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The Stanislaskis #4
Convincing Alex
Return to the Stanislaskis family in this fan-favorite book from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts. Daringly bold soap-opera writer Bess McNee figured the only way to understand a character was to stand in her shoes—even if they were a streetwalker’s stiletto heels. But when Alex Stanislaski arrests her for soliciting, she has a change of heart. She decides to follow the sexy detective around to get “ideas” for her show. Nick is absolutely perfect for her research…and maybe for herself as well. Now all she has to do is convince him she’s right…Originally published in 1994.
227 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 1994
954 people are currently reading
2520 people want to read
About the author
Nora Roberts
1,225 books60.3k followersNora Roberts is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 200 novels, including Hideaway, Under Currents, Come Sundown, The Awakening, Legacy, and coming in November 2021 -- The Becoming -- the second book in The Dragon Heart Legacy. She is also the author of the futuristic suspense In Death series written under the pen name J.D. Robb. There are more than 500 million copies of her books in print.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
January 30, 2023
Turns out I don't like the books where the Stanislaski dudes are the ones in the mix - this was very dated and while I've had worse times in a book, it just didn't work for me overall
March 3, 2020
"If you don't leave now, I'll call Security. I'll call your captain, I'll call the mayor." Desperation was rising like a flood. "Whatever it takes to keep you away from me."
His eyes narrowed, sharpened. "You can call God Almighty. It won't stop me."
"Maybe this will." She gripped her hands tightly together and looked just over his shoulder. "I don't love you, I don't want you, I don't need you. It was fun while it lasted, but the game's over. You can let yourself out."
Ah, the wonderful angst filled tragedy! LOVE IT!
"Convincing Alex" is the story of Bess and Alexi.
Our h is a vivacious soap opera writer, who decides to research hookers and goes undercover to get a deep insight. She soon gets "picked up" by our H, who turns out to be a cop investigating prostitute murders. She is a complete anathema to what he likes and prefers, but cannot help but be enchanted by this unusually lively woman. From being the light in everyone's life, to an adventuress, our h has fallen in and out of love many times. But when the H eventually confesses his love, will she be able to convince him of her reciprocated feelings?
Another wonderful addition to the The Stanislaskis series. We meet the protective, brooding hero; the lovely, charming heroine; likable secondary characters, wonderfully growing families, heartbreak, distrust, tragedy, angst, hot lovemaking and a great ending to the book. The h is definitely one of my favorite book heroines out there, and I ADORED her inner resilience and honestly. GO BESS!
Really loved it!
Safe
4.5/5
His eyes narrowed, sharpened. "You can call God Almighty. It won't stop me."
"Maybe this will." She gripped her hands tightly together and looked just over his shoulder. "I don't love you, I don't want you, I don't need you. It was fun while it lasted, but the game's over. You can let yourself out."
Ah, the wonderful angst filled tragedy! LOVE IT!
"Convincing Alex" is the story of Bess and Alexi.
Our h is a vivacious soap opera writer, who decides to research hookers and goes undercover to get a deep insight. She soon gets "picked up" by our H, who turns out to be a cop investigating prostitute murders. She is a complete anathema to what he likes and prefers, but cannot help but be enchanted by this unusually lively woman. From being the light in everyone's life, to an adventuress, our h has fallen in and out of love many times. But when the H eventually confesses his love, will she be able to convince him of her reciprocated feelings?
Another wonderful addition to the The Stanislaskis series. We meet the protective, brooding hero; the lovely, charming heroine; likable secondary characters, wonderfully growing families, heartbreak, distrust, tragedy, angst, hot lovemaking and a great ending to the book. The h is definitely one of my favorite book heroines out there, and I ADORED her inner resilience and honestly. GO BESS!
Really loved it!
Safe
4.5/5
May 22, 2016
Encantadora ❤
June 23, 2019
"Being in love with her left him helpless,made him stupid,brought him a kind of fear he had never faced as a cop.Not fear for his life.Fear for his heart."
-Alexi Stanislaskis
The World Wide famous Author Nora Roberts delivers the true defenition of romance in this highly unforgettable book-series about the Stanislaskis Family Saga...
"Convincing Alex" was one delicious book i wanted devour,how i simply love everything in it.It didn`t take me whole two hours to even finish this 330 pages of a book. The sexy Alexi Stanislaskis mistakenly arrests the beautiful bold soap-opera writer Bess McKnee.As she decides that he is absolutely perfect for her research,the glimmering sparks that existed from the start blooms into an eternal love that consumes both of them.The fact that Bess has been engaged two times before makes the granite hearted cop unsure of Bess feelings...now its up to Bess to convince Alex otherwise...
I have read over 60 books by Nora Roberts,and she simply enchants me everytime with her strong characters,electric chemistry,lovely humor and love-stories every one wishes for.Gosh Alexi are one of a hell besotted hero i wish for myself and Bess are a bubble and carefree woman and very succesful in her career..i just... AH I love them..And i love you Nora Roberts!You can create joy already from the first chapter,and WOW how i laughed,haha.!
-Alexi Stanislaskis
The World Wide famous Author Nora Roberts delivers the true defenition of romance in this highly unforgettable book-series about the Stanislaskis Family Saga...
"Convincing Alex" was one delicious book i wanted devour,how i simply love everything in it.It didn`t take me whole two hours to even finish this 330 pages of a book. The sexy Alexi Stanislaskis mistakenly arrests the beautiful bold soap-opera writer Bess McKnee.As she decides that he is absolutely perfect for her research,the glimmering sparks that existed from the start blooms into an eternal love that consumes both of them.The fact that Bess has been engaged two times before makes the granite hearted cop unsure of Bess feelings...now its up to Bess to convince Alex otherwise...
I have read over 60 books by Nora Roberts,and she simply enchants me everytime with her strong characters,electric chemistry,lovely humor and love-stories every one wishes for.Gosh Alexi are one of a hell besotted hero i wish for myself and Bess are a bubble and carefree woman and very succesful in her career..i just... AH I love them..And i love you Nora Roberts!You can create joy already from the first chapter,and WOW how i laughed,haha.!
December 26, 2011
Rating 3.5
I didn't like the heroine Bess at first she was too flaky I guess and at the end of the book I did come to care for her, yes she was unconventional but not bad. She's a soap-opera writer who has a habit of getting engaged to men and then finding matches for them and she is busted by Alex, a cop while researching life on the streets.
Soon, she is dating Alex but Alex is quite scared of her because he knows her track-record and doesn't know that the love she confesses will remain. I did find the hero a bit foolish, he should have faced his fears by talking to her, but yeah it was a plot device so I get it.
I also enjoyed the fact that the heroine told the hero that she never questioned his past with women.
I didn't like the heroine Bess at first she was too flaky I guess and at the end of the book I did come to care for her, yes she was unconventional but not bad. She's a soap-opera writer who has a habit of getting engaged to men and then finding matches for them and she is busted by Alex, a cop while researching life on the streets.
Soon, she is dating Alex but Alex is quite scared of her because he knows her track-record and doesn't know that the love she confesses will remain. I did find the hero a bit foolish, he should have faced his fears by talking to her, but yeah it was a plot device so I get it.
I also enjoyed the fact that the heroine told the hero that she never questioned his past with women.
June 27, 2020
Reseña completa en mi blog: https://elsentirdeunlibro.blogspot.co...
December 10, 2021
Convincing
3.5 Stars
When screenwriter Beth McNee is arrested for solicitation, she sees it as the opportunity of a lifetime to research police procedures by shadowing detective Alex Stanislaski. Soon Beth and Alex are getting up close and personal, but can they overcome the significant differences in their approaches to life and love to be together?
Beth and Alex's opposites attract romance starts out well with a particularly appealing meet-cute and some great character development. Nevertheless, Beth's happy-go-lucky approach to life and her flirty and flighty attitude toward relationships becomes quite annoying. This, together with Alex's prejudiced and judgemental behavior, puts a pall on the second half of the book.
The serial killer plot is underdeveloped, but then this is a contemporary romance rather than a romantic suspense novel. The cameos with the Stanislaski clan are a real highlight, and it is great catching up with the previous happy couples.
Nick and Freddie's book is next. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops and how the family reacts.
3.5 Stars
When screenwriter Beth McNee is arrested for solicitation, she sees it as the opportunity of a lifetime to research police procedures by shadowing detective Alex Stanislaski. Soon Beth and Alex are getting up close and personal, but can they overcome the significant differences in their approaches to life and love to be together?
Beth and Alex's opposites attract romance starts out well with a particularly appealing meet-cute and some great character development. Nevertheless, Beth's happy-go-lucky approach to life and her flirty and flighty attitude toward relationships becomes quite annoying. This, together with Alex's prejudiced and judgemental behavior, puts a pall on the second half of the book.
The serial killer plot is underdeveloped, but then this is a contemporary romance rather than a romantic suspense novel. The cameos with the Stanislaski clan are a real highlight, and it is great catching up with the previous happy couples.
Nick and Freddie's book is next. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops and how the family reacts.
January 25, 2018
Mas uma saga de puro entretenimento.
Foi uma delícia conhecer estes quatro irmãos e acompanhar as suas aventuras e desventuras amorosas ;)
Foi uma delícia conhecer estes quatro irmãos e acompanhar as suas aventuras e desventuras amorosas ;)
September 26, 2018
Inching towards a 2.5
Alex, the police officer Stanislaski, arrests Bess McNee for prostitution, only to discover that she's actually a soap opera writer doing research for her characters. She decides she wants to know more about Alex, about his job and what he does on the streets and starts popping up all over the place. He decides he wants to know her better, physically and emotionally, even though he finds her a bit irritating and odd. Bess is all for it and goes along with Alex's ideas. But Bess soon realizes, despite her previous suitors, she's never been in love like this before and is surprised at how much love hurts...because Alex, although he claims to love her, doesn't trust Bess's feelings for him.
Every now and again, NR writes a heroine that rubs me the wrong way, like this one. It's a type that I've seen in some of her other stories and never seem to be able to connect with. The heroine definitely got in the way of my enjoyment of this story. From the beginning, she annoyed me and I’m not sure it ever actually stopped. She’s peppy, effervescent even and she’s perpetually unoffended no matter what anyone says to her (at least up to the end when love smacks her in the face). She doesn’t even see bad in people...which is why she constantly defends her three ex-fiancees and forgives the hero in the snap of a finger. It’s like nardly anything touches her...even fear. I mean, first scene, she’s bee-bopping around downtown pretending to be a hooker and almost gets roped into an actual hookup and she’s never even scared. She encounters the hooker’s pimp who’s this close to laying into her and is she scared? Nope. A little shaken, but she knew she’d be perfectly safe and there wasn’t any reason why she shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Women like this drive me nuts - they’re not completely TSTL, but they might as well be when they have no rational fear to stop them from doing stupid shit or any common sense to stop them from being more of a nuisance than they already are. I honestly don’t know what Alex saw in her (of course he was no peach either). More than that though, I was seriously disturbed with seeing how Bess, a wealthy woman living in a mansion and affording the most expensive stuff, walks around in the seediest of areas like it’s some sort of frickin’ tourist attraction. She gapes and gawks and thinks it’s so fascinating as if the people who live there have any choice in the matter. And she uses the lives and experiences of a downtrodden woman in order to write a fictional story, but does she really pay it back? Sure she decides to help Rosalie because she feels a connection, but I don’t see Ms. wealthy-heroine volunteering at the local shelter or doing anything to help battered women. It bothered me that she treated serious stuff like prostitution, murder and domestic violence as though it were a fictional story instead of giving it the gravity it deserves...it’s tragic, not fun. Alex is getting information about a murder from his snitch at his pawnshop and she’s going shopping for props for her soap opera. I SO kept hoping that some tirade on the hero’s part would actually sink through her thick skull.
And believe me, there were plenty of tirades coming from the hero. I’m not sure he even really liked Bess, but he claimed to love her from like, the 40% mark, and then berate her every other page and refuse to believe her when she said she loved him. Then he very nearly calls her a whore (pot, meet kettle). I also didn’t feel much chemistry between them. It seemed he spent so much time there in the beginning being completely annoyed with her (as I was) and then all of a sudden their kissing and talking about going to bed with each other and I’m all, wait, what? Even once they’re actually in love I wasn’t feeling it.
Alex, the police officer Stanislaski, arrests Bess McNee for prostitution, only to discover that she's actually a soap opera writer doing research for her characters. She decides she wants to know more about Alex, about his job and what he does on the streets and starts popping up all over the place. He decides he wants to know her better, physically and emotionally, even though he finds her a bit irritating and odd. Bess is all for it and goes along with Alex's ideas. But Bess soon realizes, despite her previous suitors, she's never been in love like this before and is surprised at how much love hurts...because Alex, although he claims to love her, doesn't trust Bess's feelings for him.
Every now and again, NR writes a heroine that rubs me the wrong way, like this one. It's a type that I've seen in some of her other stories and never seem to be able to connect with. The heroine definitely got in the way of my enjoyment of this story. From the beginning, she annoyed me and I’m not sure it ever actually stopped. She’s peppy, effervescent even and she’s perpetually unoffended no matter what anyone says to her (at least up to the end when love smacks her in the face). She doesn’t even see bad in people...which is why she constantly defends her three ex-fiancees and forgives the hero in the snap of a finger. It’s like nardly anything touches her...even fear. I mean, first scene, she’s bee-bopping around downtown pretending to be a hooker and almost gets roped into an actual hookup and she’s never even scared. She encounters the hooker’s pimp who’s this close to laying into her and is she scared? Nope. A little shaken, but she knew she’d be perfectly safe and there wasn’t any reason why she shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Women like this drive me nuts - they’re not completely TSTL, but they might as well be when they have no rational fear to stop them from doing stupid shit or any common sense to stop them from being more of a nuisance than they already are. I honestly don’t know what Alex saw in her (of course he was no peach either). More than that though, I was seriously disturbed with seeing how Bess, a wealthy woman living in a mansion and affording the most expensive stuff, walks around in the seediest of areas like it’s some sort of frickin’ tourist attraction. She gapes and gawks and thinks it’s so fascinating as if the people who live there have any choice in the matter. And she uses the lives and experiences of a downtrodden woman in order to write a fictional story, but does she really pay it back? Sure she decides to help Rosalie because she feels a connection, but I don’t see Ms. wealthy-heroine volunteering at the local shelter or doing anything to help battered women. It bothered me that she treated serious stuff like prostitution, murder and domestic violence as though it were a fictional story instead of giving it the gravity it deserves...it’s tragic, not fun. Alex is getting information about a murder from his snitch at his pawnshop and she’s going shopping for props for her soap opera. I SO kept hoping that some tirade on the hero’s part would actually sink through her thick skull.
And believe me, there were plenty of tirades coming from the hero. I’m not sure he even really liked Bess, but he claimed to love her from like, the 40% mark, and then berate her every other page and refuse to believe her when she said she loved him. Then he very nearly calls her a whore (pot, meet kettle). I also didn’t feel much chemistry between them. It seemed he spent so much time there in the beginning being completely annoyed with her (as I was) and then all of a sudden their kissing and talking about going to bed with each other and I’m all, wait, what? Even once they’re actually in love I wasn’t feeling it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2018
Alex es un bombón. Así se simple.
Alexei Stanislaski es un policía que tiene la cabeza bien puesta, cuando mete presa a la hermosa Bess en la casa por prostitución, para minutos después enterarse que no era más que una escritora en una misión encubierta de recopilación de información para sus guiones, en ese momento decide que ella no tiene ni una pizca de sentido común. Así empieza la historia de esta dispareja pareja, porque ella es luz, colores, dulzura... mientras que él es reservado, abocado a su trabajo, con una debilidad increíble por su numerosa familia, justo lo que a ella le falta.
Y así flechan al último de los Stanislaski. :3
Alexei Stanislaski es un policía que tiene la cabeza bien puesta, cuando mete presa a la hermosa Bess en la casa por prostitución, para minutos después enterarse que no era más que una escritora en una misión encubierta de recopilación de información para sus guiones, en ese momento decide que ella no tiene ni una pizca de sentido común. Así empieza la historia de esta dispareja pareja, porque ella es luz, colores, dulzura... mientras que él es reservado, abocado a su trabajo, con una debilidad increíble por su numerosa familia, justo lo que a ella le falta.
Y así flechan al último de los Stanislaski. :3
August 24, 2021
I have read this story countless times. Actually this whole series. It is one of my favorite, probably because each story in it is so unique and yet fits in just right. When it comes dowb to it, each story goes back to the core, the value of a strong loving family.
I'm glad Ms. Roberts had Rachels story before Alex. This is one of those times when even as the story stands on its own, the information from Rachel's makes it so much richer. The reader really gets a sense of who Alex is in that story. This then creates an excitment for Alexi.
This is an excelent story for anyone 14+ and mature. I say this because of the mild sexual content and also the policevcase which is a big factor in the story.
I'm glad Ms. Roberts had Rachels story before Alex. This is one of those times when even as the story stands on its own, the information from Rachel's makes it so much richer. The reader really gets a sense of who Alex is in that story. This then creates an excitment for Alexi.
This is an excelent story for anyone 14+ and mature. I say this because of the mild sexual content and also the policevcase which is a big factor in the story.
March 25, 2016
Convincing Alex is about police detective Alex Stanislaski. He is out on the streets and arrests Bree McNee, a writer for a television series. Bree is out on the streets impersonating a hooker to get close to one so she can write a part in the television series. She connects with Rosalie but Rosalie’s pimp, Bobby, is another thing. Then his boss tells him he is to allow Bree to shadow him all day and answer all her questions, again for her show. However, there is a distinct romantic connection between Alex and Bree. Can he keep her out of trouble and keep his police deference away from her.
February 26, 2012
This is the 1st NR book I didn't care for. I felt like the hero never respected the heroine and I wondered through a lot of the book if he even liked her. When talking about her with others he was disrespectful. Total surprise for me in an NR book.
I know others feel differently. I suspect this is a "not my cup of tea" book, so take it with a grain of salt along with some the other reviews.
I know others feel differently. I suspect this is a "not my cup of tea" book, so take it with a grain of salt along with some the other reviews.
October 17, 2014
Bess ne harika bir karakterdi öyle.. Bayıldım!! Gülmekten öldürdü beni..
Nora'nın klasik romantic suspense türündeydi kitap.. Cinayetler, ipuçları falan filan..
Freddie ve Nick arasındaki yakınlaşma az çok kendini gösterir gibi oldu.. Hatta büyükler de durumun farkında..
Yine süper bir hikayeydi.. Nora böyle geniş ailelerin olduğu hikayelere devam etmeli kesinlikle..
Nora'nın klasik romantic suspense türündeydi kitap.. Cinayetler, ipuçları falan filan..
Freddie ve Nick arasındaki yakınlaşma az çok kendini gösterir gibi oldu.. Hatta büyükler de durumun farkında..
Yine süper bir hikayeydi.. Nora böyle geniş ailelerin olduğu hikayelere devam etmeli kesinlikle..
January 29, 2015
Toda a saga é gira, mas da Nora já vi melhor; contudo as personagens são divertidas!
October 31, 2016
Bu aileye kapıldım.
May 7, 2022
Totally forgettable. I know because I've read it before and totally forgot it.
July 23, 2018
So, I definitely spent some time listening to audiobooks today. I like this story as well, but it just isn't my favorite in this series.
February 4, 2018
Čitajući Norinu knjigu mogu čuti one plavuše sa Beverly Hillsa kako šetaju uokolo u pink haljinama, čak iako ona likove naziva pametnim. Zgodan momak, pametna cura i Televisa presenta. Jedina dobra strana knjige je što se brzo čita...
June 12, 2024
This has 1994 views on sex workers: one star
This has a heroine with a life-size stuffed ostrich in her bedroom: four stars.
She also has a conversation pit in 1994: three stars.
3 stars for a whole lot of low key wtf.
This has a heroine with a life-size stuffed ostrich in her bedroom: four stars.
She also has a conversation pit in 1994: three stars.
3 stars for a whole lot of low key wtf.
July 8, 2023
i enjoyed everything but the ending. i didn’t understand how it was okay to kiss “old friends”. and the way the whole situation was resolved wasn’t perfect either to me.
March 24, 2025
El libro no está mal,pero tenía potencial para ser el mejor.
Pero presto demasiada atención a la novela que estaba guionando la protagonista,y dejó de lado lo verdaderamente importante.
Pero presto demasiada atención a la novela que estaba guionando la protagonista,y dejó de lado lo verdaderamente importante.
September 17, 2021
Once again, no idea why the f this book was in the prison library….but. I read it !
January 25, 2011
I really enjoyed these characters. I absolutly loved Bess, with her unconventional looks and brains, and jsut how carefree and happy she is. I loved Alexi's yough demeanor, but he readily fell for Bess. I love how Bess is always getting herself into trouble, from pretending to be a hooker, to getting involved in that scene, and following Alexi around. When she witnessed the murder with Alex, wow that was intense. I love how Alex wanted a wife who he could tuck away in a corner and protect from everything he sees, and Bess is never going to be that way. I loved how he tells her that he loves her all the time, and she loves him but he can't believe her due to her many previous engagements. I love that Rachel is pregnant and Rachel from the beginning sees how Alex is falling for Bess. I love how protective Alex and Zack are of Rachel. Bess's party was great and how both Bess and Alex are just flirty by nature. I liked how Laex ran back to kiss Bess when he was supposed to just leave. Bess's need to always research and learn through Alex and Rosalie, and anyone. I loved how Bess was always put together and witty, but when Alex turns on the charm, she becomes a mess. I love seeing Mik with Griff, and how the family just keeps growing. I loved how Laex wanted to learn everything about her. I loved how their first time was after the murder when Alex realized she wouldn't let him hide the ugly things from his life and career, and he just wanted to protect her. The family dinner chapter as always was one of my favorites. I loved that Sydney was pregnat again, and how Rachel went into labor, and Bess just lended right in wit them. I love how Yuri asked the when they were going to give him more grandbabies. The part where Nick and Freddie hugged and Freddie told him she always though about having babies and Nick got all nervous was great, and how already he was fighting seeing her as just his cousin. I loved that Rachel and Zack had a girl. I loved the office sex, because Alex had just realized he wanted that big family with Bess, and he wanted everything with her, and he was sure that she would leave him like all the others, so he just had to take her. How Bess finally got the words out, but Alex still doesn't believe her. When Bess finds out that Rosalie was killed and they grieve, it was so sad because they both cared for her. I loved how after busting Jack, Alex was all ready to propose to Bess and then he saw her with Charlie and there was a big misunderstanding, and then Bess told him to leave, and of course they were both miserable. I loved how they finally got engaged and how Lori told Alexi that Bess was a matchmaker and she just wnated to help those guys find their true match. I loved the rainbow ring that Alex picked out because it's unconventinal like them, and bright like Bess. I feel like each story is my favorite, but each is a favorite for different reasons, Tash and Spence for family and second chances, Mik and Syndey for that passion and going against society, Rachel and Zack for fiery tempers and becoming best friends in a different way, and Alexi and Bess for fun and romance with a twist.
December 21, 2022
My favorite book of the Stanislaskis series
Alex is my favorite of the four Stanislaski siblings, which include two sisters and two brothers. He has a strong, vibrant personality, without being a thoroughly obnoxious domineering jerk, as far too many of the romance-genre heroes of the 80’s through the mid-90’s were.
Bess is an especially fun and quirky heroine. She is a soap opera writer who behaves like a method actor, regularly venturing out into the seamier sides of New York City in order to directly experience what the soap characters in her scripts will be portraying, in order to make her writing more authentic. This artistic habit of Bess leads to one of the most unique and humorous Meet Cutes I’ve ever read. Bess is dressed as a hooker, and Alex arrests her for prostitution when he and his partner are doing a sting.
Another unusual situation in this novel—which continues to be atypical, even in 2022, almost 30 years after the initial publication date of this novel—is the fact that Bess’s standard of living is miles above Alex’s. She has inherited wealth and high social status from her parents, and she also makes a big salary as a writer. In contrast, Alex comes from a first-generation immigrant family, and as a police detective, he only has a middle-class income. In spite of this fact, NR doesn’t use that socioeconomic situation to create romantic conflict. Alex barely even thinks about Bess’s wealth, one way or the other. The only issue keeping him from leaping headfirst into an HEA with Bess is his deep concern that Bess has had three previous fiancés. Alex fears she is a romantic flake, who will love him and leave him, and break his heart.
It is a pleasant change reading Harlequin sex scenes from this era. There is zero crude language in the bedroom (or anywhere in the entire book), and the only descriptions beyond kissing that occur focus on emotions rather than body parts.
Finally, I enjoy it very much whenever a romance hero earns his ripped physique via the only way that it is realistically possible to do—by working out hard with great frequency at a gym. I also appreciate it whenever a slender heroine also works out, as Bess does, and eats a normal amount of food, rather than the ridiculous fantasy of a slim heroine who never exercises and eats enough calories to fuel a sumo wrestler.
Alex is my favorite of the four Stanislaski siblings, which include two sisters and two brothers. He has a strong, vibrant personality, without being a thoroughly obnoxious domineering jerk, as far too many of the romance-genre heroes of the 80’s through the mid-90’s were.
Bess is an especially fun and quirky heroine. She is a soap opera writer who behaves like a method actor, regularly venturing out into the seamier sides of New York City in order to directly experience what the soap characters in her scripts will be portraying, in order to make her writing more authentic. This artistic habit of Bess leads to one of the most unique and humorous Meet Cutes I’ve ever read. Bess is dressed as a hooker, and Alex arrests her for prostitution when he and his partner are doing a sting.
Another unusual situation in this novel—which continues to be atypical, even in 2022, almost 30 years after the initial publication date of this novel—is the fact that Bess’s standard of living is miles above Alex’s. She has inherited wealth and high social status from her parents, and she also makes a big salary as a writer. In contrast, Alex comes from a first-generation immigrant family, and as a police detective, he only has a middle-class income. In spite of this fact, NR doesn’t use that socioeconomic situation to create romantic conflict. Alex barely even thinks about Bess’s wealth, one way or the other. The only issue keeping him from leaping headfirst into an HEA with Bess is his deep concern that Bess has had three previous fiancés. Alex fears she is a romantic flake, who will love him and leave him, and break his heart.
It is a pleasant change reading Harlequin sex scenes from this era. There is zero crude language in the bedroom (or anywhere in the entire book), and the only descriptions beyond kissing that occur focus on emotions rather than body parts.
Finally, I enjoy it very much whenever a romance hero earns his ripped physique via the only way that it is realistically possible to do—by working out hard with great frequency at a gym. I also appreciate it whenever a slender heroine also works out, as Bess does, and eats a normal amount of food, rather than the ridiculous fantasy of a slim heroine who never exercises and eats enough calories to fuel a sumo wrestler.
January 6, 2016
this is probably my least favorite of the series. unlike the others where the couples were so obviously different but worked together i just didn't feel like this couple meshed very well. first while I always like alex as a supporting character he's a little too much of a joke to be a hero that I really want to see. for three books his bimbo of the month has been a family joke and while I am a hopeless romantic I just don't respect him enough to root for him. bess was...interesting. she's so optimistic almost to the point of unrealisticness. she had no common sense which automatically knocks her out of my heroine checklist and even though she made it endearing it was almost painful to read about someone that naive. and the two of them together just didnt work he was too intense for her and she was too...not quite flaky but something alomg that line for him. there was zero trust on his side which inmy mind equals no relationship. because I wasn't too fond of the characters or their romance the rest of the book went downhill for me. the writing technically was as good as any but it lacked the flavor that roberts usually puts into her books. the whole thing lacked the depth I've come to love from robertsand that was highly disappointing esp for a book so late in the series. the plot did decent until near the end where it just kind of got glossed over to HEA without any really good resolution. the romantic development was subpar with a no we should take things slow beginning then straight into bed after two dates (and really does anyone in this family practice safe sex?) then it was like a montage of relationship activities until the end more than actual relationship development. the sex scenes were more raw and sexy than roberts normal writing which was for me this books saving grace but it lacked the edge I expect from her. a disappointment but on to the next
March 17, 2021
I usually really like Nora Roberts’ writing. But this felt short and forced. There was too much about the other family members without description or explanation. I had read he previous ones but a while ago and I couldn’t keep them apart.
Then, the fell in love fast. Not like they were struck with it but like he thinks she’s interesting and then the next paragraph he loves her. Plus, I had a hard time believing it. She wasn’t written with a great depth of character and neither was he.
The characters were fine. The story was fine. It wasn’t a waste of time, but it wasn’t great, either.
Then, the fell in love fast. Not like they were struck with it but like he thinks she’s interesting and then the next paragraph he loves her. Plus, I had a hard time believing it. She wasn’t written with a great depth of character and neither was he.
The characters were fine. The story was fine. It wasn’t a waste of time, but it wasn’t great, either.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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