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I was eager to dive into Rachel Gibson's follow-up story featuring the second of the four writer friends introduced in SEX, LIES & ONLINE DATING, and I was not disappointed. I'm a sucker for a good romance, and I'M IN NO MOOD FOR LOVE actually brought tears to my eyes in one of those "Awww ..." moments that validates the whole idea of finding the love of your life in the most unexpected of circumstances. Clare Wingate is a romance writer, but in hiding behind her computer screen, scribing sweeping historic romance novels, Clare has managed to miss love at every turn. During an unplanned stop at home between her friend Lucy's wedding and the reception, Clare is knocked off her dyed-to-match shoes when she finds her fiancé in her closet in a compromising position with the washing machine repairman. Despite her broken heart, she soldiers through the reception, and rather than clueing her friends in to her situation she drinks herself into one heck of a hangover – and wakes up the next morning in a hotel bed wearing nothing but a spritz of Escada. To make matters worse, she discovers that the hunk in the shower is none other than her childhood crush, Sebastian Vaughan, now a sexy, globe-hopping journalist. Somewhere between the toast and the toss of the bouquet, Clare has gone and gotten herself into a whole lot of trouble. When they were kids, Sebastian always thought that Clare was a royal pain in his behind. Now that he's back home to try to repair his relationship with his father, Sebastian realizes that there's a lot more to Clare than the ache induced by watching her saucy behind walk away . . . yet again. In Clare's experience, Sebastian pushes all the wrong buttons – and maybe some of the right ones too. She's in no mood for love – not even for lust – and wants to forget about Sebastian and his six-pack abs ASAP. But he isn't in the mood to go away, and his kiss is impossible to forget. Their immediate attraction catches both off guard, even though they swear they're not looking for love. As per romance novel protocol, there's a lot of push and pull in this story. Clare is steadfast in her resolve not to allow another man into her heart, and all Sebastian is interested in is getting her naked. Neither of them wants more than sex, at least at first, but when Sebastian does something unintentionally but utterly romantic, Clare is powerless to stop herself from falling head over heels. She hides her feelings to save herself further heartache, but a chance meeting with her former fiancé in the company of another woman makes Clare realize that she is in the mood for love after all, a revelation that sends Sebastian running for the hills until he comes to grips with his own surprising feelings. Using the same technique she employs in SEX, LIES & ONLINE DATING, Gibson divides the point of view between the male and female leads, and in both books her male perspective is masterfully written. I'M IN NO MOOD FOR LOVE has an underlying element of family dynamic and an emotional tug-of-war between Clare and her mother and Sebastian and his father that add depth to the otherwise lighthearted, sexy tale. And then there is that moment – the climactic resolution so brilliantly written that it's anything but predictable – that will have all the soft-hearted hopeless romantics in the audience reaching for the ol' tissue box. It's like watching your favorite romantic movie and crying in the same spot every time you see it – you know what's going to happen, but it gets to you anyway. One of the things I particularly like about this series is Gibson's matching of her genre to her heroine's. In SEX, LIES & ONLINE DATING, a novel of romantic suspense, her central character is Lucy, who writes romantic mysteries. I'M IN NO MOOD FOR LOVE is a straight-up romance featuring romance novelist Clare. I'm not certain whether Gibson will be continuing the pattern considering the other two friends write true crime and science fiction. As Gibson is an award-winning romance writer, I'm guessing that the next two books will fall into the romantic suspense and/or straight romance category. Either way, I can't wait to read the next installment in this terrific and beautifully-written series.
Reviewed by J. B. Thompson, November 2006
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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