Trouble in High Heels (Fortune Hunter, #1)

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Trouble in High Heels (Fortune Hunter #1)

3.83 of 5 stars 3.83 · rating details · 1,967 ratings · 121 reviews

When Brandi Michaels discovers her fianceé hopping a flight to Vegas to marry his girlfriend, she pawns her engagement ring, buys herself a fabulous outfit, and spends one sultry night in the arms of a gorgeous Italian stranger named Roberto Bartolini. When Brandi becomes the mark for a killer, she has no choice but to turn to Roberto—a man who’s destined to be either her...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published August 1st 2006 by Signet

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Aug 03, 2009 Arch rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-bought-in-2009, 2009-books-read

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is my first time reading a book by Christina Dodd.

Mrs. Dodd hit the nail with hammer in showing how some fathers can be selfish and not care about anyone, but themselves. In this book, the heroine - Brandi's father showed how her loved himself. He didn't even see Brandi as a person in this book. He wouldn't claim her as his child. He married her mother Tiffany. To him, Tiffany was nothing but a woman that loved to be pretty and spend his money. He hated the fact that she enrolled Brandi in...more This is my first time reading a book by Christina Dodd.

Mrs. Dodd hit the nail with hammer in showing how some fathers can be selfish and not care about anyone, but themselves. In this book, the heroine - Brandi's father showed how her loved himself. He didn't even see Brandi as a person in this book. He wouldn't claim her as his child. He married her mother Tiffany. To him, Tiffany was nothing but a woman that loved to be pretty and spend his money. He hated the fact that she enrolled Brandi in ballet and gymnastics. He thought that Brandi should be like his oldest daughter, Kim and play sports, so that she could get a scholarship. He had put his oldest daughter by a different wife, on a pedal stool. Tiffany had told him, Kim's secret and he didn't want to believe it, but later on he knew. This man that shouldn't be anyone's father left Tiffany to be with his secretary, who had a son for him that he didn't care for as well. The boy didn't want to follow in his father's foot, play sports like his father. People have to realize, just because you were something in school, doesn't mean your children will want to be that.

Brandi has gone to college to be a lawyer. What I hated in this book, in regards to Brandi and her mother is that she called her mother Tiffany. I know some children call their parents by their first name and their parents don't care, but I do. I would never want to be called by my first name by my children. Even the hero - Roberto found that strange that Brandi called her mother by her first name.

Brandi was engaged to a guy named Alan. They have dated for four years and then gotten engaged. The two timer betrayed Brandi's love. He went to Vegas and married his girlfriend. A girl that he has gotten pregant and the stupid thing is, he blamed Brandi, all because she moved to Chicago to be close to him and work for her uncle Charles. She gets even with him though. She pawns the $10,000 diamond ring he brought for her. Not only that, she goes out looking to hook up with another man and that's what she does. She meets Roberto, an Italian Count at her uncle Charles party and they hook up later at his hotel room.

Monday, she's introduced to Roberto again. He's her client. Brandi wasn't looking to ever see Roberto again, but that changed. Roberto knew they would meet again.

Roberto is a jewel thief. His grandfather, his mother's father is a jewel thief as well.

Although, Roberto is a jewel thief, he's also a good guy. He helps the FBI bring down a bad guy. One that he was happy to help bring down. The man broke his grandfather's hand with a hammer.

Roberto and Brandi gets a HEA. He's her dragon.

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Aug 11, 2011 Lady Danielle aka The Book Huntress rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Light contemporary romance fans with lower expectations

Shelves: favorite-or-autobuy-author, owned-copy, mainstream-contemporary-romance, read-the-season-estate, hero-italian-or-mediterranean, legal-lawyer, affair-turns-to-love, not-a-fave-by-fave-author, career-woman, playboy-hero, thief, parent-issues, sexual-harassment, set-in-chicago, winter-cold-setting

Well......

This is not one of my favorite Christina Dodd books. It was decent, but I expect more than decent from her. I think it's a timing thing. Being an extremely moody reader, it's hard when I read something and it doesn't fit what I am feeling at the time.

The Not-So Good:
*I never fell in love with the storyline, to be honest. I didn't like how Roberto and Brandi got together. She picked him up to make herself feel better after her fiance dumped her. Imagine her telling her grandkids that...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Heather Book Savvy Babe rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, chick-lit, audiobook, reading-romances-challenge-2012

Quickie Thoughts:

Trouble in High Heels is a fun book. It was entertaining to listen to and provided a lovely break from the darker more suspenseful books I've been reading lately. Brandi is a girl with serious daddy issues, she is a beautiful girl desperate to prove she is more than a pretty face. When her fiance leaves her to marry his girlfriend, she decides to splurge on herself and have a sexy night of fun. That sexy night lands her in bed with a wealthy Count and suddenly her entire life is...more

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Aug 01, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, 2012

Big fun and narrator Amanda Roncini. enjoyable little romp. try more Dodd.

Booklist synopsis:
Brandi Michaels is out for revenge. After learning her fiance ad dumped her to marry his pregnant girlfriend, Brandi--who had just moved to Chicago to start her new law career--pawns her engagement ring and uses the money to buy a gorgeous pair of sapphire earrings, a knock-'em-dead designer gown, and shoes to die for. Dressed to kill, Brandi arrives at a high-society soiree celebrating the famous Romano...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Nath rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, romantic-suspense, read-2007

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3/5 (C)

Review: Seriously, at the middle of the book, I didn't care about Brandi or the story anymore and that's why the book got such a bad great. It's not only the characterization, but also the writing that didn't agree with me.

The Characters - Brandi is a lawyer and had an unhappy childhood. Her mother was her father's first trophy wife and he yearned for a son. Unfortunately, Brandi wasn't a son and in addition, did ballet and gymnastic - skills that her father didn't find really useful. In...more 3/5 (C)

Review: Seriously, at the middle of the book, I didn't care about Brandi or the story anymore and that's why the book got such a bad great. It's not only the characterization, but also the writing that didn't agree with me.

The Characters - Brandi is a lawyer and had an unhappy childhood. Her mother was her father's first trophy wife and he yearned for a son. Unfortunately, Brandi wasn't a son and in addition, did ballet and gymnastic - skills that her father didn't find really useful. In fact, he thought Brandi was simply stupid and ditched both Brandi and her mother for trophy wife no. 2. However, Brandi's mother was a bit clueless - didn't know how to take care of herself or Brandi, didn't even know how to write a check... not that they had much money, cos there was no prenuptial contract. Basically, Brandi's father was a bastard and Brandi was left to pick up the pieces... Then she grows up into a beautiful and a bit imposing woman - as she's quite tall and curvacious. Personally, I've read about worst childhood. Yes, I agree, it was bad and sad, but not very endearing in Brandi Micheals. Personally, I don't know what I was supposed to feel about her. Personally, I think it was a problem in characterization... I don't think that Ms Dodd knew what her character was supposed to be like either and that's the result you get, a confuse reader. As for Roberto, well a bit of the typical supposedly sexy and irresistable man with too much pride... but those are starting to be typical and I think I need a bit more.

The Story & Writing - I thought the story was confusing and it lost me ^^; Seriously, nothing much stands out of this book to me except two scenes. One is the scene where Brandi sees her ex-fiancé with his wife for the first time at a charity event which she attends with Roberto. Of course, the was-couple starts to have an argument and to my shock: the weasel, cheating ex-fiancé gets the LAST WORDS!!! Do someone else think this was wrong? Especially since he calls her a whore. Brandi is supposedly very bright and she lets him gets away calling her a whore? Euh, no, that really doesn't sit well with me... unless she agreed with what he said and that's even worse to me. I think that's the scene where I stopped paying too much attention to the storyline... The second scene is where Roberto throws away his pride and dresses up as a dragon to beg for forgiveness. It was a cute scene, but again - how did Roberto know about the dragon? anyway, many inconsistencies and in addition, Ms Dodd's writing style doesn't suit me well. I think it isn't as smooth as it should be and it lacks a little bit of depth.

The Cover - I think the cover is actually nice and fitting.

Am I keeping this book? Hasn't decided yet. Probably yes, but I don't think I'd mind parting with it.
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Aug 01, 2011 Madame X rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

There's the heroine, Brandi, who has issues with her parents - her parents divorced and she overheard a few too many cruel comments before her dad finally walked out. She's so terrified of being in the same situation as her mother, needy and feminine, that she essentially repudiates her Mother and everything she has taught her to be (feminine, sweet, dependent) in order to become a self-sufficient lawyer who needs nobody.

Over the course of the novel she learns a lot of hard lessons - that the f...more There's the heroine, Brandi, who has issues with her parents - her parents divorced and she overheard a few too many cruel comments before her dad finally walked out. She's so terrified of being in the same situation as her mother, needy and feminine, that she essentially repudiates her Mother and everything she has taught her to be (feminine, sweet, dependent) in order to become a self-sufficient lawyer who needs nobody.

Over the course of the novel she learns a lot of hard lessons - that the fiance she picked to be the exact opposite of her father is really a lot like him; that she has become like her father by rejecting and infantalizing her mother. She has to face them, and make new choices, finding a man who will treat her right, re-forging her relationhip with her mother. And she has to kick her father out of her life entirely.

The hero, Roberto, is not as richly drawn. He's actually very hard to understand, and although his POV is scattered through the novel the reader never gets to see deep enough into his thoughts to understand his motivations and behavior. His feelings about Brandi seesaw without any apparent logic; one day he wants no commitment and is all love-em-and-leave-em, and the very next day he's introducing her to the family and mentioning marriage. His purpose in Chicago is a little unclear; he wants revenge of some kind, and redemption, but we're left to wonder what exactly that means to him - although this turns out to be easy enough to guess, and eventually I wondered how Brandi had failed to spot the obvious.

But really, so far, so good. It's in the execution that things really go awry.

"Trouble in High Heels" does two things that make me instantly hate any romance novel:

(1) The heroine is always angry or snappish or bickering, and the hero finds this adorable. There's a point after some minor trauma where the hero says something like, "Ah, there you are, snapping at me again - you must be back to yourself! How delightful!" I don't like heroines who have nothing nice to say, and I don't like the heroes who find them delightful.

(2) The book concludes with a lengthy grovel on the part of the hero. I can't stand it when the high-point of the novel, the real proof of the hero's worthiness, is that he's willing to abase himself for the heroine no matter how persistently she rejects him. On top of which, in this case I didn't think he'd done anything wrong and I had no idea where Brandi got off being angry.

But there's so much more. Here's a typical example. There's a subplot about how Brandi turns her back on ballet because her father thinks its worthless, and she says she hasn't danced since she was thirteen; except other times, she brings it up and is very proud of being a ballerina and is apparently still practicing. The ideas are there but the development is poor and inconsistent.(less)

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Jan 23, 2011 Melinda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: library, romance

This was a fun romp! It's the first in the Fortune Hunter series, and I read #3 first, and found it just ok. The genre must be suspenseful romantic comedy because it had moments of each.

Brandi had just moved to Chicago - in the winter - to be closer to her fiance Alan. She also just got a job with a prestigious law firm in Chicago, which she would start in just a few days. While having trouble getting settled in, what with frozen water pipes and a mistake in her furniture order, she received a c...more

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May 17, 2009 Wendy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very good read. I had trouble putting it down this weekend and finished it in a couple days. I guess I was in need of a little old fashioned romance. lol

When Brandi Michaels uproots her life to move to Chicago to be with her fiance Alan she never suspects that her life is about to change in the way that it is. The day she moves into her new apartment during one of Chicago's coldest winters she gets a phone call from Alan telling her that he has flown off to Las Vegas to marry his pregnant girlf...more

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Feb 29, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a really fun and quick read for me. I thought that Christina Dodd really jumped out and started the story quickly. Brandi Michaels was moving to Chicago in winter to be closer to her fiancé, a fiancé she chose because she felt he was so different from her overbearing and sometimes insulting father. Unfortunately she didn’t realize that this same fiancé couldn’t keep it in his pants. So after he calls from Vegas to say his girlfriend’s pregnant and their getting married, Brandi is ready...more

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Oct 01, 2011 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is romantic suspense. The story will keep you reading and occasionally laughing. I am a fan of Christina Dodd's work.

Brandi Michaels, a young, gorgeous lawyer, moves to Chicago to join her fiance, only to find out he's gone to Vegas to marry his pregnant girlfriend. She pawns the engagement ring, vamps herself up, and prepares to sleep with the first sexy man she meets that night. That man turns out to be a playboy Italian count and jewel thief, Roberto Bartolini, and the weekend is a...more

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Sep 12, 2009 Joy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: christina-dodd, contemporary-romance

It was an ok read, not to be taken seriously. I appreciate the plot and I found the ending quite corny. Characters didn't develop much, although there are bits and pieces of their history, I found a lot of elements missing. Not that I didn't enjoy this novel, I did but I've read better Christina Dodd novels. Love scenes are in short supply here as they weren't described vividly and they're more of foreplay. There is only one major scene and it's a quickie. Brandi tries too hard to prove her fath...more

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Aug 03, 2011 LadyShadows rated it 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the book although it was not as good as the other one in the series I read before this one. The end was a bit on the corny side as well. All in all it was just okay.
Brandi is a lawyer who moves to a new city to be with her fiance who in turn as soon as she moves there calls her to tell her he is in Vegas married to his pregnant girlfriend. So she pawns his engagment ring that he wants back for his new wife and goes on a spending night out spree with the money to get even with him. She...more

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Jan 06, 2012 Shelley Baynton rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 16, 2010 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

There are a few things that will automatically make me love a book. A good storyline, proper grammar and editing, characters I can relate to or characters that I just wanna lick up one side and down the other.
The storyline here wasn't the most original but Dodd had me at hot Italian Count. Hell, he didn't even have to be a Count. The Italian accent is good enough for me!
Add to it that the guy is a jewel thief and I kept having flashes to my favorite TV show: "White Collar." Really, That's as fa...more

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Jun 16, 2010 Lizm rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is classified as a suspenseful romance. I would classify it as an empowering novel with a strong female protagonist, who raises herself from depressing circumstances to great success by sticking it out, working hard, and trying some new things. Yes, ballet lessons made you strong. She also manages to find a match that does not feel threatened or challenged by her competence, success, or independence. Amazingly, this romantic interest will make her the envy of friends, co-workers, and f...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Marcia - Book Muster Down Under rated it 2 of 5 stars

Being a trophy wife comes at a cost, as Brandi finds out at the tender age of 11 - a very impressionable age for a young girl – when the door slams on her father’s final departure from his life with her and Tiffany. Brandi determines from then on that she will need to do more with her life than just being like her mother – in that instant, even though she has no real clue as to what a Lawyer does, she decides that’s what she’d like to be when she grows up.

Fourteen years later, a strong-willed an...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Corie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-books-i-read, audio-books

I really liked this, maybe it's just my mood, because I know there isn't much substance to it. Brandi was what I think all women wish they were when they grew up: witty, smart, gorgeous, successful, self confident, although slightly vulnerable, and don't forget flexible (***smile***hehe). What girl wouldn't want to be all of that? And Roberto, of course he's a perfect hero for this story. And if I'm being honest, probably too perfect. But the whole thing was very enjoyable and easy. A great sexy...more

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Sep 25, 2011 Tyler rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Synopsis: Brandi Michaels is a young, sexy lawyer who just graduated from law school and is starting her first job at a big-name Chicago law firm. Just a couple of days after arriving in Chicago, she finds our that her fiance has snuck off to Las Vegas to marry his pregnant girlfriend. Brandi pawns her engagement ring and goes to a party to find somebody to help her forget about her ex-fiance. She finds the gorgeous Italian Count Roberto Bartolini and spends the weekend in his arms... When she a...more

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Apr 18, 2011 E. Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

I was first attracted to this book because of the title, Trouble in High Heels. It sounds like an accurate description of most of the women I know. And if this character, Brandi, was going to make trouble, I SO wanted to be there. I was not disappointed. The author, Christina Dodd, presents a story that almost every woman can relate to – being dumped by a guy. From the very beginning, it’s easy to sympathize and empathize with Brandi. And when she has the nerve to go to a party with the full int...more

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Jul 18, 2008 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: people who like a good story and don't feel they need a connection to the characters

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 15, 2008 Gina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Every once in a while, I pick up a book just for the hell of it, just for a fun read. Sometimes, I need a break from the nail-bitting suspense or the horror and terror of other books. This one was refreshing! I laughed a few times, feeling what Brandi was feeling (near the beginning because of the 'ex-fiance' and near the end thinking and feeling like a doormat), tears and laughter make for a pretty good book. I liked Brandi's character, the way she developed is something I enjoyed. No holds bar...more

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Mar 26, 2010 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romantic-suspense

Fun but not a lot of depth, and the characters are a bit too modern for my taste. Fashion and high-maintenance women are not terribly interesting to me. On the other hand, Brandi (Lord, what a name!) at least was smart and not a total bimbo, even with the bimbo name. How she didn't figure out almost from the beginning that Roberto was not a jewel thief but working to bring down jewel thieves, is beyond me. It was obvious from the moment he said he was a jewel thief, which was pretty early in the...more

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Oct 04, 2011 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance

The most sexy part of the story was when the two main characters are on an elevator and think they are going to die. Roberto cuts Brandi's panties with a knife and makes crazy love with her!! Wow very erotic and the after that the rest of it was just okay. Brandi an obvious hot mama hides it till her finance left her for a girl he got pregant and that is when the one night happens with Roberto who also happens to be (she finds out later) an accused thief she is hired to defend in court.

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Aug 16, 2012 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, romance

3.5 Stars

Although this book isn't that old, the text already seems dated. There are things such as plentiful Internet access and cell phones that would have added a lot of realism to the course of events, and not having them was sort of glaring. Brandi as a character really worked for me, although I'm not sure I really warmed up to Roberto. He seemed like a bit of an ass, and I'm not sure a person as smart (SMART) as Brandi would want to put up with him forever.

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Mar 07, 2012 Vivian rated it 5 of 5 stars

I must admit the storyline and writing wasn't anything special, but the romance was just. . yum AHHAA

Roberto. . mhhmm
Such a clicheyy Italian name but hey, worked for me.

The story itself probably wasn't worth five stars but the ending was just THE most ADORABLE and SWEETEST and most HILARIOUS ending I've seen in eons. Eons I tell you.

Dragon suit.

Enough said.

And I didn't even see it coming

Definitely recommended!

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Jul 15, 2011 Alicia rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-wish-i-hadn-t-read, contemporary-romance, put-me-out-of-the-misery

I'm afraid this book falls into the "books I wish I hadn't read" category. Totally. The dialogue was too smarmy for words, the plot was over the top ridiculous, and the heroine was way too sarcastic to be likeable. Not funny at all. I was bummed by the whole thing. It was too bad too because the summary on the back sounded cute and funny, and I love the cover art. Oh well.

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Dec 01, 2011 Nellie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Brandi is dumped by fiance, and decides to go out on the town and find the perfect one to have sex with. She meets Roberto. He just happens to be a Count from Italy. This story was very explicit. Too much to just skip pages. Fun story of a jewel thief, but not something I could recommend for anyone, due to the explicit nature of this novel. It also had language

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Jan 23, 2013 Thenia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, romance, series

A light and fast paced novel and not quite what I was expecting.

Brandi is a young lawyer who gets jilted by her fiance and decides to be wild for a night and have a one-night stand with someone she'll never meet again. Things don't go exactly as planned and that someone turns out to be the client in her first big case.

Everything gets more complicated by the fact that Roberto Bartolini, who Brandi now has to babysit and make sure behaves, is a jewel thief who's apparently planning to steal a famo...more

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Mar 21, 2011 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a fan of this series but I had to say this was probably my least favourite of them all. The suspense was lacking, the storyline was alright, and some parts were really REALLY corny. I think the dialogue between Roberto and Brandi could be improved a bit as it seemed too cliche. Brandi wasn't as strong as I liked because she was too caught up with the circumstances between her parents and her and that lowered her self-esteem so much. I personally prefer a kick-ass heroine but this story was a...more

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About Christina Dodd

Readers become writers, and Christina Dodd has always been a reader. As she was growing up, she read everything, but discovered, because she likes humor, that she liked romance best. In romance, the relationship between one man and one woman holds center stage, and that’s always good for a laugh.

A woman wants things like world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on m...more

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Trouble in High Heels (Fortune Hunter #1)

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