Silhouette #872: Convincing Alex

Is there anything Nora Roberts can't write? She creates such wonderful family dynamics; no wonder since she's the only girl and has four brothers. I think that may be why she writes such believable sibling relationships. The MacKades, the McGregors and so on. Poor Bess, she had such a weird childhood and needed Alexi's down-to-earth family almost as much as she needed his hunky self :) Do yourself a favor and get ALL these books, even the "Waiting for Nick" book is great. It's a sequel and features Nick, brother of Zach who is married to Rachel Stanislaski or however they spell it; who falls for the step-daughter of Natasha Stanislaski. Maybe this is where the new movie "Music and Lyrics" starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore got their idea. But back to Alex and Bess. What a hoot that she's this wealthy woman who doesn't need to work, but gives it her all in writing her soap opera...and talk about method acting! When Alex arrests her with the streetwalkers and then she's in a cell getting plot input from the hookers who love or hate her characters it's priceless. Alex has his insecurities as well, so this couple is well-matched. He's a hothead and a bit full of himself, so he needs an irreverant person like Bess who won't take his crap or treat him like a god just 'cause he's built like a Greek god. Frankly, I just don't know how someone could NOT love any of these books. It would be like trying to narrow down my favorite flavor of ice cream or my favorite relative: gotta love 'em all!

Nora Roberts has once again created a cast of dynamic characters and continues the saga of one of her well-known family innovations - the Stanislaskis. Creating memorable families and then weaving tales around key members is a trait in which Nora Roberts surpasses other writers. Alexi Stanislaski (Alex, as he' s known to most non-family members) is a New York police detective who has always been able to separate his personal feelings from work - those two aspects of his life have never been allowed to over-lap. He's never let anyone he loves into his work world thus protecting them from the harsh side of humanity. He's currently assigned to a case involving the murder of two prostitutes and his life is status quo - that is until Bess McNee enters it and turns him upside down! Bess is a soap opera writer who believes in researching her subject matter first hand. When she's arrested with a prostitute, Alex doesn't believe her story and puts her in a cell with all the criminals arrested that night. Bess's zest for life and positive outlook captures the gorgeous detective's attention and the rest is inevitable. Having read all of Nora Roberts' recent mysteries (which seem to be her latest genre of choice) and reading the first few pages of this book, I was expecting more mystery and less romance. Convincing Alex was an enjoyable, quick read that left little up to the imagination, but was non-the-less kinda fun. I sat back and enjoyed without trying to solve the murders for Alex, which is what I usually do with mysteries. If you're looking for a book to stimulate your brain, then this isn't it. If you're looking for a fun, non-cerebral way to spend a few hours, then this is the book for you! What's even better than a few enjoyable, relaxing hours spent reading Convincing Alex is that the reader gets another peek into the life of one of the Stanislaskis - "those wild Ukrainians" as Nora Roberts has dubbed them. Wild, fun, hilarious - all are very appropriate words to describe them!

The fourth book in the Stanislaski series....Here you meet Alex...tall and dark and a tough street cop who happens to arrest Bess...an undercover soap opera writer posing as a hooker....The sparks fly between these two...Bess....with her past of ended relationships and Alex...who can't seem to trust...A great story but I prefered the first three books more than this one...It had some murder in it which I didn't care for but was part of the overall story about Alex and his police work!

"Convincing Alex" was a cute book about one of the Stanislaski siblings. Alexi is tall, dark and handsome and a member of the Police force. Along comes Bess McKnee, little rich girl working on a new plot for her soap opera. She decides to use Alexi as her next mission. Alexi does not find Bess amusing at first, but soon warms up to her a lot. I can hardly wait to read the "Stanislaski Sisters."