悩める恋人たち

Men of Courage #3

by Lori Foster, ステファニー ボンド, 泉 智子 (翻訳)

探偵事務所で受付をするクレアは親友のハリスに片想い中だ。ある日、仕事中に偶然ヌード写真を拾ったというハリスが、被写体となった女性の身元調査を頼みにやってきた。ボスとハリスが写真を熱視する横で、クレアは激しく動揺する。それは、何者かに隠し撮りされた彼女自身の写真だったのだ!(『謎の想い人』)。建築士としての成功を夢見るサマンサは恋より仕事に励んできたが、三十歳を超えた今、尊敬できる相手を求めていた。一夜限りの元恋人、ティーグのような不良にはもう惑わされない。そう決意していた―建築現場の溝に誤って落ちたところを、ティーグのたくましい腕に抱き留められるまでは(『最初で最後の夜』)。

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Audiobook, Contemporary Romance, Friends To Lovers, Ebooks, Harlequin

190 pages, Paperback Shinsho

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.

Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/

Career Highlights
•In 2001, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy.

•In 2002, Lori’s book Too Much Temptation was the top-selling romance title for Amazon books.

•In 2003, Say No To Joe was the second “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for Waldenbooks.

•In 2004, Lori Foster was a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle.

•In 2004, The Secret Life of Bryan was the “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for the BGI group.

•In 2005, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Contemporary Romance.

•In 2006, Jude’s Law was the “Bestselling Romantic Comedy” romance title for the BGI group.

•In 2007, Lori launched a new “urban fantasy” series under the name L.L. Foster. See more on her “dark side” at www.llfoster.com.

•In 2007, Causing Havoc was among Amazon’s Top Ten Editor’s picks in Romance.

•In 2008, Hard to Handle made #2 on The New York Times.

•In 2009, Servant: The Acceptance was Amazon’s #1 Editors’ Pick in Romance.

•In 2010, Lori was a clue in the USA Today Quick Cross puzzle.

Reviews

[Vintage · Rating 2 out of 5]

I find it very depressing that this is rated over 3.5. It sounded so cute, and I think I waited on the online library for about two months for this.

No bueno.

The premise is the firefighter hero finds a box of nude pictures along with a Dear John note talking about how awesome he is, and how the subject of the photos is in love with him. He's so intrigued he takes the pic to his friends, a detective duo. The secretary there is his platonic running buddy. What a coincidence. She's the chick in the pictures. I don't think that's a spoiler.

Sooo, what you have is the hunky firefighter that she's in love with hounding her office and her bosses to get info on the mystery woman. Something clicks and he starts to pursue her as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah, mystery woman and platonic running buddy are the same girl, but he doesn't know that! I found it more than a little gross with him exploring whether his running buddy and he should have sex while he's crushing on someone else, and she knows it.

Did he ever catch on even after they had sex? No, she's outed by the wives of her the detective duo. Are women really that stupid?

Is it sad to think that 80s ads promoting a cancerous substance have more intelligent women than contemporary fiction?



Lots of fun potential, but it fell flat.

[Tracey Cramer-Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella (yeah – the page count must be all the extra stuff in back) had a cute premise. But then it started with a whole chapter of Harris telling us why he likes Claire. That’s boring – I want to *see* why he likes Claire.

And I know this is fiction but I just couldn’t get over the note. It just wasn’t realistic that she’d write a letter to her only-twice-ex naming the other guy she’s in love with. And that the note and pictures would end up where they did. I tried to get over my disbelief about that the entire story – because it’s actually pretty funny what Claire thinks/does – but it was always there hovering in the back of my mind.

I liked Claire; she was funny and smart, and her job was interesting. Not so sure about Harris… he’s been running with Claire for TWO YEARS and only now notices she’s sexy? That didn’t seem realistic either. That said, his realization was excellent – why pine after an unknown (and possibly unattainable) when he can have the real thing? That’s something every man should think about!

[Christa Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!! Short and sweet. It featured a likeable heroine and an alpha firefighter with a hard body and a soft heart... Their chemistry leapt off the page like flames! The story was amusing and light-hearted. A perfect beach read.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, cute story. This was entertaining and at times funny even if the idea of finding nude pictures and a letter about yourself did seem a little far fetched. I am not sure that many women would write a note such as the one that Harris discovered, however it did provide a humorous way to bring a couple together. . S.K. Heaney did a good job of narrating.

[Terri Pray · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first Lori Foster book, and it's left me hungry for more. Sensual, well paced and beautifully written!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet.

[Maura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Harris is a firefighter and most nights runs with his platonic running buddy, Clare. They've been doing this for two years now and he considers her a great friend, but never once looked at her beyond that...because he wants to keep his carefree bachelor lifestyle and all that. He's been celibate for a month now though, so obviously it's time he starts looking at a woman again. When he finds naked pictures of an incredible woman combined with notes written to him about how sensitive and wonderful he is, he makes it his mission to find this mystery admirer and claim her I guess. What he doesn't know is that the woman in the pictures is Clare, who has been in love with him for years. But now she's in a pickle because she's jealous of herself, wanting Harris to be intrigued by her, so she steps up her flirting game to get him interested at last.

Yeah, this had potential but ultimately didn't work for me. First of all I had issues with the fact that Harris wasn't the least bit interested in anything sexual or romantic with Clare until she flashed him her sports bra and he started thinking of her naked. What that tells me is that her personality is great and makes a great friend, but her body is what causes him to see her as sexual - only reinforced by his reaction to the pictures. And that whole situation just felt sleazy. He's lusting after this mystery woman in these pictures and also hitting on Clare at the same time - we know it's the same woman, but he doesn't. Felt too much like cheating for my tastes.

[Rosemarie Grainer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short story with one of the Men of Courage

I liked this one, but have to admit that I liked the first two better. Clair was great, but Harris just seemed a bit too clueless. It took him so long to figure things out. But maybe that is how it is with some guys. I like how spunky Claire was.

The pace is fast and the tone is uncertain yet hopeful with a character oriented storyline that has one kind of steamy scene with not too much detail. The characters are vibrant and engaging. I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

The storyline was cute, finding pictures of a naked woman, he becomes obsessed hires PI's to find her, they blow up the pics to life size and hang them on the wall to study them only to realize no identifying marks. Meanwhile, the woman is right under their nose but they still don't see it till the PI's wife walks in and wants to know why they have naked pics of their secretary on the wall! Cute short story!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just didn't care for the nude pictures story going on for so long. If Clair was outraged and took the pictures from Harris from the beginning I would have understood. But she let him walk off with them then still didn't say anything when he took them to private eyes for more viewing, etc. Clair was just an idiot so glad it was a short story.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, quick story. Fun characters, entertaining premise. I'll read more by this author.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute romance with a fun concept. Enjoyable escape from the mundane.

[Pilar Seacord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clair and Harris are great together as friends but even better when they realize their feelings are stronger then friendship. Really enjoyed this short story.

[Sue Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, cute story.

[Cruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

A shorty. Nice enough. Sexy. Everyone's motivations are a little confused but that's what you get from a novella - rapid InstaLust and hopeful narrative.

[Nathan Fencil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clair's secret

watching their relationship grow was great! However, the mystery woman in the pictures could ruin this connection. Can they survive this curveball!

[Brenda Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

great

This the second time I’ve read this story and I love just as much as the first time. On to the next story

[Bernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uncovered is a cute novella length romance written by author Lori Foster.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel ripped off for paying for this, it's not a book but a Novella. It took me a little over an hour to read this. I don't normally purchase novellas -or anything under 90 pages because they are usually to condensed for my taste. This did not have a page count listed when I bought it in Amazon or I would have passed. The overall idea of the story was good, that's why I bought it from the blurb. But after reading this, Claire, for all her smarts, how can she write a note like that to her ex, naming the other guy she's in love with? Nobody would do that. They'd say they were in love with someone else, then stop, not go on naming all the virtues of said love. The nude photos were part of the story, I get that, but hidden camera or not, how did the ex get access to her in certain poses (shower & laying relaxed on the bed, putting on underwear) with out her being aware he was there? It was never mentioned that he hid the camera either. She states she was only intimate a few times & they were disasters. So after bad sex (2 times too? I wouldn't have had a second time if I were her), she lets him hang around? I would have been in a hurry to leave or make him leave. Just wasn't a logical setting. Then, Harrison goes from not wanting to be tied down to madly in love wanting to marry Claire in like 1 week. On top of that, Claire agrees & they get married within weeks it seems! Just doesn't feel legit. This started out pretty good, but then it just seemed to skip over the core of what should have been there, to a rushed ending. Like I mentioned, I felt I wasted my money on this.

[Lisa Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story

For a quick read of a really cute couple this is the book to get. Harris and Clair are friends and neighbors who go running each night. He is a firefighter who finds pictures of a nude woman along with an unsigned note declaring how she feels about Harris. The photos don't show her face and Clair is is to mortified by them because they are of her take without her knowledge or permission. Before she knows it Harris takes the photos to the Private investors she works for to find the mystery woman. How does she get Harris to notice her as a sexy woman.

[Cheesecake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris and Claire. This is a pretty short story, not sure how short as I listened to the audio, which was about 2 hours. Not a great audio though... but the story was a lot of fun! Claire and Harris are running buddies who sometimes watch a movie and hang out. Claire is a tom boy and doesn't advertise her sexual side, so Harris kinda just takes her for granted. He is a determined bachelor, but most of his friends are already happily married. Claire works for his PI buddies and lives next door to him. Harris is a firefighter. One day, while putting out a fire on the other side of Claire's building, he finds some nude photos in the dumpster behind the building. Along with the photos is a letter to the person who took the photos, about how she (the mystery woman) is in love with Harris. Unfortunately for Harris, he can't see the woman's face and has no clue who she could be and the letter isn't signed. Harris is immediately intrigued and determined to find out who she is. You've probably already guessed it and can smack palm to forehead right about now... What follows is written from both Claire's and Harris's POVs and had me chuckling out loud. The final reveal was cleverly done and very satisfying!

[Dorothea Müller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harris Black sucht keine Frau fürs Leben. Mit Clair seiner besten Freundin, joggt er regelmäßig im Wald. Als er bei einem Brand ein paar nackt Fotos sowie einen Brief findet, von einer Frau die ihn verehrt, will er sie finden. Clair Chef´s sind Privatdetektive und machen sich auf die Suche. Doch was keiner ahnt - Clair ist die Frau auf dem Bild.

Bin beenden des zweiten Bandes habe ich mich gefragt wer kommt jetzt noch. Abgewartet und siehe da Clair.... Schon mal gelesen, nachgedacht, flüchtig konnte ich mich an etwas erinnern, war mir aber nicht sicher. Doch die Geschichte fing so interessant an - können Männer nur mit Frauen befreundet sein. Nun in diesem Buch nicht. Clair und Harris sind mir schnell an Herz gewachsen und lauter Spannung und hoffen auf ein Happy End, konnte ich das Buch nicht aus den Händen legen. Ein paar Stunden bin ich eingetaucht in eine schöne Welt mit einer witzigen Liebesgeschichte.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was fine. More of a novella length than full blown novel, but cute and generally interesting enough. I give it a 3 however, only because I listened to it in audiobook and the narrator about drove me out of my mind. She had this high squeeky voice that in no way could do male voices and sounded like she was about 12 which just made listening to the sex scenes down right creepy.

[t'irla ~The Bookslayer~ aka Barbara · Rating 1 out of 5]

I will be short and succinct with my review. The Narrator sucked and I couldn't finish listening to it. It ruined the whole feel of the book. So based on that it is a DNF. If I get my hands on a ebook copy I will try to read it and will change my review accordingly.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked the story but it was narrated by a woman that came across sounding like a young girl. All the voices were breathy and to feminine. I got used to it but i think i would like it just a bit better had a read it only and didn't hear the audio. Short less than 3 hours.

[Jeananna w/The Book Reading Gals · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this #3 in the combo bk Hot In Here. Love Harris and Clair and I am a sucker for friends to lovers stories. This whole series has been a light feel good and heart warming journey. Now on to Bucks story!

[Jeanette Jessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love firefighters!!

Very fun to read and very quick on the knowledge of what they go through at the end of the fire. The love that Harris admits to is so sweet and honest it makes you wanna be Clair. I wish I was Clair!! Nice lead into the next story. I can't wait

[Sherry Vitaniemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg time coming

They both liked each other more then they were willing to admit. But Clair finally said enough was enough. And made her move. With a little help from a picture that is.

[Candace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great addition to the series. Seeing Alec & Celia and Dane & Angel was good as it kept the other series characters alive and interesting. My only complaint was that this story was too short!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, quick story! Foster always writes a good story.