Dial M for Mischief (The Sunshine Girls, 1)

Kasey Michaels is, by far, my favorite romance author. She is such a talented writer, wonderful at developing characters, great at sex scenes, and fabulous at plot. This book was no exception to that. But I'm waffling a little between giving this 4 stars or 3. It was good, but not great, but not just "okay", if that makes sense. As usual I will skip the plot summary. That takes up too much space. :) This book is well-written, as are ALL Kasey Michaels books. She has an elegance to her writing that is rarely seen in any genre, but especially in romance (which is unfortunate). She makes believable characters, she makes them human, and she makes you like them. This book had all of that, but it just wasn't her best plot line. Or maybe it's that I enjoyed the Beckets of Romney Marsh series so much, that it's hard to hear "Sam" and "Court" and not think so warmly of THEIR books that I can get beyond that... I don't know. Things that make this firmly a 4 star: The relationships between the sisters. I have 2 sisters myself, and I saw a lot of the same types of ribbing and kidding that we do. Sam Becket. Ah, Sam. He's really just the perfect kind of guy. He's ideal, sure, but he's also REAL in a way that most characters never get to be. We see him happy, sad, angry, and frustrated, but he always tries to keep a good outlook on things, and he always tries to make Jolie happy. He suffered for his loss from her movie success, but he loves her and is happy for that very success that kept them apart. Jolie is a woman who recognizes her faults, but also her strengths. She is not self-deprecating about her beauty the way a lot of romance heroines are. She acknowledges her beauty (she IS a highly successful actress!) but she also acknowledges what it takes to maintain that beauty (the constant dieting, the smoking on the side, the deprevation). She's real in ways that many heroines aren't. Things that kind of lean me toward a 3: The book was a little slow. This is a huge point for me -- I hate slow books. They don't have to be non-stop action or anything, but I DO like them to be faster-paced. Rarely do I find poor editing in any of Ms. Michaels' books. But at one point, Jolie is called Julie. That REALLY bugged me. Probably more than it should. The end of Sam and Jolie's case was a bit to pat, a bit too cut and dry. Would have liked to have seen it work out in a more unique, clever or unexpected way. And, while I love me some sex scenes (and OH! can Kasey Michaels write sex scenes!), as another reviewer said, it would have been nice if more time were spent on the cases/story than in bed/swimmingpool/bathtub/whatever. I think those scenes should be there, don't get me wrong! But if it means cutting story time out, I'd like a bit more of an equal division. Overall, this is another enjoyable contemporary novel by my favorite author. She did not disappoint. It's not her best (I have a soft spot for Everything's Coming Up Rosie

I enjoyed this book a lot. Of course it has a semi-resolution that doesn't leave yoou completely hanging in Jolie and Sam figure out their case. But there are still more out there for her sister's to find. I am not sure how I feel about the "extra" story in a story of Sam's and Court's cousin and the family legacy of leaving a fist sized emerald somewhere. It is only supposed to be found when it's bad luck has run out. When she gets to that story I am sure it will fit better - but for right now it just seems like an extra plot point thrown in.

It's been five years since Jolie Sunshine left home, and Sam Becket, to chase her dream in Hollywood. When she comes home for her father's funeral, she wants to focus on proving her father didn't kill someone and then commit suicide. The last thing she wants to deal with is Sam and the bad way they ended things. Sam Becket never got over Jolie and the way things ended so when he hears about Teddy Sunshine's death and funeral, he knows he wants to be there for Jolie. He offers his home as a base of operations for Jolie and her sisters - a safe haven away from the paparazzi. Believing they were the key to proving her father's innocence, the two worked together on the cold case files her private investigator father had been recently working on. Being together is like old times but they both recognize that the reasons they were apart have not gone away. Will they be able to put aside the past and move forward to a new future - together? One of the things I loved about this book is that Sam Becket is a descendant of Ainsley Becket of the Romney Marsh series Beckets. When I read Becket's Last Stand (the last in the series), I was surprised by a twist at the end with Ainsley (which I won't spoil here) and almost felt like there was more to his story, so I was very happy to see his character revived - in a way - in this story. Plus, it helped make this book feel like I was sitting down with old friends, swapping stories, instead of coming to the table with all new characters I had to get to know. I thoroughly enjoyed Dial M for Mischief and anxiously await the next in the series.

Former Philadelphia cop turned private investigator Teddy Sunshine is found dead stunning his three adult children, Jolie, Jade and Jessica. However, even more shocking the police say he killed himself and murdered the wife of mayoral candidate Joshua Brainard. None of the three Sunshine sisters believe their father would commit suicide or a homicide; they agree to solve his cases because they feel one of them led to two murders. Actress Jolie has put her rising career on hold as she grieves her loss and begins to investigate her portion of the caseload. Her former lover Sam is there for her in terms of comforting her and working with her on her cases. The first Sunshine Girls Romantic Caper is a terrific tale that introduces the readers to the sisters inside a strong amateur sleuth. Jolie is the prime star of the aptly titled DIAL M FOR MISCHIEF, as the actress works some of her father's open cases though her efforts lead to mistakes and trouble, but amusement and fun for the audience. Fans will look forward to the escapades of the other Js after following "Jolly Green Jolie's adventures in mischief making sleuthing. Harriet Klausner

It's really a three and a half stars -- entertaining reading for a weekend, but less than memorable. What's frustrating is that it could have been a lot better if (I suspect) some editor hadn't made the author take out a couple of chapters worth of plot and substitute near-erotica. Okay, Jolie and her hero were in love five years ago, had lots of hot sex, now encounter one another again, and resume the practice. Okay. That's fine. The reader doesn't need TMI, but that's what the reader gets in this instance, which is too bad, because there's an interesting story going on outside the bedroom (and out of the swimming pool, etc. for all the other locales).