Everything I Ever Wanted

Jo Goodman really has incredible depth to her characters. Maybe it is the extra 75 or more pages she adds to her books to make them a little more complete than the average. I am not sure what it is but the tale of South and India was ever bit as compelling as North and Elizabeth. What a story - how India had suffered with her life before meeting South. And the love between them just sizzled. Again bringing in the other members of the Compass Club - just to intertwine their stories is a unique touch by Goodman. These stories all run rather simultaneous to each other although it is better to read them in order. I just loved this book - South and Elizabeth were an exciting, very real heartfelt couple. Defintetly one of the better books I have read - impossilbe to put down!!!

Evething I Ever Wanted is an intriguing romance, full of mystery and surprises. It has an excellent plot and very good characters . In fact, this romance was very impressive!!!! I highly recommend you to read it - It is a treasure and a page-turner !!! Actually I didn't read the book in english, I've read a copy in Portuguese (this book was translated).

Everything I Ever Wanted is the second book in Jo's series of the Compass Club. Matthew, Lord Southerton, is working for Colonel Blackwood to uncover a plot to kill the Prince Regent. His path leads him to Indian Parr, a beautiful and talented actresss who has done work for the Colonel in the past. Fearing for her life, South kidnaps India and keeps her in a cottage in the country. They cannot deny their feelings for each other, and start an affair. But, India is not the woman South thought her to be, and she has her own demons to battle, which South helps her to win. Many twists and turns in this mystery. India is a very strong, independant woman, and Jo Goodman let's us see inside her soul and heart. I agree with the previous post that Jo knows how to write a strong heroine. I can't wait for East's story with Lady Sophia, or for West's story.

I love Jo Goodman's heroes - I get so tired of hard-faced, bottled-up he-men! Her men are always humorous, compassionate, all around good-guy hunks (I especially loved the Thorne brothers!). Her heroines tend to be the walking-wounded, though, and this one is no exception. This book is the second of four in the Compass Club series, about four men who were childhood friends and their continuing adult friendship. The story lines occur simultaneously, not sequentially, so many of the events from the first book, Let Me Be The One, overlap with this one, but from a different point of view. It was helpful to reread the first one before reading this one. I like the intelligence of Goodman's writing and the thought that goes into her plots, while still having the requisite hot love scenes. She seems to be under appreciated, from the way her books are marketed. My only complaint is that the titles of her books are hard to distinguish one from another (like Lisa Kleypas titles). I highly recommend any of Goodman's books (with the exception of her very early books that were reissued - her early writing tends to be a little overwrought).

This was one of the better books I've read recently. I love the interaction between North, South East and West. They seem like guys I had as friends in school. They seem to recognize that there is nothing more important than a sense of humor, even if they are laughing at themselves. I can't wait for East and West's stories.