Lori Foster's Simon Says - Great Library Book But Not On My Must-Own List

Today's Book:

Simon Says

Lori Foster

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: SBC Fighters Series (Book 2)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Berkley (July 3, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425216586
ISBN-13: 978-0425216583


Amazon Page: http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Says-SBC-Fighters-Book/dp/0425216586/ref=pd_sim_b_title_9


Let me just start by saying I wanted to love this book, I really did. It had all the elements for a great read - a hot hero with a slightly troubled past, a smart, sassy heroine who kicked butt (literally at times) and a few creepy bad guys lurking in the wings to keep things interesting. Unfortunately the little bomb featured on the cover was about as sizzling as it got in this rather by-the-numbers tale from one of America's favourite authors. Don't get me wrong, the characters, the chemistry, and the sex scenes are all scorching enough to make this a fun read but the somewhat lackluster plot and a rather weak central premise make it tough to remember this story once you've set it down.

Our heroine, the improbably named Dakota Dream, is an up and coming PI with an abusive ex-husband, a creepy and controlling stepfather and some serious emotional baggage. Dakota has been blackmailed by her stepfather into finding Simon "Sublime" Evans, a fighter and coach with the SBC who has recently thrown himself back into the ring after a disastrous split with his cheating "ring-bunny" girlfriend. Naturally of course they meet, sparks fly, and things proceed pretty much as expected, which wouldn't be a problem were it not for the fact that Dakota keeps a few crucial secrets from the soon-to-be love of her life which of course spill out at an inopportune moment, leading to a "you lied to me and I've been lied to before so I'm leaving despite the fact that this situation clearly has absolutely nothing in common with the past" conflict which is resolved in almost the same number of words used in this synopsis.

Overall this is one of those books that you will almost certainly enjoy, Foster's writing is as energetic and entertaining as always, but I wouldn't advise setting aside space on your bookshelf for it. Even in a genre known for sacrificing original plot twists at the altar of characterization and chemistry this plot is a bit on the mundane side.

Rating: 3 hearts of 5 (no graphics today due to technical issues)

Thanks and happy reading!