'm not a big fan of straight romance so I do struggle with the treacly sweet cute kids and apple pie goodness of everyone in Julie and Scott's world. I am more comfortable with a dead body or two in the books I normally read. That said, this is a very well written Contemporary Romance and fans of this genre should be all over this book.
Happy yet hard working Julie, the best mom anyone could be lucky to have and sexy widow Scott set off sparks in all the scenes they share. The kids add to the adorable factor and while conflict is kept to a minimum there are challenges both adults face and handle with maturity. Overall a well told tale.
Well done, Judy!
I'm not a big fan of straight romance so I do struggle with the treacly sweet cute kids and apple pie goodness of everyone in Julie and Scott's world. I am more comfortable with a dead body or two in the books I normally read. That said, this is a very well written Contemporary Romance and fans of this genre should be all over this book.
Happy yet hard working Julie, the best mom anyone could be lucky to have and sexy widow Scott set off sparks in all the scenes they share. The kids add to the adorable factor and while conflict is kept to a minimum there are challenges both adults face and handle with maturity. Overall a well told tale.
Well done, Judy!
March 30, 2014
Cute story of a struggling single mom trying to make ends meet. She looks for a little extra cash and helps out her sister by volunteering to jump out of a birthday cake during a private party. Unfortunately, she messes up the assignment and finds more than she's bargaining for. The characters are rich and fleshed out, the story is exciting, and the pacing and flow of the writing very well done. I love stories where there is a miscommunication or misunderstanding between the characters and it all works out in the end.
January 11, 2014
enjoyed this book so much, looking forward to the next one
April 8, 2014
Going into this book, I knew it was the author's first book, so I wasn't sure what to expect. As it turned out, any expectations I had were surpassed. I connected with the characters immediately. I don't want to give away any details, but the way Scott and Julie met was uniquely entertaining and comical. The storyline surrounding these two single parents and their mayhem-magnet kids was engaging, while the suspense angle left me nervously hoping they could overcome all the obstacles that made their HEA seem impossible. The secondary characters, Russell and Lincoln, were integral to the success of the book. Hence, the reason I cheered when I reached the end of the book and discovered that more books are on the horizon!
I found one issue that I can critique. Sometimes the author changes POV suddenly in order to show another character's thoughts. While the thoughts are relevant, the shift is just so abrupt it interrupted my reading flow with a 'Whoa! What just happened?' moment. I was able to quickly surmise the new POV, and get back into the zone. Keep in mind, this was just my opinion, and might not register with anyone else. It didn't seem significant enough to drop a whole star in rating, thus the 5-star endorsement.
I am thrilled to add Judy Kentrus to my personal list of must-read authors!! If you like a dash of suspense with your steamy romance, give Judy Kentrus a shot! Keep up the good work, Judy!
I found one issue that I can critique. Sometimes the author changes POV suddenly in order to show another character's thoughts. While the thoughts are relevant, the shift is just so abrupt it interrupted my reading flow with a 'Whoa! What just happened?' moment. I was able to quickly surmise the new POV, and get back into the zone. Keep in mind, this was just my opinion, and might not register with anyone else. It didn't seem significant enough to drop a whole star in rating, thus the 5-star endorsement.
I am thrilled to add Judy Kentrus to my personal list of must-read authors!! If you like a dash of suspense with your steamy romance, give Judy Kentrus a shot! Keep up the good work, Judy!
May 29, 2014
Let me start this review by saying that this would've been a 5 star review except for two things: I like my romances much steamier and the editing needs some work.
I really liked this book. There was chemistry and angst, but not too much angst, and the characters were well-fleshed out and defined. "Lola" was complex and someone who pulled her life together after an early loss of her husband. She was strong and capable yet sweet with a good sense of humor. Scott was caring and masculine, but he wasn't afraid to lead with his heart. Together these two found love and finally got serious together after a lot of frustration.
To my 1st reason for only four stars: there needed to be more steam and more often for me, but I understand why there wasn't. To have these two couch or bed-hopping every other chapter wouldn't have been true to the story of a widow and widower and their children. One can only hope though...
The 2nd reason for my 4 out of 5 stars is that there are some glaring editing mistakes. Of course, none of these took away from the story, but grammar mistakes drive me nuts. Some simple revisions and updating, and this book is near perfect.
Overall, buy this book. You will really enjoy it. I'm looking forward to Russell's story and catching up with our Lola and Scott in future books. This was a great 1st effort from a first-time author.
I really liked this book. There was chemistry and angst, but not too much angst, and the characters were well-fleshed out and defined. "Lola" was complex and someone who pulled her life together after an early loss of her husband. She was strong and capable yet sweet with a good sense of humor. Scott was caring and masculine, but he wasn't afraid to lead with his heart. Together these two found love and finally got serious together after a lot of frustration.
To my 1st reason for only four stars: there needed to be more steam and more often for me, but I understand why there wasn't. To have these two couch or bed-hopping every other chapter wouldn't have been true to the story of a widow and widower and their children. One can only hope though...
The 2nd reason for my 4 out of 5 stars is that there are some glaring editing mistakes. Of course, none of these took away from the story, but grammar mistakes drive me nuts. Some simple revisions and updating, and this book is near perfect.
Overall, buy this book. You will really enjoy it. I'm looking forward to Russell's story and catching up with our Lola and Scott in future books. This was a great 1st effort from a first-time author.
May 1, 2015
I want to thank Judy Kentrus, author of Elusive Obsession and Goodreads First Reads Giveaway for my copy of this very funny romance.
Elusive Obsession is appropriately named as Julie Keaton, seeks to hide her identity from sexy Scott Landis. As a last minute favor to her sister, owner of a catering business, she agreed to jump out of a birthday cake at an 85-year-old's birthday party. The hotel staff delivers the cake to the wrong party and the fun begins. She ends up in Scott's arms and then a hotel room, only to escape with his clothes. This begins Scotty's hunt for his Elusive Obsession and finds her dressed as Alice in Wonderland at a Halloween Party for his six-year-old daughter and the fun begins.
The story is funny, Julie is a hot single Mom that can hold her own and Scott is lost in her world of family as he has never known it before. The story is delightful as these two fall in love and I am looking forward to reading Russell's story in Judy Kentrus's next book.
Elusive Obsession is appropriately named as Julie Keaton, seeks to hide her identity from sexy Scott Landis. As a last minute favor to her sister, owner of a catering business, she agreed to jump out of a birthday cake at an 85-year-old's birthday party. The hotel staff delivers the cake to the wrong party and the fun begins. She ends up in Scott's arms and then a hotel room, only to escape with his clothes. This begins Scotty's hunt for his Elusive Obsession and finds her dressed as Alice in Wonderland at a Halloween Party for his six-year-old daughter and the fun begins.
The story is funny, Julie is a hot single Mom that can hold her own and Scott is lost in her world of family as he has never known it before. The story is delightful as these two fall in love and I am looking forward to reading Russell's story in Judy Kentrus's next book.
December 21, 2015
Awesome writing!
I was pleasantly surprised by Elusive Obsession ( loved the characters Julie and Scott) it was hard to put down and heart warming and funny to read . It had everything I looked for . This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will be looking for more from her, and this series in particular. I do plan on reading the second book in this series soon : Maid to Order ( about Scott's friend Russel and cross my fingers, hope there will be a 3th book about " pirate" Lincoln ! )
I was pleasantly surprised by Elusive Obsession ( loved the characters Julie and Scott) it was hard to put down and heart warming and funny to read . It had everything I looked for . This is the first book I have read by this author, but I will be looking for more from her, and this series in particular. I do plan on reading the second book in this series soon : Maid to Order ( about Scott's friend Russel and cross my fingers, hope there will be a 3th book about " pirate" Lincoln ! )
November 14, 2014
No, sorry I tried. I really like the premise of this story, but the way it is written really made it hard going and somewhat frustrating. I think it could be a good story, but in my opinion it needs more work. I couldn't finish it. Probably a one and a half star.
October 4, 2014
I absolutely and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It wasn't the usual run of the mill romance novel because there were a few underlying stories always in the background.
I can't wait to read more from this author I an highly recommend this book.
I can't wait to read more from this author I an highly recommend this book.
October 22, 2014
Five stars for a romance novel that had everything - Love, family, struggle, hurts, hope, and, last but not least, a future for all involved!! YAY! I am now looking forward to reading the next story in this series...
July 13, 2014
Cute fun read,, looking forward to reading Russell's story.
October 4, 2014
a mills and boon type read, a bit cheesy for me.
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October 15, 2014
Loved it! Great characters and story. I got this for free on Amazon but immediately purchased the next book in the series which I am also loving. Great new author.
November 30, 2014
Too graphic! No thanks
January 5, 2015
I loved this book. Funny, heartwarming, great characters, snappy dialog, everything I love in a book. I look forward to reading more of Judy's books.
April 15, 2015
I found this very sickly. It dragged so I skimmed to know what happened. A shame as it started off showing promise. A bit too sweet for my tastes
January 11, 2017
It was cute, but predictable
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews