Pretend I'm Not Here

Gavaler is a fine technician of the language, has an eye for detail, a keen sense of humor, a snappy writing style. I loved his characters, especially Ashley, the heroine. But they are all well drawn. Like other reviewers I believe the book was mis-categorized. It's light on the romance (not necessarily a bad thing)and heavy on action and derring-do. I enjoyed the plot's twists and turns. Mystery/thriller better describes this book. Shouldn't it have been issued as a hardback, rather than a checkout counter book? It is surely at least as good as most thrillers published these days. All in all a worthy first effort. I'd like to see more from this author.

I'm proud to say that I finished this book in two days.I find this book to be very enjoyable and Ashley is a very likable character. There's not much romance but I think it is enough as this book focuses more on suspense rather than romance.Ashley's antics made me laugh out loud and all in all, she is a very endearing character.However, I have to admit that sometimes, Ashley acts more like an FBI agent than the chaperone on "Who Wants To Be A Blind Date?" because she's brave beyond words and very smart as well. I mean, it's the mobsters she's facing, you know! Yet she can be so calm and cool, which seems just a bit unbelievable.Overall, this is a very entertaining book and highly enjoyable, as long as you overlook that slight flaw.

Pretend I'm Not Here is told from the perspective of Ashley, a chaperone for the popular television show "Who Wants to Be a Blind Date?". This week's winners, Randy and Melissa, seem to be the typical "beautiful people" that are always on the show. Their prize, a date on the island of St. Thomas seems like the typical trip. That all changes when Ashley bumps into a hunk on the airplane, a mob mistress shows up at the resort, and a man turns up dead. Ashley finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time.This was such a fun book. It had all of the ingredients for a fabulous vacation read, including romance, mystery, intrigue, and comedy. The story moved along well, and Gavaler kept me in stiches laughing at Ashley's shenanigans. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, witty, and suspensful trip to the islands.~Reviewed by CandaceK

Much like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, I really enjoyed this romantic adventure. The witty dialog and fast-paced plot kept me engrossed to the point of having to finish the book to see what happened. The Caribbean setting was at the same time romantic and realistic - not all gorgeous sunsets, but also tangled jungle and sunbaked tourists. I could completely identify with the heroine and her trevails. A great read!

I don't usually read romantic suspense novels, but after I started this I had to stay up late to finish it. Ashley is a chaperone for a dating game whose winners travel to the Virgin Islands. Through a series of mistaken identities, Ashley unwittingly gets caught up in a scheme involving murder, extortion, and journalism. There are just the right number of plot twists. The writing is witty and fun.