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Avalon Investigations #3
Off Limits
A delightful battle of the sexes as a handsome New Orleans cop tries to charm the shirt off of his lady partner, who refuses to be charmed. Emma Frey is a by–the–book cop in New Orleans, and a case puts her head–to–head with fellow detective Bobby Halloran. Bobby is arrogant and notorious for bending the rules – exactly the type of man Emma avoids. But he also has information about her case and they have no choice but to work together. With an office pool going that Bobby will charm the pants off her in no time flat, Emma is just as determined to keep her pants – and everything else – on. But their case turns out to be more than either of them bargained for.especially when their battle of wills turns into something special.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
6 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Michele Albert
12 books20 followersMichelle Jerott was born on 17 January 1961 in Wisconsin, USA. Her very first romances she ever read, way back in high school, were Kathleen E. Woodiwiss's "The Flame and the Flower" and "The Wolf and the Dove" (published by Avon in the mid-70s). She said: "I fell in love with Heather and Brandon, Wulfgar and Aislinn--and have been hooked on romances ever since. I like nothing better than to curl up with a good book and a hot cup of coffee, and romances will always be my books of choice. Unlike some authors, I didn't come out of the womb wanting to write books. In fact, from about the age of 14, I wanted to be an archaeologist."
Michelle graduated with a classical Archaeology degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and even attended a summer program at University of London's Institute of Archaeology. She remembered: "My first dig, in high school, was a Mississippian Indian site not far from Terre Haute, Indiana, and my last was a Roman fort outside Newcastle in Great Britain. There, standing up to my knees in mud and swinging a pick ax, I decided that maybe archaeology wasn't my calling in life, after all. A career fast track was fine and dandy, but I wanted to take the scenic route through my own life instead. So, I had a baby and eventually went to work in a research lab, which allowed me time to write. When I sat down to write my first story, I had no doubt it would be a romance. As a kid, I was disappointed that girl oriented stories rarely had the same sort of fun, excitement or dangerous adventures as the boy oriented stories. Consequently, I re-wrote a lot of those books in my head. As I grew older, I discovered the books I liked to read (and write) were those in which the heroine has all sorts of fun and excitement... and yes, even adventures, dangerous or otherwise. On July 31, 1997, after three years of writing and shopping my manuscripts around, I sold my first book to Avon. A couple days later, I won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award for that same book, an award given to manuscripts written by unpublished writers. All in all, 1997 was an exciting year! Becoming a published writer has been a long-time goal, and I'm so excited to have this chance to make my dream come true. More importantly, I hope to share with you, through my characters and their stories, a little magic, a little fun, and a whole lot of romance!"
She signed her firts four books with her real name, Michelle Jerott, and later she used the pen name Michele Albert to continued a Series that started with "Absolute Trouble", her debut novel. Her novels: "Her Bodyguard" and "Getting Her Man" were both nominated for Best Mainstream Novel by Romantic Times and "Off Limits" appeared on the Waldenbook's National Bestseller List.
Married with a father of theee, Michelle lived with her husband, her son, his three children, and two lazy cats in a small town outside Madison, Wisconsin. She passed away on 5 July 2021 in her native Wisconsin.
Michelle graduated with a classical Archaeology degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and even attended a summer program at University of London's Institute of Archaeology. She remembered: "My first dig, in high school, was a Mississippian Indian site not far from Terre Haute, Indiana, and my last was a Roman fort outside Newcastle in Great Britain. There, standing up to my knees in mud and swinging a pick ax, I decided that maybe archaeology wasn't my calling in life, after all. A career fast track was fine and dandy, but I wanted to take the scenic route through my own life instead. So, I had a baby and eventually went to work in a research lab, which allowed me time to write. When I sat down to write my first story, I had no doubt it would be a romance. As a kid, I was disappointed that girl oriented stories rarely had the same sort of fun, excitement or dangerous adventures as the boy oriented stories. Consequently, I re-wrote a lot of those books in my head. As I grew older, I discovered the books I liked to read (and write) were those in which the heroine has all sorts of fun and excitement... and yes, even adventures, dangerous or otherwise. On July 31, 1997, after three years of writing and shopping my manuscripts around, I sold my first book to Avon. A couple days later, I won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award for that same book, an award given to manuscripts written by unpublished writers. All in all, 1997 was an exciting year! Becoming a published writer has been a long-time goal, and I'm so excited to have this chance to make my dream come true. More importantly, I hope to share with you, through my characters and their stories, a little magic, a little fun, and a whole lot of romance!"
She signed her firts four books with her real name, Michelle Jerott, and later she used the pen name Michele Albert to continued a Series that started with "Absolute Trouble", her debut novel. Her novels: "Her Bodyguard" and "Getting Her Man" were both nominated for Best Mainstream Novel by Romantic Times and "Off Limits" appeared on the Waldenbook's National Bestseller List.
Married with a father of theee, Michelle lived with her husband, her son, his three children, and two lazy cats in a small town outside Madison, Wisconsin. She passed away on 5 July 2021 in her native Wisconsin.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 19, 2017
This book is much better than it looks. The promo blurb and the style of the cover art would lead one to believe it is a lighthearted battle-of-the-wits chicklit genre book. I would disagree. I found the story to be deeper and more moving than expected. It is more about the psychological hazards of being a cop and loving a cop who is facing burnout. While it's no Hemingway, Salinger or Plath, it's not too shabby for a $2 romance.
April 6, 2025
Ok I've gone back and forth whether to give this book a strong 3 or a soft 4 and I finally settled on a soft 4.
What ended up pulling it up higher was the plot was actually pretty interesting and the depth and concepts of the characters in the latter half I think were very important themes and enjoyable to read through.
What detracted from the whole thing ironically was the author's romantic/attraction passages; it was honestly really cheesy and without much depth, and kind of made the story a bit silly whenever it happened; what had me itching to read more wasn't the romantic angle (which did end up getting more believable and palatable in the latter half) but the actual plot of the case. Overall it was a fun story to read, just the lovey dovey stuff was written a bit weird.
Also the cover is this book looks stupid, I don't know why this was chosen to represent this book 😤
Up to the first half of the book or so, I thought I'd be giving this book 2-3 stars and just headlining my review with "She's a hot mama Asian cupcake" and "pretty in a way only a man could be pretty and still wholly, potently male. It almost made her teeth ache, all that golden blond, ooey-gooey goodness" because wtf even is all that 😭😭😭 I know over 20 years ago was a different time but geez. All that within the first 15 pages??? But like I said it ended up being alright; just gotta shake your head and laugh off these goofy descriptions
What ended up pulling it up higher was the plot was actually pretty interesting and the depth and concepts of the characters in the latter half I think were very important themes and enjoyable to read through.
What detracted from the whole thing ironically was the author's romantic/attraction passages; it was honestly really cheesy and without much depth, and kind of made the story a bit silly whenever it happened; what had me itching to read more wasn't the romantic angle (which did end up getting more believable and palatable in the latter half) but the actual plot of the case. Overall it was a fun story to read, just the lovey dovey stuff was written a bit weird.
Also the cover is this book looks stupid, I don't know why this was chosen to represent this book 😤
Up to the first half of the book or so, I thought I'd be giving this book 2-3 stars and just headlining my review with "She's a hot mama Asian cupcake" and "pretty in a way only a man could be pretty and still wholly, potently male. It almost made her teeth ache, all that golden blond, ooey-gooey goodness" because wtf even is all that 😭😭😭 I know over 20 years ago was a different time but geez. All that within the first 15 pages??? But like I said it ended up being alright; just gotta shake your head and laugh off these goofy descriptions
June 21, 2024
It was really hard to like these characters, and I just never got there. The crime element wrapped up somewhat awkwardly at the end, almost like an afterthought, which was disappointing because I found that more intriguing than the romance element.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2013
Overall Rating: 4.0 // Action: 3 / Emotion: 4.5 / Romance: 4 / Sensuous: 3.5 / Suspense: 3 // Laughter: 5 / Teary: 3
Michele Albert:
Delivers so much information in an entertaining, concise, well-written manner. The way she develops her characters by making them so realistic with everyday, ordinary problems makes it easy to identify with them and become engrossed in the thread of the story.
Off Limits: 4.00
Yes, there were a few times when it was easy to put this book down, but it is still an enjoyable read. Albert's writing style holds a strong appeal for me.
Robert "Bobby" Michael Halloran: 4.85
After worming his way into my heart in first two books of the series, this fun, charming, hero, who wears his heart on his sleeve, is revealed in all his hung-over, "get off my case" grouchiness. Loved the layers that Albert pealed away from Bobby's personality as he found love in his own book.
Emma Frey: 4.25
Emma was a bit difficult to warm up to at first because of her straightlaced-ness, but Albert quickly revealed that she had issues of her own to overcome. Although Emma was a strong heroine, who stood up for herself, she was not as richly developed as Bobby. The best thing about her was that she had Bobby's back and saved him from self-detonation.
Action: 3.00
Even with undertones of a Romantic Suspense novel, this book was not filled with a lot of police procedural action, but more day-to-day activities as Bobby and Emma got to know each other during their robbery investigation.
Emotion: 4.50
Became emotionally connected to Bobby (as he falls into a downward spiral) and grew to appreciate Emma's strong personality and sharp intuition when she rescued Bobby when he went into full-blown, "I'm going to do something stupid" anger. Albert succeeded in bringing moments of laughter and had me near tears several times.
Romance: 4.00
In spite of his meltdown, Bobby is still one charming Cajun boy who knows how to beguile women. Emma, naturally, is no more immune to Bobby than any other red-blooded woman. Loved the scene in the bar when Bobby first kissed Emma, who could no longer keep her mind on the job.
Sensuous: 3.50
If there is one thing that Albert excels at, it is putting the heat and magic in her love scenes.
Suspense: 3.00
Was surprised at the twists and turns Albert wrote into this book. Rather than concentrate solely on the relationship developing between Bobby and Emma, there was a layer of suspense woven into the story.
Secondary Characters: 3.00
A few secondary characters stood out, the most noticeable being Chloe Mitsumi, but they were not as richly developed as in the previous books of the series. These characters seemed to be added to further the plot of the book and enhance Bobby and Emma's growing relationship.
See Wolf Bear Does Books for a more in-depth, detailed review of Off Limits.
Michele Albert:
Delivers so much information in an entertaining, concise, well-written manner. The way she develops her characters by making them so realistic with everyday, ordinary problems makes it easy to identify with them and become engrossed in the thread of the story.
Off Limits: 4.00
Yes, there were a few times when it was easy to put this book down, but it is still an enjoyable read. Albert's writing style holds a strong appeal for me.
Robert "Bobby" Michael Halloran: 4.85
After worming his way into my heart in first two books of the series, this fun, charming, hero, who wears his heart on his sleeve, is revealed in all his hung-over, "get off my case" grouchiness. Loved the layers that Albert pealed away from Bobby's personality as he found love in his own book.
Emma Frey: 4.25
Emma was a bit difficult to warm up to at first because of her straightlaced-ness, but Albert quickly revealed that she had issues of her own to overcome. Although Emma was a strong heroine, who stood up for herself, she was not as richly developed as Bobby. The best thing about her was that she had Bobby's back and saved him from self-detonation.
Action: 3.00
Even with undertones of a Romantic Suspense novel, this book was not filled with a lot of police procedural action, but more day-to-day activities as Bobby and Emma got to know each other during their robbery investigation.
Emotion: 4.50
Became emotionally connected to Bobby (as he falls into a downward spiral) and grew to appreciate Emma's strong personality and sharp intuition when she rescued Bobby when he went into full-blown, "I'm going to do something stupid" anger. Albert succeeded in bringing moments of laughter and had me near tears several times.
Romance: 4.00
In spite of his meltdown, Bobby is still one charming Cajun boy who knows how to beguile women. Emma, naturally, is no more immune to Bobby than any other red-blooded woman. Loved the scene in the bar when Bobby first kissed Emma, who could no longer keep her mind on the job.
Sensuous: 3.50
If there is one thing that Albert excels at, it is putting the heat and magic in her love scenes.
Suspense: 3.00
Was surprised at the twists and turns Albert wrote into this book. Rather than concentrate solely on the relationship developing between Bobby and Emma, there was a layer of suspense woven into the story.
Secondary Characters: 3.00
A few secondary characters stood out, the most noticeable being Chloe Mitsumi, but they were not as richly developed as in the previous books of the series. These characters seemed to be added to further the plot of the book and enhance Bobby and Emma's growing relationship.
See Wolf Bear Does Books for a more in-depth, detailed review of Off Limits.
July 26, 2014
After testifying against some dirty cops, Detective Emma Frey transfers to the New Orleans Police Department to get a fresh start. She is partnered with Detective Bobby Halloran who is a bit of a loose cannon and doesn't play by the book. They are assigned a burglary case where the victim, Chloe Mitsumi, has disappeared. Emma is not happy to find out that Chloe is the sister of an infamous mob boss, and one of Bobby's former lovers. Emma and Bobby hit the clubs and bars of New Orleans trying to track down party girl Chloe. Soon Emma learns that Bobby is close to job burnout and vows to help him.
After seeing the cartoon cover, I was prepared for a romantic comedy. Although there are some light moments in this book, this is more a story about a cop who is taking chances and jeopardizing his job on the police force. Michele Albert has drawn and interesting hero and heroine with many layers. Even Chloe Mitsumi, a character who appeared in a previous book, has a lot of depth. I wouldn't mind seeing her get her own book. My rating: 4 Stars.
After seeing the cartoon cover, I was prepared for a romantic comedy. Although there are some light moments in this book, this is more a story about a cop who is taking chances and jeopardizing his job on the police force. Michele Albert has drawn and interesting hero and heroine with many layers. Even Chloe Mitsumi, a character who appeared in a previous book, has a lot of depth. I wouldn't mind seeing her get her own book. My rating: 4 Stars.
September 8, 2009
Off Limits
By: Michele Albert
384 pp. Avon. $19.95
ISBN: 0-380-82056-0
Off Limits … what can I say about it…? It’s not just your typical romance story but a romance story full of ups and downs. This book isn’t just about a women falling in love with a guy but a person who was good who turned bad.
This book is about a detective by the name of Emma who was a good cop before she got transferred to New Orleans. After the transfer, the things in her life started changing. Emma, a justified cop became a bad ass… all cause of love. Her partner, Bobby is a bad-ass cop but with stunning looks and an attractive attitude, what girl can’t be tempted to have some.
After reading this book, I thought it was pretty good. I have to admit that I haven’t read a lot of love books especially one with a lot of drama but I can say this book is a pretty good read. I would especially recommend this book to anyone who likes to read bout love. Overall I would give this book 3 stars out of 5.
By: Michele Albert
384 pp. Avon. $19.95
ISBN: 0-380-82056-0
Off Limits … what can I say about it…? It’s not just your typical romance story but a romance story full of ups and downs. This book isn’t just about a women falling in love with a guy but a person who was good who turned bad.
This book is about a detective by the name of Emma who was a good cop before she got transferred to New Orleans. After the transfer, the things in her life started changing. Emma, a justified cop became a bad ass… all cause of love. Her partner, Bobby is a bad-ass cop but with stunning looks and an attractive attitude, what girl can’t be tempted to have some.
After reading this book, I thought it was pretty good. I have to admit that I haven’t read a lot of love books especially one with a lot of drama but I can say this book is a pretty good read. I would especially recommend this book to anyone who likes to read bout love. Overall I would give this book 3 stars out of 5.
December 24, 2007
This was my first book by Michele Albert. I will be reading her again shortly. She wrote great characters that she lets you get to know. It was interesting to see New Orleans told in this story before Hurricane Katrina. Bobby the cop in the story has his faults including burnout. Ms. Albert lets you see the good with the bad and makes you like him anyway. As others have said, the couple isn't a fall in love then get married a day later book. I really enjoyed this quick read and would recommend to anyone.
September 23, 2008
I'd been sitting on this book for aaaaaages before I finally read it. I think I had it in my purse for about 3 months, then Heather mentioned it had a pretty rough sex scene which involved the lady punching the guy. After that I decided to finally read it and get into the book. It ended up being really okay once I got into it.
April 10, 2012
My favorite by this author. The plot, although at times a little silly, is still kind of intriguing. But what makes me like this so much are the 2 main characters, Bobby and Emma and the minor but very mysterious Chloe. Like the unexpected action toward the end of the book - it was actually rather poignant.
March 15, 2016
Read this book years ago and enjoyed it. Somehow I missed adding it to my "Books I've Read" list, and by the time I remembered I had forgotten to add it, I couldn't remember the name to save my life.
It was a decent police romance. Good enough to keep me interested, but obviously not good enough to remember the title or author over 5 years later, haha.
It was a decent police romance. Good enough to keep me interested, but obviously not good enough to remember the title or author over 5 years later, haha.
February 18, 2009
Romantic cop thriller. Fun characters.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : Off Limits - Nevisande : Michele Albert - ISBN : 380820560 - ISBN13 : 9780380820566 - Dar 375 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2003
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews