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Looking for Lacey
IN THE GAME OF SEDUCTION, HE WILL ACCEPT NOTHING LESS
THAN TOTAL SURRENDER.
When prim and proper Lacey Wright decided to start a new life, she never dreamed she’d be managing a sports bar. But she is determined to make it work even if she is a bit out of her element. The only thing standing in the way is her recklessly charming new boss—a man she finds totally infuriating . . . and completely irresistible.
There isn’t a woman in all of Texas who can resist sexy and confident football legend Bobby McIntyre—no one, that is, except the prissy new bar manager who gets his blood pumping. She’s not interested in his money or his fame, and she sees through the macho act he shows the world. But when the tables are turned and it’s Lacey who demands total surrender, can Bobby Mac afford the high stakes in a game of true love?
THAN TOTAL SURRENDER.
When prim and proper Lacey Wright decided to start a new life, she never dreamed she’d be managing a sports bar. But she is determined to make it work even if she is a bit out of her element. The only thing standing in the way is her recklessly charming new boss—a man she finds totally infuriating . . . and completely irresistible.
There isn’t a woman in all of Texas who can resist sexy and confident football legend Bobby McIntyre—no one, that is, except the prissy new bar manager who gets his blood pumping. She’s not interested in his money or his fame, and she sees through the macho act he shows the world. But when the tables are turned and it’s Lacey who demands total surrender, can Bobby Mac afford the high stakes in a game of true love?
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
12 people are currently reading
221 people want to read
About the author
Linda Francis Lee
40 books488 followersLinda Francis Lee is a native Texan now calling New York City home. Linda's writing career began when her article "There Is No Finish Line" was published in her university's quarterly magazine. But she got sidetracked from writing when she started teaching probability and statistics. Later she found her way back to writing, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution called her breakout novel, Blue Waltz, "absolutely stunning."
Now Linda is the author of nineteen books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas. Lee's next novel, her twentieth, is a large work of fiction about the redemption of a man, and will be released in 2011.
When Linda isn't writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.
Now Linda is the author of nineteen books that are published in sixteen countries around the world, in languages as diverse as Japanese and Russian. Two of her most recent novels are in development for feature films, and she is in the process of co-developing a television series set in her beloved Texas. Lee's next novel, her twentieth, is a large work of fiction about the redemption of a man, and will be released in 2011.
When Linda isn't writing, she loves to run in Central Park and spend time with her husband, family, and friends.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
July 13, 2011
When star quarterback Bobby “Mac” McIntyre comes home to get back on his feet after a particularly bad injury he is shocked to find that his sister Beth has fired his long time bar manager Gator and given the job to – wait for it – a woman.
Single Mom Lacey Wright’s biggest priority is to take care of her fifteen year old daughter Robin, and to land the job as manager for “Bobby’s Place” sure is a lucky break - being allowed to move into the apartment above, icing on the cake!
These two individuals, of course, clash at the very first opportunity. Prim and proper Lacey makes ladies man Bobby go crazy. He does all he can to keep his walls up, living in denial of the possibility that Lacey just might be the one.
Robin is beyond happy about settling down, but she doesn’t expect to fall for uber cool bad boy Kyle Walker. Her overly protective Mom is going to flip!
Oh wow! I’m in love with this book. Seriously head over heels in fu**ing love!
Bobby was such a grump most of the time, but one could see, that deep down, he had a kind heart. After the injury that left him with constant pain in his knee and a bad concussion, he developed a deep rooted fear of having and being nothing without football. Bobby also couldn't handle any kind of feelings well. His little sister Beth had, until Lacey, been the only one to be able to soften him up. His sometimes asshole-ish behaviour, I only forgave him because I sensed he didn’t have it easy in the past. I wondered what had happened to him. He hid his physical and emotional pain so well, no one but Lacey was able to pick up on it.
The first flashback to his childhood just about killed me. I was crying my eyes out. Keep your tissues ready! A little goody: He calls his sister Boo. They have a very special relationship.
Bobby has built an almost unbreakable wall around himself, and all I wanted to do is use a hammer to smash it to pieces. Mr. Grumpy was in dire need of some love. With every chapter I learned more about his past. He also loved to overstep his bounds; doing so with a boyish carelessness I couldn’t stay mad at him for.
At one point I was crying without even noticing I did. I had to take a break, overcome the sadness that gripped at my gut and pull myself together again.
Old habits die hard, but Lacey made the effort to stop running from her life and settle down. Her daughter Robin deserved no less. All I thought was “Finally a heroine with a kid and responsibilities.” Dealing with her boss’ hostility, I wanted to pat her on the shoulder. You gotta love a Mom who would do anything for her child. You will come to respect her, faults and all. She needed to realize that her daughter growing up was not a bad thing. It was pretty hard for her, probably due to being judged by people for having a child out of wedlock before. I loved when she took over Bobbies kitchen after seeing right through his “all is just dandy and my knee doesn’t hurt at all” facade.
The sizzle between them was almost too much to handle, especially because he’s being a jerk and neither of them had a clue what was clearly about to happen. Watch out for the moment when she gets free fashion advice from him. So funny!
However, the second Bobby opened up to her, telling her his story, I was back to being an emotional mess. It was tough to take. Yes, the story can be described as a tad dramatic at times, but I really didn’t care. It was beautiful.
The book wasn’t just about Bobby’s and Lacey’s journey to happily ever after. Robin, too, fell in love and for the first time in forever dared to hope for a happy ending. She knew her Mom wasn’t happy.
It was great that part of the story was told from Robin’s and Kyle’s (the boy that made her feel all gooey inside) point of view. One of the best subplots I’ve ever read. Kyle needed saving just as much as the rest. No worries, the switching between points of views was very balanced and not confusing in the least. I never lost sight of what was important (plotwise). By the way, there were many similarities between Bobby and Kyle to be found.
There also was this one moment I wanted to slap Lacey - badly. Because of her fear to let go, she almost ruined something, that was very important to her daughter.
A feel good romance with a great ending (what a lovely epilogue). 5 stars to Looking for Lacey by Linda Francis Lee.
Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “This is my desk. [...] found his SWEET THANG mug, clomped it down like a dog marking his territory.”
° “...he could hardly believe when she compared his dating skills to the mating habits of a prehistoric primate.”
° “I’m happy, Mom. But it is hard to be really happy, when you’re so miserable.”
° “Shut your mouth, Robin, so I can kiss you.”
° “I’m me, and I’m different and you constantly judge me by your mistakes.”
Single Mom Lacey Wright’s biggest priority is to take care of her fifteen year old daughter Robin, and to land the job as manager for “Bobby’s Place” sure is a lucky break - being allowed to move into the apartment above, icing on the cake!
These two individuals, of course, clash at the very first opportunity. Prim and proper Lacey makes ladies man Bobby go crazy. He does all he can to keep his walls up, living in denial of the possibility that Lacey just might be the one.
Robin is beyond happy about settling down, but she doesn’t expect to fall for uber cool bad boy Kyle Walker. Her overly protective Mom is going to flip!
Oh wow! I’m in love with this book. Seriously head over heels in fu**ing love!
Bobby was such a grump most of the time, but one could see, that deep down, he had a kind heart. After the injury that left him with constant pain in his knee and a bad concussion, he developed a deep rooted fear of having and being nothing without football. Bobby also couldn't handle any kind of feelings well. His little sister Beth had, until Lacey, been the only one to be able to soften him up. His sometimes asshole-ish behaviour, I only forgave him because I sensed he didn’t have it easy in the past. I wondered what had happened to him. He hid his physical and emotional pain so well, no one but Lacey was able to pick up on it.
The first flashback to his childhood just about killed me. I was crying my eyes out. Keep your tissues ready! A little goody: He calls his sister Boo. They have a very special relationship.
Bobby has built an almost unbreakable wall around himself, and all I wanted to do is use a hammer to smash it to pieces. Mr. Grumpy was in dire need of some love. With every chapter I learned more about his past. He also loved to overstep his bounds; doing so with a boyish carelessness I couldn’t stay mad at him for.
At one point I was crying without even noticing I did. I had to take a break, overcome the sadness that gripped at my gut and pull myself together again.
Old habits die hard, but Lacey made the effort to stop running from her life and settle down. Her daughter Robin deserved no less. All I thought was “Finally a heroine with a kid and responsibilities.” Dealing with her boss’ hostility, I wanted to pat her on the shoulder. You gotta love a Mom who would do anything for her child. You will come to respect her, faults and all. She needed to realize that her daughter growing up was not a bad thing. It was pretty hard for her, probably due to being judged by people for having a child out of wedlock before. I loved when she took over Bobbies kitchen after seeing right through his “all is just dandy and my knee doesn’t hurt at all” facade.
The sizzle between them was almost too much to handle, especially because he’s being a jerk and neither of them had a clue what was clearly about to happen. Watch out for the moment when she gets free fashion advice from him. So funny!
However, the second Bobby opened up to her, telling her his story, I was back to being an emotional mess. It was tough to take. Yes, the story can be described as a tad dramatic at times, but I really didn’t care. It was beautiful.
The book wasn’t just about Bobby’s and Lacey’s journey to happily ever after. Robin, too, fell in love and for the first time in forever dared to hope for a happy ending. She knew her Mom wasn’t happy.
It was great that part of the story was told from Robin’s and Kyle’s (the boy that made her feel all gooey inside) point of view. One of the best subplots I’ve ever read. Kyle needed saving just as much as the rest. No worries, the switching between points of views was very balanced and not confusing in the least. I never lost sight of what was important (plotwise). By the way, there were many similarities between Bobby and Kyle to be found.
There also was this one moment I wanted to slap Lacey - badly. Because of her fear to let go, she almost ruined something, that was very important to her daughter.
A feel good romance with a great ending (what a lovely epilogue). 5 stars to Looking for Lacey by Linda Francis Lee.
Beware of Spoilers!
A few of my favorite quotes for those of you who are interested:
° “This is my desk. [...] found his SWEET THANG mug, clomped it down like a dog marking his territory.”
° “...he could hardly believe when she compared his dating skills to the mating habits of a prehistoric primate.”
° “I’m happy, Mom. But it is hard to be really happy, when you’re so miserable.”
° “Shut your mouth, Robin, so I can kiss you.”
° “I’m me, and I’m different and you constantly judge me by your mistakes.”
December 12, 2015
I like this, it was cute and kinda funny. I was surprised that it was released in 2003 though. I would have pegged it from the clothing descriptions and attitude towards single parents as a couple of decades earlier. It's this last one that really bothered me, the fact that the main character is a single mum is really a huge deal. Here's a excerpt:
Anyone who said that times had changed, and unwed mothers were no longer thought poorly of, had never been an unwed mother. Rich and famous people in New York and California might have children without the benefit of a father, but the whole country in between wanted mothers to be married, and children to have at least the father’s last name— even if he wasn’t around any longer.
Now, I'm in the UK - which is generally more left leaning (politically) than the US anyway. But I've lived in the States a little too and I've had friends who are single parents and have never seen any of them have a problem because of it. Is it a small town thing? A Texas thing? I didn't get it and the constant mentioning it drive me a little bit crazy.
Anyone who said that times had changed, and unwed mothers were no longer thought poorly of, had never been an unwed mother. Rich and famous people in New York and California might have children without the benefit of a father, but the whole country in between wanted mothers to be married, and children to have at least the father’s last name— even if he wasn’t around any longer.
Now, I'm in the UK - which is generally more left leaning (politically) than the US anyway. But I've lived in the States a little too and I've had friends who are single parents and have never seen any of them have a problem because of it. Is it a small town thing? A Texas thing? I didn't get it and the constant mentioning it drive me a little bit crazy.
July 13, 2014
It's been a while since I read this one, but I'm here at work on a Sunday afternoon with nothing to do - so I'm killing time going through some of the books I read but never actually rated. I've read this one a couple of times and loved it. Lacey Wright is prickly and straight laced and not at all impressed with Bobbie Mac, the owner of the bar she works at. Bobby Mac is a charmer and not used to being turned down so of course when she does turn him down - a number of times, well, that makes her all the more challenging.
I just checked the price of this on Kindle as I'm slowly trying to add as many of my old favourites as I can. The cost for the ebook is too high for me, so now I just might have to dig up my print copy as I quite enjoyed this book.
I just checked the price of this on Kindle as I'm slowly trying to add as many of my old favourites as I can. The cost for the ebook is too high for me, so now I just might have to dig up my print copy as I quite enjoyed this book.
February 6, 2011
I am so in love with this book, can i just say that i feel so GUILTY in saying that i loved the daughter's story soooooo much even though she was 16 yrs old, i think the author did a great job touching on teenage love it was just right. Both mother and daughter were well written and thought out because to have written a story also about the 16 YEAR OLD daughter was excellent and unexpected and i wish the daughter's story could have continued on with another book with the daughter being older of course *smiling* ..THE BOOK WAS THAT GOOD. but can't forget the mother...JUST GET THE BOOK AND READ IT ITS WORTH THE BUY.....
November 14, 2009
(3.5 stars) Looking for Lacey is my first book by author Linda Francis Lee and I will definitely be reading other books by her, though this one was not all that great. The relationship between Bobby and Lacey seemed forced and I found Lacey annoying at times.
I normally don't like secondary romances, but in this instance I enjoyed the developing relationship between Kyle and Lacey's daughter Robin better than the book's main one. Their secondary romance is what made the book 3.5 stars for me, instead of just 3 - and made Looking for Lacey worth reading in the end.
I normally don't like secondary romances, but in this instance I enjoyed the developing relationship between Kyle and Lacey's daughter Robin better than the book's main one. Their secondary romance is what made the book 3.5 stars for me, instead of just 3 - and made Looking for Lacey worth reading in the end.
April 9, 2015
Bobby "Mac McIntyre, famous all-star quarterback for the Texas Lone Stars (that's right, THE Texas Lone Stars) has trouble letting people get close. But that gruff exterior is about to be challenged by the new manager of his sports bar, Lacey Wright. Sparks fly as this no-nonsense mysterious woman has the brass to stand up to the famous football star. But will he let Lacey in? And will he find Lacey?
A romance novel for staunch Catholics. Lacey's big shame is that she is an unwed mother. The book, not the setting, makes this seem a wrong unbearable.
A romance novel for staunch Catholics. Lacey's big shame is that she is an unwed mother. The book, not the setting, makes this seem a wrong unbearable.
April 1, 2008
Pretty good reading to pass the time. Once you get used to an author's writing style, it can be hard to stay interested. This book follows Lee's formula often seen in her paperback novels: repressed female working to survive against all odds meets sexy man who can 'unlock' her desires. CONS: not enough humor, predicable story line. PRO'S: at least it doesn't read like a typical Danielle Steele book.
April 24, 2008
I thought my standards were pretty low when it comes to chick-lit, but I was wrong! I have standards and this book didn't come close to meeting them. I bought it to read on vacation, but I was so bored that I didn't bother finishing it. The characters were poorly conceived and the plot was less than believable. If you're looking for something in this genre, try one of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' books. Her books have a similar plot, but add a great sense of humor to the storyline.
November 24, 2012
I adored this book. It has a character from her Sexy series, (which was a fun series.) This book was a little edgier than the other series, which I liked. I was able to relate to the characters, and felt their emotions with them. I am still thinking about the book almost a week later. Highly recommend!
June 2, 2010
I loved this book!!! It was the first romance novel that I read that had sports mixed in. I never knew how much I enjoyed the sports view until this book, Thank You! I'm going to say once again I Loved this book!
July 9, 2010
Linda Francis Lee ist für mich eine neue Autorin. Ich werde definitiv weitere Bücher von ihr lesen.
Looking for Lacey erinnerte mich ein wenig an die Romane von SEP. Besonders gut gefiel mir das Teenager-Paar.
Looking for Lacey erinnerte mich ein wenig an die Romane von SEP. Besonders gut gefiel mir das Teenager-Paar.
August 14, 2007
Entertaining, but ultimately forgettable.
Read
January 29, 2010liked....another R rated ;)
June 17, 2013
Really enjoyed this book. Couldn't put it down.
Read
August 26, 2013Read 9/03
January 15, 2015
Really enjoyed this one. I didn't love Lacey, however i did love Bobby. They were a good team, and i enjoyed the second romance with the kids. Overall a good read.
April 19, 2016
Typical romance book but was good
January 10, 2009
Sports, fun fast read.
May 27, 2019
Life as a single parent is no bed of roses if you have no one to turn too. Life with children has challenges and sometimes you need a village to see it through. Have to find a balance to bring it all around. Growing up can be hard for children and adults. This title gave a 360 view of two different upbringings of single parents and what a second chance of love and happiness can do to make the past stay in the past. A great story mixed with sex on two different levels as mother and daughter navigate their own personal needs with racing hormones. Two stories, two loves, two relationships and what family means. Sometimes not always a true family, but a family of those in our lives.
October 9, 2019
It was ok. A lot of sex.
February 6, 2020
This is a new author for me I really liked the book.It was really good.Will read more by this author
Read
April 16, 2020Oh, there was like a football player, and a straight laced lady, and a bar, and honestly it was kind of like "Cheers." But there was a lot of sex, which kind of surprised me.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews