Volcano

Tales of Love & Mystery #4

by Patricia Rice

previously published Fawcett 1999

After landing in the Caribbean island of St Lucia on business, account executive Penelope Albright is shockingly accused of smuggling drugs—until a sexy stranger appears claiming to be her husband, “kidnapping” her before trouble begins. Except trouble and Charlie Smith are two sides of the same coin. He needs a wife—temporarily—to help him keep a low profile while snooping into the mysterious disappearance of his partner. And like it or not, Penny is convenient, if way too upscale for Charlie’s tastes.

Although Charlie and Penny mix like oil and water, they’re not immune to the lush setting and mounting danger that provide an adrenaline rush and primal attraction. Like the island’s legendary volcano, their desire is a force of nature all its own…

Genres: Romance

288 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

With several million books in print and New York Times and USA Today's bestseller lists under her belt, former CPA Patricia Rice writes emotionally-charged contemporary and historical romances which have won numerous awards, including the RT Book Reviews Reviewers Choice and Career Achievement Awards.

Her books have also been honored as Romance Writers of America RITA® finalists in the historical, regency and contemporary categories.

A firm believer in happily-ever-after for good reason, Patricia Rice is married to her high school sweetheart and has two children. A native of Kentucky and New York, a past resident of North Carolina and Missouri, she currently resides in Southern California, and now does accounting only for herself.

She also writes under the pen name Jamie Quaid

Reviews

[Margaret A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

Patricia's books are the best! There are so many twists and turns along with the romance you can't wait to see what comes next!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book is really two stars, but the second half more than made up for it. I'm not sure why I found the first half so dull. There is plenty of action and fast-paced adventure on a Caribbean island, the characters are well-drawn and the opposite of insipid, the dialogue so-so perhaps, but the descriptions of the island great - and yet it didn't quite come together for me. There was no investment on my part until well into the second half of the book. By that time I was really pulling for Charlie and hoping he would be successful in all his endeavors and Penelope had become a bit more human and less abrasive, although during the first part of the book I was cheering HER on and more sympathetic to her plight than Charlie's. There are two great sub-plot romances going on here, too, so it should have been perfect, but somehow it just didn't grab me the way Blue Clouds did.

[Jessica · Rating 1 out of 5]

So we open with the heroine whining about how men done her wrong and none of them should be trusted. Then the hero graciously saves her from a situation I imagine he created, manhandled her, and then what made me know there was no way this was happening-" a good jolly rogering right now which suits him more than fine. " who talks like that?! Dnf by page eleven