Catspaw

Anne Stuart does it again, this time casting an ex-cat burglar as the hero. Ferris (Francesca) Byrd is the heroine and I must say..there is never a dull moment with this book. The chemistry between these two characters is what makes this book great. I liked the honest and forthright approach that Blackheart takes with Ferris. He is instantly attracted to her and the sparks fly immediately between them. Ferris was also a character to enjoy. Her uptight and superficial demeanor falls apart as the reader gets to see her behind closed doors....more comfortable in jeans and a "messy" type of person. I identified with her and her need to present herself to the world in a more perfect light. This book is pure entertainment (and we get more in the next book Catspaw 2)!

Ferris Byrd is sent by her fiancé, state senator Phillip Merriam (who has pretentions to the US Senate and possibly the White House), to assist his mother with San Francisco's Puffin Ball. The famous emeralds that are part of the charity event need special security, and everyone insists that Blackheart Inc. are the only ones for the job. Ferris, however, has reservations about hiring the owner, John Patrick Blackheart, ex-cat-burglar, to safeguard the gems. Ferris dislikes Blackheart, though (or because) she's drawn to him, he's drawn to her, sparks fly, the jewels are stolen, Blackheart is framed, all what one would expect. What rates 5 stars is the fact that Stuart is one of what seems to be precious few authors who can elicit an emotional response from a (n admittedly jaded) reader. (Emotion in a romance novel...what a notion) Blackheart does make a charming hero, Ferris is not the annoying heroine she could easily be, and the supporting cast is well drawn. The action moves right along; there are no places that seem to be just filler for the middle of the book, and the action sequences at the end, though possessed of suspenseful elements, were not so dragged out that I wanted to flip to the end already. As an aside, this book originally cost $2.25. While I was looking for it, I was seeing copies for more than $9, and not much under $4. While I might pay as much as a new Harlequin for this (including shipping), I wouldn't go higher. It's good light reading, but not that good!

Some writers learn the craft and their works improve with time. You go back and revisit some of their earlier works and you see flaws, but you smile at the talent so shiny and new. I don't think Anne Stuart, resident genius of romance, ever went through that period. She seems to have stepped into Romance writing with a clear purpose, and had never deviated from the brilliance. This is very clear when you go back and reread her early work for Harlequin Intrigue or Harlequin American Romance, from 15-years or more. Most works that old, already show dating badly, yet Stuart's works not only hold up remarkably well, they simply shine with her clear purpose. Stuart loves writing romance, that sizzle and pop chemistry created by the special woman and man meeting. Few writers really have the grasp of male characters the way she does. And more importantly, few can really give you the baddest of bad boy - the Gamma rogues that make Alpha males step aside when they see them coming, the hero totally outside of laws, and yet makes them utterly compelling. She takes unrepentant killers, madmen, assassins, gunslingers, a court jester, a cult leader, even a cop unable to be a manhunter anymore and a lawyer willing to break the laws to keep his lady safe, and she makes these men outside the norm so breathtakingly mesmerizing all the readers can do it sit back wonder at her magic and enjoy! Catspaw - Harlequin Intrigue #9 published in 1985 - is one of these dusty gems sitting on my Keeper Shelf. And it's there for a reason. It's also included in Thieves, Spies And Other Lovers (By Request) Anthology. Quite a shame this, along with it's sequel Catspaw 2 Harlequin Intrigue #103 are not reprinted in the same volume. My old HIs are showing yellow pages, so I would appreciate new copies, and fans of Stuart who missed these would scoop them up. Because it's Stuart at her very best. Ferris Byrd is a self-made woman. Ferris is really Francesca Berdahofski, from a large family outside of Chicago. Her mother was Italian, her father polish, and while there was a lot of love with her nine brothers and sisters, she saw woman having babies too young and having a lifetime of regrets. She did not want to live with the same regrets. So Francesca, now the cool Ferris, is semi-engage to a lawyer running for the Senate. She is the well turned out, perfectly coifed woman of snobby elegance, even though underneath lurks the jeans wearer, binge-cleaning mild slob that enjoy old movies and ice cream. She should have known when she named her grey tomcat, Blackie that it was an omen. She named him after one John Patrick Blackheart, one of the most eligible bachelors in San Francisco. Blackheart - the name fitting the man in her mind - is a reformed cat burglar. Now, he runs a security firm that takes on special cases to provide complete security. Ferris is charged with the display of priceless emerald and a charity ball, and she has been instructed to hire Bla

I LOVED this book! It was funny and intriguing. The main characters, Patrick and Ferris had a chemistry like none of Ms. Stuart's characters. Ferris was the typical spitfire, while Patrick was the sexy hero to tame her. They both turned each other's lives around and caught the bad guy! It's a love story to read over and over, I have. It doesn't matter who dunnit, the real story is Patrick Blackheart and Ferris Byrd.