Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Impetuous by Lori Foster

Grade school teacher Carlie McDaniels trades in her frumpiness for the look of an exotic harem girl, at least for one costume party. So long, spinsterhood--and hello tall, dark and handsome Tyler Ramsey....

Even after the best night of their lives, Tyler hasn't guessed the identity of his harem hottie...and Carlie plans on keeping him in the dark. After all, a gorgeous guy like Tyler would never fall for his smart-talking best friend. And Carlie's not sure she wants to know what would happen if he ever unveiled the naked truth!



Type: Contemporary Romance
Heat: 3 out of 5
Rating: 4 out of 5

Lori Foster is one of those authors that just makes me happy. Doesn't matter which of her books I'm reading. If they're her new books or one of her firsts (like this one). Mercenaries, fighters, preachers. Part of a series or a stand alone. They just make me happy. Really can't ask for more than that, right? I hadn't heard of this one but saw it at the store and had to grab it up. Wasn't quite sure what to expect but whoa, baby, it really wasn't such a hot and steamy start! Got me to blush there for a second. Whew! Everything gets started at a Halloween party where Tyler and Carlie end up spending the night together. She's had a crush on him and wants to throw caution to the wind just once as long as she can hide behind her costume and keep her identity hidden. Yeah, you know that's gonna end in a bit of drama 


Tyler and Carlie are a pretty entertaining duo. They're both sharp, a little snarky and skilled at throwing barbs and jabs, teasing and arguing with each other. I liked that while Tyler was searching for his "mystery woman" an unexpected friendship started up between the two. And that he fell for her how she was, frumpy clothes (that he really didn't like) and all. The two were just fun to watch together. 
“She pulled a deck from a drawer and sat across from Tyler. "What would you like to play?" She looked at Tyler.  
"Strip poker?" 
Carlie started to rise, her mouth drawn in annoyance, but Tyler stopped her. He was laughing. "Okay, okay. Bad jest. Sorry." 
She nodded grudgingly. "So. What should we play?" 
With a twinkle in his eyes, he asked innocently, "Old maid?" 
She threw the cards at him, then sat there glaring. 
"Well, I suppose that decides it." He grinned wryly, a card sitting on top of his head, the rest scattered in his lap and on the floor. "Fifty-two pickup it is."
One of my favorite things was that we not only got to see the two getting to know each other and forming a friendship but we also get a more serious side with them giving back and doing something positive for a group of at risk kids. They'd both survived hard childhoods and were passionate about children and giving them a chance. I liked that little link between them and how they turned a negative experience into something positive.

The big reveal of Carlie's secret identity, though you saw it coming and Tyler figuring everything out, was pretty awful. Not poorly written but in the 'hard to sit through' kind of way. Damn. It was not a pretty sight. Tyler's rightfully ticked and Carlie got down right mean and cold after everything came out. It was the only time I wasn't a huge fan of hers. She really put him through the ringer and while I understood where she was coming from I found myself sympathizing more with Tyler. It's always hard to feel like you've played the fool but even worse for someone who has trust issues from a hard childhood. I just wanted to scoop him up and fix everything for him. 

Impetuous had me laughing and my heart melting for both Carlie and Tyler. It's a short little read that had a nice bit of emotional punch and was just a good time. Not bad for Foster's first time out. Not bad at all. 


Find your copy:   Amazon    Barnes & Noble
Have you read this one? Do you like going back and reading the first books your favorite authors published?  

5 comments:

  1. I love a little good dialogue! This books sounds adorable!

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    1. It was a pretty good one. Loved the back and forth between the hero/heroine. Lori is so good at it.

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  2. I loved this book! And it was my first LF book. I saw it at the grocery store & thought it sounded good & bought it. As soon as I finished it I went & bought every LF book I could find. I'm proud to say I now own every one of her books & have read most of them multiple times. Love her!

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    1. Oh wow that's a lot of books Tonya! I'm still collecting but have a good few now. Was so excited to find this one at the used bookstore. I think my first one was Causing Havoc from the SBC series. It so hooked me.

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  3. Have to agree - there are very few Foster books that I haven't enjoyed. When I picked this one up by chance at a library book sale (the original '96 Harlequin Temptation edition), I didn't even connect it with her for a long time. It's definitely her blend of humor, sweetness, and sensuality though.

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