Woman Most Wanted

If I want a challenge, I'll read a calculus textbook. If I want to be entertained, I'll pick up a book by Harper Allen. Woman Most Wanted has everything: a strong romance, unique characters, twists and turns and a lot of laughs. What more could you want? Calculus, I guess ;)

I am fortunate to know Harper Allen but had not yet read any of her books. This was a surprise especially that the heroine reminded me of her. I could just picture Harper crusading in the same manner. This book has been mailed to a friend and I can hardly wait for the next one to be published. Bravo Harper!

If there are really men like Matt D'Angelo in Boston, I'm leaving on the next flight! I loved Harper Allen's "Twice Tempted" last January and I loved "Woman Most Wanted" even more. The story of a woman who has her life stolen is original and suspenseful. Jenna is a smart, funny, and touching heroine; Matt is the by-the-book FBI agent who falls for her in spite of all the evidence against her claims. Seeing him fall hard for Jenna is a delicious experience. The love scenes between them are hot and yet very romantic. (After reading the shower scene you'll need a shower.) The writing is humorous though in a couple places it was touching enough that I had tears in my eyes. My only complaint is that I'd like to see this author more often- I hope it's not another year before the next Harper Allen comes out.

Harper Allen delivers another of her singular brand of romantic suspense in "Woman Most Wanted." FBI agent Matt D'Angelo has never met a witness like Jenna Moon. The grown-up flower child claims she's seen a dead criminal walking around alive and well. Not only is there no proof of her story, but Matt's having a hard time proving Jenna even exists. The law firm she says she works at claims not to know her. There's a strange old woman living in the apartment Jenna claims as her own. Is Jenna nuts? Or is Matt the crazy one for believing her? I don't know how Allen is able to get away with writing fresh storylines and quirky characters, but I'm glad she is. Her stories are breaths of fresh air in the stale world of category romance. "Woman Most Wanted" is a tale that combines mystery, humor, suspense and romance in one wonderful read. This is one fun book. There are so many unforgettable moments to savor: Jenna's monologue about television on page 59, one of the most emotional scenes I've read in a romance recently, involving--believe it or not--a cat, and best of all, a priceless confrontation in Chapter Nine that had me laughing out loud."Woman Most Wanted" is an unusual Intrigue, with a twisting plot and unique characters we haven't seen before. The humorous elements work because they're easy and unforced. Jenna is well-drawn and sympathetic, offbeat without being either annoying or dingy--not an easy task. Books where heroines are being made to look crazy, with no way to prove they're telling the truth, are always intriguing (there's even another one this month, Debra Webb's "The Bodyguard's Baby"), and Jenna is a heroine who is easy to root for. A man willing to stand by the heroine and listen to his heart instead of his head is always heroic, and Matt is no exception. One thing that makes "Woman Most Wanted" stand out is the richness of the characters. As in Allen's first two books, even the most minor of characters are surprisingly well drawn, from a waitress to a group of hookers, receiving more depth in a sentence or two than more major characters do in whole books by other authors. I probably liked this one a little bit less than Allen's last book, "Twice Tempted." It's not as seamlessly plotted, one big misunderstanding near the end is disappointing and one huge coincidence that is revealed late is a little hard to swallow. Even so, "Woman Most Wanted" is a surprising and unique romantic suspense tale unlike any other you're likely to have read lately. The mystery is compelling, the passion is steamy and the twists never stop. "Woman Most Wanted" is a true original and a delightful read that shouldn't be missed.