Happy Hump Day!

Happy Hump Day - deeeeeep breath, big sigh. Okay - you made it half way through the week and I must say you deserve a reward. How about every gal's favorite calorie free, truly guilty indulgence....eye candy! Mmmmmm. (You may go back for seconds on this one ;-) )

Now, since you've been so good, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret....shhhh. I have another review for you - just a quickie (nothing wrong with a quickie now and then)!

One of my all time favorite Maya Banks stories happens to be Seducing Simon. Now I ask you, who doesn't love firemen and HEA's? (that's happily ever afters for those who don't read these reviews much) I know I do - a protective older brother and supportive guy friends are frosting on the cake. Tell you what else I love - girls who love from afar, crazy mixed up circumstances that result in everyone over their heads with no way to dig out, misunderstandings that rip your heart out and love conquering all. This story has it all!

Toni Langston lives with her brother, Matt, and two of his fellow fire-fighters, Simon and A.J.. Toni has been in love with Simon forever but naturally never acted on it because he had a girlfriend. On the night Simon was to propose to his girlfriend, he finds her en flagrante with another man and drinks himself silly. When Toni provides him with friendly comfort, one thing leads to another and they end up in bed. What should have been the most wonderful experience of her life turns tragic when he calls out to his ex during sex (never a good thing). Even worse, he has no recollection of the encounter. And even worse still, she ends up pregnant.

Since Simon doesn't remember and Toni doesn't have the nerve to tell him for fear of losing his friendship, she just refuses to answer the guys' questions. She finds a confidant in another of the station fire-fighters and he hatches a plan to try and drive Simon into a jealous frenzy so he'll recognize how important Toni is to him. Of course, hormone driven women and men being dunces means the road to happiness is drawn out and rocky.

There is something about this writer's style that grabs me. I have mentioned before how "real" her characters are and this story is no different - pulling on your heart-strings, making you laugh and cry and sigh in contentment. Maya Banks writes stories that are gourmet in their complexity and surprising in their simplicity - like a chocolate bon bon - a true guilty indulgence!

This Happy Hump Day reviewer gives Seducing Simon a whopping 5 chocolate covered strawberries. Mmmmmmm.