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Do Not Disturb
You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.
Investigative reporter Angel Buchanan dug up a whopping surprise: The late "Artist of the Heart" Stephen Whitney -- famous for his family values -- was the father who'd abandoned her when she was four. And there's nothing like the reading of a will to bring people out of the woodwork, especially relatives you never knew you had...
...Such as the grieving widow and her sexpot twin sister...and a hunky man Angel is thrilled to learn is not any kind of cousin at all. He's C.J. Jones, the legendary lawyer determined to keep her quiet about her late, not-so-great deadbeat dad's secret life.
Angel knows he'll try to woo her into submission, but how can she resist? The setting: Tranquility House, a remote retreat containing plenty of private rooms and romantic hideaways. But how far will C.J. go to get what he wants? And, for that matter, how far will Angel?
Investigative reporter Angel Buchanan dug up a whopping surprise: The late "Artist of the Heart" Stephen Whitney -- famous for his family values -- was the father who'd abandoned her when she was four. And there's nothing like the reading of a will to bring people out of the woodwork, especially relatives you never knew you had...
...Such as the grieving widow and her sexpot twin sister...and a hunky man Angel is thrilled to learn is not any kind of cousin at all. He's C.J. Jones, the legendary lawyer determined to keep her quiet about her late, not-so-great deadbeat dad's secret life.
Angel knows he'll try to woo her into submission, but how can she resist? The setting: Tranquility House, a remote retreat containing plenty of private rooms and romantic hideaways. But how far will C.J. go to get what he wants? And, for that matter, how far will Angel?
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 30, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
February 22, 2012
DO NOT BELIEVE THE BACK OF THE BOOK. THIS IS NOTHING LIKE THE SYNOPSIS! (see below)
When the "Artist of the Heart" is killed in a accident the whole world mourns. Well everyone except Angel who knows the real "Stephan" as the man who abandoned her as a child. Angel is now a reporter and decides to do the story of the year by exposing Stephan.
Cooper is the brother-in-law of Stephan and knows what he has to do is be there for his sister. That is his point in life... Or at least what he has left of his life. But when Angel walks into the funeral he knows she is trouble but can't seem to stay away from her.
Angel is the definition of the woman with daddy/trust issues. She claims she will never love because what is the point when men leave? Cooper has some health issues and figures why not enjoy life as long as it does not lead to love because he would only have to leave in one way or another. What a pair they make!
The book is good. Not one of the best from Ridgway but I enjoyed in and read it in 2 days. But there are alot of issues with these people and it can get pretty deep. What I tell you to read it? Of course it's Christie Ridgway! Would I tell you to have this be the first of her books you read? NO!!
****** Possible spoilers ******
The back of the book says "And there's nothing like the reading of a will to bring people out of the woodwork, especially relatives you never knew you had." *** There is no WILL... I spent the whole time waiting for the reading for Angel's deception to be revealed but there was no will at all... No relatives came out of the woodwork because she knew all the relatives within the first 30 pages.
The back reads "a hunky man Angel is thrilled to learn is not any kind of cousin at all" *** hello... We see Cooper in the first few pages and there is no question he is not a cousin...
Back of book: "Angel knows he'll try to woo her into submission".. *** Cooper does not know who she is until the last chapter or two so when exactly was the "wooing" supposed to get started?
While we know what happens to Beth (Cooper's other sister) we never read what happens to Lainey (the widow) or Katie (the other daughter of Stephan)... What happened to them? It really left us wondering what they will do now...
Again this all being said it was a good book... Just not one of Ridgway's best.
When the "Artist of the Heart" is killed in a accident the whole world mourns. Well everyone except Angel who knows the real "Stephan" as the man who abandoned her as a child. Angel is now a reporter and decides to do the story of the year by exposing Stephan.
Cooper is the brother-in-law of Stephan and knows what he has to do is be there for his sister. That is his point in life... Or at least what he has left of his life. But when Angel walks into the funeral he knows she is trouble but can't seem to stay away from her.
Angel is the definition of the woman with daddy/trust issues. She claims she will never love because what is the point when men leave? Cooper has some health issues and figures why not enjoy life as long as it does not lead to love because he would only have to leave in one way or another. What a pair they make!
The book is good. Not one of the best from Ridgway but I enjoyed in and read it in 2 days. But there are alot of issues with these people and it can get pretty deep. What I tell you to read it? Of course it's Christie Ridgway! Would I tell you to have this be the first of her books you read? NO!!
****** Possible spoilers ******
The back of the book says "And there's nothing like the reading of a will to bring people out of the woodwork, especially relatives you never knew you had." *** There is no WILL... I spent the whole time waiting for the reading for Angel's deception to be revealed but there was no will at all... No relatives came out of the woodwork because she knew all the relatives within the first 30 pages.
The back reads "a hunky man Angel is thrilled to learn is not any kind of cousin at all" *** hello... We see Cooper in the first few pages and there is no question he is not a cousin...
Back of book: "Angel knows he'll try to woo her into submission".. *** Cooper does not know who she is until the last chapter or two so when exactly was the "wooing" supposed to get started?
While we know what happens to Beth (Cooper's other sister) we never read what happens to Lainey (the widow) or Katie (the other daughter of Stephan)... What happened to them? It really left us wondering what they will do now...
Again this all being said it was a good book... Just not one of Ridgway's best.
April 9, 2013
Definitely not the best Christie Ridgway, though still better than the knitted Bikini series.
I hated both characters from the second couple; none of them seemed real, I did not care about their problem and all the pseudo spiritualism deep-breathing oriental philosophy of Judd seemed so artificial. I hated every page they were on and that was too much.
I liked the heroine, Angel, and Cooper, though both of them are over the top and with too strong hang-ups to look like real persons and those lasted for so long. However their interactions were lively and interesting.
The epilogue was awfully cheesy.
I would really put it more a 2.5 than a real 3.
I hated both characters from the second couple; none of them seemed real, I did not care about their problem and all the pseudo spiritualism deep-breathing oriental philosophy of Judd seemed so artificial. I hated every page they were on and that was too much.
I liked the heroine, Angel, and Cooper, though both of them are over the top and with too strong hang-ups to look like real persons and those lasted for so long. However their interactions were lively and interesting.
The epilogue was awfully cheesy.
I would really put it more a 2.5 than a real 3.
March 21, 2025
Angel, a reporter from San Francisco, wants to do a story on a famous painter, Steven Whitney. He has just died, and she wants to find out more about him. She does however have underlying reasons.
Cooper Jones is the owner of Tranquility Retreat. Located in Big Sur it is also the place where Steven Whitney lived. Steven was also married to Coopers sister.
Angel is Steven’s daughter. Cooper and Angel are attracted to each other. No one knows about Angels relationship to Steven.
I gave this 3⭐️’s. It was a good read, but not great. I realized after reading some that it was written in 2003. Maybe that’s why I didn’t love it. Also, very explicit sex scenes, which I don’t love.
I may try a newer book from this author.
Cooper Jones is the owner of Tranquility Retreat. Located in Big Sur it is also the place where Steven Whitney lived. Steven was also married to Coopers sister.
Angel is Steven’s daughter. Cooper and Angel are attracted to each other. No one knows about Angels relationship to Steven.
I gave this 3⭐️’s. It was a good read, but not great. I realized after reading some that it was written in 2003. Maybe that’s why I didn’t love it. Also, very explicit sex scenes, which I don’t love.
I may try a newer book from this author.
June 6, 2011
Apparently I missed something.
I really did not like this book at all. I liked Cooper okay. Angel, not so much. Katie was okay. The twins were not. Judd's character just bored me. His and Beth's relationship was pretty rushed, but that's a good thing because they were boring. I found myself skimming over lines just to get through it. I never do that. I didn't think I would ever finish it.
Something about the ending and Epilogue didn't seem right to me. All of it was rushed and I really did not like the way it ended.
I am glad that this is not my first book by Christie Ridgway. Otherwise I would not have been so eager to read more of her books.
I really did not like this book at all. I liked Cooper okay. Angel, not so much. Katie was okay. The twins were not. Judd's character just bored me. His and Beth's relationship was pretty rushed, but that's a good thing because they were boring. I found myself skimming over lines just to get through it. I never do that. I didn't think I would ever finish it.
Something about the ending and Epilogue didn't seem right to me. All of it was rushed and I really did not like the way it ended.
I am glad that this is not my first book by Christie Ridgway. Otherwise I would not have been so eager to read more of her books.
June 25, 2022
I have read a lot of books by Christie Ridgway but this one was very different. This is a emotional story about Angel Buchanan who was a journalist looking to prove that the artist Stephen Whitney was not the saint people thought he was. When she was four years old, Stephen had left her and her mom all alone and she never saw him again, even when she needed him and he had married and had another daughter. Since he had been killed in a tragic accident, this was the perfect time to write an article exposing him and his life. Unfortunately after meeting his wife and daughter and especially his brother-in-law Cooper Jones, Angel made some very important decisions about herself and her life. She thought she did not need anyone, especially a man but life is funny like that.
May 18, 2017
Definitely a book that pulls on your heart strings
June 21, 2017
I couldn't get into the many characters and their relationships, etc. This is not one of Ridgway's better novels.
January 26, 2020
2.5 stars
May 10, 2020
This book didn't match it's synopsis, but it carried along well enough.
August 15, 2020
Entretenido para pasar la tarde
July 30, 2021
Easy romantic read April. 3.5
October 14, 2023
Long but not funny.
July 24, 2024
I had a really hard time caring about the characters in this book. I found them annoying, so it was hard to get through.
September 24, 2025
What a cute read with a dash of mystery!
June 19, 2015
I’ve read a lot of this author’s books, and have enjoyed many of them. She’s very talented at giving you characters that you can relate to, ones you want to get to know better.
This plot for Do Not Disturb is an interesting one. Angel is a journalist who has had a rough childhood, particularly since her father abandoned her and her mother when she was small. He’s become a well-known artist and people have dubbed him “The Artist of the Heart,” his outward appearance being one of a doting family man, and all around great guy. Now, she’s found out that he died and she decides to do a story that will expose him as a fraud, show everyone that instead, he is a selfish man who abandoned his first family, only to replace them with another.
Her life has taught her to be wary of men, to always be able to save herself. So, developing feelings for a man, feeling a need for him, goes against her instincts.
Cooper is Angel’s father’s brother in law. He almost lost his life to bad habits, and since he lost his father to the same fate at a young age, Copper is convinced that he is simply biding his time until he dies, sooner rather than later.
He is suspicious of Angel, but they are drawn to each other and eventually they give in to the attraction, though they both have their hang ups that will be hard to overcome.
For the most part, I did enjoy the story a lot. I liked the characters, wanted to get to know them better. Some of the secondary characters brought some great comic relief as well. However, the story did move a tad slowly. I kept waiting for it to pick up a little more.
My strongest issue with this book was with the dead father. As the book continues, we find out Stephen had a whole lot of skeletons in his closet and to me at least, he was even worse of a person that originally thought. My issue was that there wasn’t a whole lot of responsibility put on his shoulders for his actions. I get that he is dead and therefore, it’s not like it really matters all that much. But, by the end of the book I was really angry at him…but nobody else seemed to be! Even as Angel decides that her father truly loved her, I’m sitting there thinking, “why would you assume that?” If he truly loved her, he wouldn’t have abandoned her. It’s not like it was one choice or the other. I need someone to explain to me how he loved her if when he left, he never acknowledged her again. Never contacted her.
There is also the time she mentions that her mother reached out to him to take Angel when her stepfather got abusive and he said no. WTH? This never gets addressed again, so I’m still left wondering in what world Angel can think he truly loved her.
But, that’s just my hang-up, I suppose. I loved the characters and the overall plot of the book. Angel and Cooper know how to steam up and room, and they really do heal each other. I certainly love a good epilogue and this one left me with a smile. This book doesn’t make it onto my reread list, however I enjoyed it.
This plot for Do Not Disturb is an interesting one. Angel is a journalist who has had a rough childhood, particularly since her father abandoned her and her mother when she was small. He’s become a well-known artist and people have dubbed him “The Artist of the Heart,” his outward appearance being one of a doting family man, and all around great guy. Now, she’s found out that he died and she decides to do a story that will expose him as a fraud, show everyone that instead, he is a selfish man who abandoned his first family, only to replace them with another.
Her life has taught her to be wary of men, to always be able to save herself. So, developing feelings for a man, feeling a need for him, goes against her instincts.
Cooper is Angel’s father’s brother in law. He almost lost his life to bad habits, and since he lost his father to the same fate at a young age, Copper is convinced that he is simply biding his time until he dies, sooner rather than later.
He is suspicious of Angel, but they are drawn to each other and eventually they give in to the attraction, though they both have their hang ups that will be hard to overcome.
For the most part, I did enjoy the story a lot. I liked the characters, wanted to get to know them better. Some of the secondary characters brought some great comic relief as well. However, the story did move a tad slowly. I kept waiting for it to pick up a little more.
My strongest issue with this book was with the dead father. As the book continues, we find out Stephen had a whole lot of skeletons in his closet and to me at least, he was even worse of a person that originally thought. My issue was that there wasn’t a whole lot of responsibility put on his shoulders for his actions. I get that he is dead and therefore, it’s not like it really matters all that much. But, by the end of the book I was really angry at him…but nobody else seemed to be! Even as Angel decides that her father truly loved her, I’m sitting there thinking, “why would you assume that?” If he truly loved her, he wouldn’t have abandoned her. It’s not like it was one choice or the other. I need someone to explain to me how he loved her if when he left, he never acknowledged her again. Never contacted her.
There is also the time she mentions that her mother reached out to him to take Angel when her stepfather got abusive and he said no. WTH? This never gets addressed again, so I’m still left wondering in what world Angel can think he truly loved her.
But, that’s just my hang-up, I suppose. I loved the characters and the overall plot of the book. Angel and Cooper know how to steam up and room, and they really do heal each other. I certainly love a good epilogue and this one left me with a smile. This book doesn’t make it onto my reread list, however I enjoyed it.
August 28, 2012
Every now and then I need a totally fluffy read by an author I know I’m going to just breeze through. Today’s book by Christie Ridgway just fit that bill. This book is a light-hearted, fast-paced contemporary romance, with a touch of drama and mild suspense at the very end, and it’s just the sort of book I needed to read right before school started back up this fall.
We initially meet reporter Angel Buchanan, a writer for a prestigious magazine, as she’s preparing to write a story about a famous painter who has since passed away. Turns out that painter is actually her father, so she’s trying to put some personal pieces together for herself to deal with the fact that he was absent for most of her life. Cooper Jones is the family’s attorney and the person in charge of the family’s retreat, Tranquility, which is where Angel must go to interview family members to put her piece together. Turns out that no one is who they seem and that life is much more complicated than Angel wants to believe. Add in an attraction between Cooper and Angel, and you have the perfect Ridgway story.
This book is not the best book ever written, but it’s a great book to decompress with. As I mentioned earlier, I’m heading back to school in a few days and I’m trying to finish up some fun reading before the semester gets into full swing. This book was just fluffy enough for me to feel it was relaxing, but there was enough action in the book to keep me interested. It’s an older book, but still a decent read.
We initially meet reporter Angel Buchanan, a writer for a prestigious magazine, as she’s preparing to write a story about a famous painter who has since passed away. Turns out that painter is actually her father, so she’s trying to put some personal pieces together for herself to deal with the fact that he was absent for most of her life. Cooper Jones is the family’s attorney and the person in charge of the family’s retreat, Tranquility, which is where Angel must go to interview family members to put her piece together. Turns out that no one is who they seem and that life is much more complicated than Angel wants to believe. Add in an attraction between Cooper and Angel, and you have the perfect Ridgway story.
This book is not the best book ever written, but it’s a great book to decompress with. As I mentioned earlier, I’m heading back to school in a few days and I’m trying to finish up some fun reading before the semester gets into full swing. This book was just fluffy enough for me to feel it was relaxing, but there was enough action in the book to keep me interested. It’s an older book, but still a decent read.
May 13, 2011
Overall...not my favorite Christie Ridgway book. It started off strong enough. I really liked Angel, she was funny, smart and strong. Cooper was tall, intense and sexy and exuded a sense of being a strong and supportive family man. Added to that, there was the tension of Angel's secret about her biological father and Cooper's mysterious prior life as a high-powered attorney who dropped off the face of the earth. I was excited about the premise of Angel being a journalist who was going to expose her father's secrets to the world. However, about a quarter of the way through the book, I just got bored. I didn't connect to the back stories for the main characters....and the side stories fell flat. The end was overly dramatic and I just couldn't muster the energy or interest to care. Maybe it's just that I like Christie's newer books better...but this one just didn't do it for me. Probably wouldn't have been as disappointed if I hadn't just read a book that was absolutely amazing!!! This one just didn't measure up.
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July 28, 2011Well, thank god I've finished that! It took me ages to plough through it even though there's only just over 300 pages!
It was pleasant enough but at times it was threatening to be a bit 'Mills and Boon' where girl meets boy accidentally, girl and boy don't get along, girl and boy deny their feelings for each other and so on but it wasn't as bad!
The storyline was acceptable, not too over the top and in places there were little witicisms although not side-splitting.
When I read the write up on the back of the book it gave me the impression that the story was based around a will reading - this didn't even come up in the story.
There were a couple of descriptive sexual scenes (quite biological in places I felt!!)
The two main characters were likable but the woman got on my nerves at times!
I won't be passing it on to others to read though!
It was pleasant enough but at times it was threatening to be a bit 'Mills and Boon' where girl meets boy accidentally, girl and boy don't get along, girl and boy deny their feelings for each other and so on but it wasn't as bad!
The storyline was acceptable, not too over the top and in places there were little witicisms although not side-splitting.
When I read the write up on the back of the book it gave me the impression that the story was based around a will reading - this didn't even come up in the story.
There were a couple of descriptive sexual scenes (quite biological in places I felt!!)
The two main characters were likable but the woman got on my nerves at times!
I won't be passing it on to others to read though!
June 9, 2018
This was a pretty good story. I chuckled and teared up a couple of times. I liked Cooper and Angels journey, although the Judd/Beth sub-romance was a bit much. Pace was a little off and I skimmed quite a lot. The end felt rushed and cheesy though. But overall, I still found the book enjoyable and entertaining.
June 29, 2013
Excellent who did what to climb the ladder and be no. 1. Great story with wonderful characters. The more you read, the more interesting it gets. You learn all about Long Island and how it is throughout the year.
June 5, 2016
This book was okay, some parts were better than others. Although it occurred to me after I finished it that Angel is technically Coopers step niece. I know there's no actual blood between them but the thought still managed to creep me out a little.
March 26, 2015
La novela ha empezado muy bien, con un estilo ameno, rápido, y una trama interesante, pero a medida que avanzaba, la historia ha empezado a aburrirme. Una de las cosas que menos me ha gustado es los constantes cambios de humor de algunos personajes... Me han acabado cansando.
August 1, 2010
I enjoyed the plot line for this one, thought the concept was really good. However, something about the ending just doesn't sit right with me.
January 18, 2011
My favorite book by Christie Ridgway. I've read it several times now, and still can't get enough of this book.
May 15, 2011
This is definitely one of those ones that you take to the beach and lay out and read. It's got all the elements of a romantic comedy that we girls just eat up.
May 19, 2011
Cute story. Although it got boring in certain parts. Beth's part I started to skim and didn't hold my interest.
July 30, 2011
this was a great read, highly recommended!!
November 22, 2014
The last part almost had me in tears
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews