Anyway, this time out, I have the latest from Julia Harper, aka Elizabeth Hoyt, For the Love of Pete (Grand Central). Zoey Addler just happens to be attacking a federal agent over a parking space when her niece is kidnapped right in front of them. So Zoey hops in Dante Torelli's car and they're off after the villain. Dante isn't quite sure what to think of Zoey, but he doesn't quite trust her. His current assignment has him protecting her sister's family before her sister's boyfriend testifies against a mobster who'll stop at nothing to stay out of prison. Now, he's got Zoey up close and personal, and he finds that she might not be as bad as he'd imagined. Of course, now she's in danger as well, with people shooting at them and this case getting more and more tangled up. With Dante being framed for someone else's crime, he has his work cut out for him, protecting Zoey and getting back her baby niece, and after a while, she starts getting under his skin. Not always in a good way, either. This one is a little too zany for me. If you're looking for a story full of wise-cracking and quirky secondary characters who, at times, seem to take over the story, this one might be right up your alley. I found myself, however, skimming through some of the scenes with the secondary characters to get back to Dante, who's an interesting hero. But I didn't find this one a keeper. It's earned only three of Cupid's five arrows.
Until next time, happy reading!