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As a deputy in Majestic, Colorado, Lanie Prescott doesn't see enough action issuing parking tickets, so she decides to accept a law-enforcement job elsewhere. On the night of her going-away party, the job offer is postponed, and Lanie is stuck in her hometown—unemployed.
Maintaining a brave face is hard—especially when she meets her replacement. He's tall, he's gorgeous and her heart beats so fast she should be arrested for imagining all the ways she could use her handcuffs. Paul Cabrera left the Miami P.D. to distance himself from an old case that haunts him to this day. But his pursuit of a quiet life is hardly that with the sexy Lanie living next door.
When a summer crime wave hits the small town, Lanie is back on the force, and what began as an arresting attraction between Paul and Lanie turns into an internal affair of the heart. Suddenly, life in Majestic isn't so bad after all.
Maintaining a brave face is hard—especially when she meets her replacement. He's tall, he's gorgeous and her heart beats so fast she should be arrested for imagining all the ways she could use her handcuffs. Paul Cabrera left the Miami P.D. to distance himself from an old case that haunts him to this day. But his pursuit of a quiet life is hardly that with the sexy Lanie living next door.
When a summer crime wave hits the small town, Lanie is back on the force, and what began as an arresting attraction between Paul and Lanie turns into an internal affair of the heart. Suddenly, life in Majestic isn't so bad after all.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2003
4 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
About the author
Stef Ann Holm
41 books64 followersStef Ann Holm was born in Southern California near Hollywood. With the fantasy worlds of Disneyland and Universal Studios at her doorstep, her imagination was stimulated at an early age. She attended Chatsworth High where Kevin Spacey, Mare Winningham and Val Kilmer entertained on the school's stage. As a semester elective, Stef Ann enrolled in drama and played a Fandango hostess in the chorus of Sweet Charity. It was the beginning and the end of her acting and singing career. She got a "C" in Drama and an "A" in Creative Writing.
She sold her first romance in 1987. While waiting for a load of laundry to complete at the laundromat, Stef Ann made up the name for her heroine, Camry, when she saw a Toyota Camry parked outside in the lot. Who knew that model would end up being so popular, making her in-depth research seem so shallow. Stef Ann has had twenty-three novels and one novella published. Her editor calls her contemporary romances, "Slices of life stories about real people."
Stef Ann lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, extended family and beloved Beagle.
She sold her first romance in 1987. While waiting for a load of laundry to complete at the laundromat, Stef Ann made up the name for her heroine, Camry, when she saw a Toyota Camry parked outside in the lot. Who knew that model would end up being so popular, making her in-depth research seem so shallow. Stef Ann has had twenty-three novels and one novella published. Her editor calls her contemporary romances, "Slices of life stories about real people."
Stef Ann lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, extended family and beloved Beagle.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 18, 2018
A contemporary romance. Perhaps I wasn’t engrossed to being reading a contemporary romance at this time but the novel seemed rather ‘typical’ or ‘ordinary’ to me. Damsel in distress. Male comes into damsel’s life at moment of distress. Tall, handsome guy and damsel live “happily ever after.”
I think the reason that I was disappointed in this novel is due to the missed opportunity. The main character, Lanie Prescott, is deputy in Majestic, Colorado and feels invisible at work, compared with male colleagues. Police Chief Herb Deutsch (nickname Dutch) has kept Lanie on mundane assignments (e.g. meter maid, funeral procession director, school safety crossing guard, crowd control at a local grocery store’s grand reopening) and without challenge or action.
An online definition of Gender Equality shares: “Gender Equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favored.”
Lanie Prescott has chosen to pursue another law enforcement position in a neighboring community as the past four (4) years on the Majestic police force have not given her the decision-making and same rights and opportunities as her male colleagues on the force. This novel had an opportunity to have Lanie as main character be more assertive in bringing the issue to light not merely complain (almost to the extent of whining in an “Oh, woe is me!” way).
Reminiscent of reading a Danielle Steel novel - Predictable. But then sometimes a reader is looking to engage in light reading and then it could be the perfect novel that readers coming in the bookstore would ask for as a “beach book.”
I think the reason that I was disappointed in this novel is due to the missed opportunity. The main character, Lanie Prescott, is deputy in Majestic, Colorado and feels invisible at work, compared with male colleagues. Police Chief Herb Deutsch (nickname Dutch) has kept Lanie on mundane assignments (e.g. meter maid, funeral procession director, school safety crossing guard, crowd control at a local grocery store’s grand reopening) and without challenge or action.
An online definition of Gender Equality shares: “Gender Equality is achieved when women and men enjoy the same rights and opportunities across all sectors of society, including economic participation and decision-making, and when the different behaviors, aspirations and needs of women and men are equally valued and favored.”
Lanie Prescott has chosen to pursue another law enforcement position in a neighboring community as the past four (4) years on the Majestic police force have not given her the decision-making and same rights and opportunities as her male colleagues on the force. This novel had an opportunity to have Lanie as main character be more assertive in bringing the issue to light not merely complain (almost to the extent of whining in an “Oh, woe is me!” way).
Reminiscent of reading a Danielle Steel novel - Predictable. But then sometimes a reader is looking to engage in light reading and then it could be the perfect novel that readers coming in the bookstore would ask for as a “beach book.”
October 10, 2025
This is another of my cleaning out the closet books, and me working on finishing Stef Ann Holm's contemporary books I squirreled away. I've spoken in other reviews about how I loved her historicals and how she kindly gifted me some way back in the day.
There is something very interesting about reading a book written 20 years ago. Cell phones are around but not as prevalent. The cultural references are of course different. But what really stuck out to me was that both our hero and heroine were clearly in their 30s, yet their maturity level and attitude towards work is so different from contemporaries written today. I'm reading one now with a thirtysomething heroine who thinks and acts like a toddler. Have we really changed that much in 20 years? Have we regressed as a culture? Um, don't answer that. I think I know the answer.
Anyway. Our hero and heroine are decent folks and I like them, but their relationship was very low stakes. The inclusion of the heroine's mother's romance was...interesting as some commenters have written.
Here's what I say: It sure is interesting to read about two 58 year olds when you are 58 and the book was written 20 years ago. The characters skew so much older than I feel. Maybe that's because I never had kids. The mother's love interest is kind of a macho jerk, and again - it hits different reading this in 2025.
Not mad I read this as it made me think.
There is something very interesting about reading a book written 20 years ago. Cell phones are around but not as prevalent. The cultural references are of course different. But what really stuck out to me was that both our hero and heroine were clearly in their 30s, yet their maturity level and attitude towards work is so different from contemporaries written today. I'm reading one now with a thirtysomething heroine who thinks and acts like a toddler. Have we really changed that much in 20 years? Have we regressed as a culture? Um, don't answer that. I think I know the answer.
Anyway. Our hero and heroine are decent folks and I like them, but their relationship was very low stakes. The inclusion of the heroine's mother's romance was...interesting as some commenters have written.
Here's what I say: It sure is interesting to read about two 58 year olds when you are 58 and the book was written 20 years ago. The characters skew so much older than I feel. Maybe that's because I never had kids. The mother's love interest is kind of a macho jerk, and again - it hits different reading this in 2025.
Not mad I read this as it made me think.
June 1, 2009
First book that I've read by this author, and I enjoyed this story of a female cop who decides to leave her overly macho boss whose protectiveness is neither welcome nor asked for, just in time to fall for her replacement... The main protagonists are enjoyable and believable...and pleasant to be around the time it takes to read the book.
I'll be curious to check out other books by this author.
I'll be curious to check out other books by this author.
April 12, 2021
Falling in love again
Sweet romance between police officers and the women who love them. Lanie Prescott was a deputy for a small town in Colorado. The police chief kept her on parking tickets and any other job that didn’t require her to be in danger. She accepts a job in a nearby town, the chief hires her replacement then her job is put on hold. She struggles with the unfairness of it all. She has rented out her house, then she realizes that her replacement is her renter. They are wary of each other at first, of course Paul is drop dead gorgeous and sparks fly between them.
Sweet romance between police officers and the women who love them. Lanie Prescott was a deputy for a small town in Colorado. The police chief kept her on parking tickets and any other job that didn’t require her to be in danger. She accepts a job in a nearby town, the chief hires her replacement then her job is put on hold. She struggles with the unfairness of it all. She has rented out her house, then she realizes that her replacement is her renter. They are wary of each other at first, of course Paul is drop dead gorgeous and sparks fly between them.
May 7, 2017
Literally the worst book I have ever read. One of the characters was such a blatant sexist and no one seemed to think that a woman experiencing sexist bias in the work place is a problem?! AWFUL. This plot line would have been forgiven however if there was any sexual chemistry.
June 27, 2022
The storyline wasn’t too bad but the editing was bad. There was a lot of grammatical errors and names kept switching.
October 19, 2014
First of all... let me just say that Arresting Attraction is a MUCH better title for this book than Undressed.
There is so much I enjoyed about this book. All of the character history really helped me understand who all of the characters were... how they became who they were. Not only Lanie and Paul... but also the main supporting characters (like Lanie's mother Lucille, Chief "Dutch", and even Paul's mother and step-father). I loved how Lanie found herself unexpectedly following in her father's footsteps by becoming a cop. It was amazing how her mother was so supportive of her, even when her father had been killed in the line of duty. Paul being a juvenile delinquent... but becoming a cop after having the support of Sid, a cop that arrested him as a teen... really helped you understand why his job was so important to him. And, the 2 coming together while they were both in the middle of life transitions was pretty perfect/horrible timing that made for a story that drew you in while you wondered how they would figure out where their lives would take them.
I love that the series is individual, read alone, stories... but I'm hoping that some of the upcoming books will also come back to include some recurring characters!
There is so much I enjoyed about this book. All of the character history really helped me understand who all of the characters were... how they became who they were. Not only Lanie and Paul... but also the main supporting characters (like Lanie's mother Lucille, Chief "Dutch", and even Paul's mother and step-father). I loved how Lanie found herself unexpectedly following in her father's footsteps by becoming a cop. It was amazing how her mother was so supportive of her, even when her father had been killed in the line of duty. Paul being a juvenile delinquent... but becoming a cop after having the support of Sid, a cop that arrested him as a teen... really helped you understand why his job was so important to him. And, the 2 coming together while they were both in the middle of life transitions was pretty perfect/horrible timing that made for a story that drew you in while you wondered how they would figure out where their lives would take them.
I love that the series is individual, read alone, stories... but I'm hoping that some of the upcoming books will also come back to include some recurring characters!
March 31, 2015
Good one of the "To Protect and Serve, Heroes in Uniform" series. Paul Cabrera is a detective who has burned out in Miami PD. He retires early and moves across the country to Majestic, Colorado to take a job as a Deputy. At the same time, Lanie Prescott, one of Majestic's other deputies, is leaving because she has been denied a real opportunity because she is a female.
They are immediately attracted to each other, but they are traveling in opposite directions. One complication is that Lanie's dad was the former chief, killed in the line of duty; all the officers want to protect her as part of the "family". Her mother is also mistaken in thinking that Lanie can't do the job. Lots of misinformation ensues before the HEA, including another surprising romance, some old bad feelings and a couple of exes.
I hope Holm can find a few more uniformed services to write these novels about. I like that she doesn't take an easy way out; each of the stories has a complexity not found in your garden-variety romance.
They are immediately attracted to each other, but they are traveling in opposite directions. One complication is that Lanie's dad was the former chief, killed in the line of duty; all the officers want to protect her as part of the "family". Her mother is also mistaken in thinking that Lanie can't do the job. Lots of misinformation ensues before the HEA, including another surprising romance, some old bad feelings and a couple of exes.
I hope Holm can find a few more uniformed services to write these novels about. I like that she doesn't take an easy way out; each of the stories has a complexity not found in your garden-variety romance.
October 24, 2014
This was another very enjoyable read from Stef Ann Holm.
At times it was slow moving but I like that she makes the relationships between her characters very realistic. There's a great build up to them actually being together. It can be very frustrating at times but it still is nice to read.
I really like Lanie. She wants so badly to be a good cop. But because she's a female and her boss is very old fashion he won't let her prove herself and get in on the action. So she looks for a new job. Paul and her fit really well together. The chemistry between them was great. He's a really nice guy and I liked him and Lanie together.
This was a very sweet enjoyable read. If your looking for a nice believable story then I would definitely recommend picking this one up.
At times it was slow moving but I like that she makes the relationships between her characters very realistic. There's a great build up to them actually being together. It can be very frustrating at times but it still is nice to read.
I really like Lanie. She wants so badly to be a good cop. But because she's a female and her boss is very old fashion he won't let her prove herself and get in on the action. So she looks for a new job. Paul and her fit really well together. The chemistry between them was great. He's a really nice guy and I liked him and Lanie together.
This was a very sweet enjoyable read. If your looking for a nice believable story then I would definitely recommend picking this one up.
March 3, 2015
Don't waste your money
The first book in this series was so good I couldn't wait to read this one. I am so disappointed. I could only get threw 29% and was bored to death. I can't believe this was written by the same author. Don't waste your money.
The first book in this series was so good I couldn't wait to read this one. I am so disappointed. I could only get threw 29% and was bored to death. I can't believe this was written by the same author. Don't waste your money.
April 22, 2010
it's a feel good book that will make you smile.
May 2, 2012
Good enough story set in a sleepy town in America about two cops falling in love. Nice enough, but no surprises.
March 20, 2013
This is the first book that I had read from this author and I enjoyed it. I liked the characters more than anything. I liked the guy character.
May 15, 2008
This was a fun, make-you-smile read!!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews