A Long Hot Christmas

No wonder this book was nonimated for a Rita award for Best Temptation. Only Barbara Daly could find sex and humor in plumbing pipe. Entertaining at every page-turn, with a lemons-into-lemonade ending. Now onward to the 'sister' stories in her double Duets!

Their arrangement was simple. Marketer Hope Sumner wants to become the next vice-president in her company. Lawyer Sam Sharkey wants to become his firm's next partner. In a world where appearances are everything, they each need "arm candy" to present the appropriate look at seasonal events. So they make an agreement; they will attend this season's parties together, looking appropriately sappy and making lover-like comments without the emotional vulnerabilities that accompany usual relationships. Then Sam suggests that they become lovers as well, since sexual fulfillment is sorely lacking between the tightly booked schedules of their Palm Pilots.Meanwhile, Hope's ready to make changes in her life. She hires an interior decorator to make her apartment more livable. While Mavbelle Ewing brings feng shui to her apartment, she also surreptitiously erases the sharp lines from Hope's life. Suddenly a carefully controlled schedule and work aren't enough to fill Hope's existence. Sam likewise finds himself drawn to the very emotions he professes to avoid. With his law firm representing Hope's company in an upcoming lawsuit, however, trouble approaches on the horizon. Soon they will find themselves facing not only a personal crisis, but also a professional one that will leave them questioning their morals, their values, and their priorities. Author Barbara Daly pens a delightful holiday romance in A LONG HOT CHRISTMAS. The charm lies especially in the details from the feng shui decorator who never seems to send a bill, to Hope's creatively constructed Christmas star. The deeper issues of their professional lives never overtake the narrative, but beautifully highlight the brittle and superficial appearances that conceal their strong personalities. The ending is especially wonderful in the way that Hope and Sam cheer victims of a Christmas tragedy. A lovely read that shouldn't be confined just to Christmas, A LONG HOT CHRISTMAS comes highly recommended.

I am a male, first time romance reader and found this to be light and entertaining, a lot of funny interludes and the characters each believable for something I really didn't plan to take seriuosly. I want to see what happens to Faith and Charity in the future. A good read.

I loved Barbara's latest work, and not only because I was a character in the book, appearing with my enthusiastic consent.This book was her most thoroughly "fleshed out" (excuse the pun!) work and I loved the entire story line. A great premise-rent a date! I look forward to reading the future books with the other virtues - Faith and Charity, although I hope to read more about Hope.Sincerely, Charlene Carroll

A Long Hot Christmas was a delight to read. The characters are so appealing I wanted to jump right into the book and spend my Christmas with Hope and Sam and the gang. Maybelle is an absolute hoot and I also liked that trashy Charlene. Run yourself a nice hot bubble bath, light some candles, maybe set out a truffle or two...and settle yourself in with this fun, lighhearted book.