Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich (Million Dollar Secrets, #5) By Jill Monroe
This was a little misleadingly titled, but at least engaging. Romance I didn't realize this was part of a series till the end of the book. Even so, most Harlequin titles provide a rather pat end to the story before continuing with another. This story felt unfinished after meandering around as it was. Not terribly written but neither was it a satisfying read. It definitely did not make me interested in locating any of the other titles in the series. Romance This was a quick and dirty read. I like Cole and Jessie as characters. Cole is the strong, silent type who only really starts talking between the sheets. Jessie is a cynical PI, looking for a fling to get back on the horse after her fiance cheated on her. They went to high school together, and back then she was in love with him, but he skipped town after his abusive father almost killed him. Jessie had thought they'd never get their chance. She was wrong.
Jessie's spunky, intelligent, and down-to-earth. Cole is sweet, sexy, and not afraid to talk about his feelings when the need arises. But he's generally stoic, and he wears that well. He loves his daughters, and he's even nice to his shitty ex-wife. It's interesting how the characters changed places; when they were kids, Jessie was the good girl who thought everything would always work out and Cole was the bad boy who hated the world. Now that they're grown up, Jessie is exceedingly cynical and doesn't believe in love. Cole, despite his failed marriage, isn't afraid to jump into their relationship with both feet.
There isn't a whole lot of plot in this book besides the romance -- that's what stops me from giving it a higher rating. The lottery plotline doesn't get resolved at all. This is probably because this Tall, Dark, & Filthy Rich is the fifth book in a six book series revolving around the people who won this lottery, and I haven't read the first four. I expect the sixth book wraps up a lot of the lottery plot. But the sixth book also stars the one character I don't want to hear from (thanks to this book), so I don't really care.
The plotline about Cole's ex-wife Amber, however, can't be blamed on this book being part of a series. There's a constant looming cloud hanging over Cole during this book as he dwells on the possibility of his gold-digging ex-wife returning in an attempt to take his lottery winnings - if he ever gets them.
Harlequin miniseries should be able to stand alone if a reader doesn't want to take the time to read the others. The books are all written by different authors, and the problem with Harlequins is that they go out of print so fast that even if I wanted to take the time to search out the other books in the Million Dollar Secret miniseries, it's a distinct possibility I wouldn't be able to find them.
So this book gets three stars. I enjoyed it. It's possible I'd read it again, because I did like the characters very much. But if I ever read it again, it definitely won't be for the plot. Romance
What would you do if you hit the jackpot?
Private investigator Jessie Huell has always eschewed girlie things for the tools of her trade. She'd swap Jimmy Choos for a nightscope any day. But when she arrives as a guest on a popular Atlanta sex show, Jessie is unexpectedly reunited with high school crush and producer Cole Crawford--multi-million dollar lottery winner, igniter of panties...and bad, bad news for her.
Now Jessie is the official spokesperson for fling-havers everywhere--Cole and Jessie are doing hot, naughty things in the very same places she swore she'd avoid. As each incredible second explodes by, Jessie finds herself in deep trouble: if she's not careful she'll break the first rule of flingdom and it'll turn serious...which means she'll have to find the real dirt on Cole Crawford...because this man's too good to be true! Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich (Million Dollar Secrets, #5)