This time out, I have Penny McCall's Worth the Trip (Berkley, purchased). Norah MacArthur has managed to lead a quiet life, despite her con-artist father, but now he's about to be released from prison, and suddenly she finds herself the center of way more attention than she'd like as people are hunting for the money her father stole from a bank. FBI agent Trip Jones has been assigned to keep her safe, though they're drastically different in their approaches to life in general and to her situation in particular. Still, there's a strong attraction between them, and as they work their way out of unexpected danger more than once, the attraction deepens into emotion that threatens both of their hearts. Psychologist Norah is smart enough to know that their relationship can't lead to anything permanent, but her heart would love if it did. Still, Trip isn't really her type, no matter how much she might like him to be. And then there's the loot her father's after, and which Trip very much wants to recover first. As always with a story from Penny McCall, we get humor alongside the great romance and plenty of steam between Norah and Trip. Even better, we get an entertaining cast of secondary characters along for the ride, and occasionally a visit from someone out of one of her previous books, and I always enjoy that. Another guarantee is that difficult choice Norah will have to make eventually, between her father and Trip, and all the emotional anguish that decision will create for her and for readers. I've enjoyed Ms. McCall's books since the very first one, and she just keeps getting better. As an added bonus, this one has got absolutely the best cover art she's ever gotten. I'm giving this one four of Cupid's five arrows.
Until next time, happy reading!
