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The Wests #2
Cracking the Dating Code
A Crash Course in Flirtation...Poppy West - genius and legendary code-cracker - needs a hideaway. Her borrowed desert island seems perfect - until she discovers the owner is the most dangerously sexy man she has ever laid eyes on...Now she's out of her depth! Sebastian Reyne never intended to teach Poppy all the delightful, enticing mysteries of flirtation. Poppy needs a nice man, not a rogue. A patient man, not one who can't be controlled. But her clueless attempts at cracking the dating code bring out the rescuer in him, the teacher in him, even the gentleman in him. For a while. Until Poppy's skills start to exceed his own...
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 22, 2013
16 people are currently reading
307 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Hunter
285 books422 followersAustralian born Kelly Hunter is a three time Romance Writers of America Rita finalist, a USA Today Bestselling author and loves writing to the demands of the short category romance form.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 22, 2023
3.5
I really like Kelly Hunter romances as the dialogue fairly zips. In this story two successful career types meet on an equal footing, although the h, code-cracking maths whizz Ophelia (Poppy) is a shy, socially awkward type, innocent in the ways of love. Seb has his own island on which they spend a week alone, getting very closely acquainted! It's low angst and includes other characters who will also have their own romances (I think it's part of a series). It's very well done, for all it's so light.
I really like Kelly Hunter romances as the dialogue fairly zips. In this story two successful career types meet on an equal footing, although the h, code-cracking maths whizz Ophelia (Poppy) is a shy, socially awkward type, innocent in the ways of love. Seb has his own island on which they spend a week alone, getting very closely acquainted! It's low angst and includes other characters who will also have their own romances (I think it's part of a series). It's very well done, for all it's so light.
October 2, 2012
This is one sweet & captivating read.
Kelly Hunter 's writing style is so fresh, so breezy, her dialogue is so amusing, so flirty that I kept smiling non stop while reading this delightful book. Not to mention the laugh-out-loud moments .
KH's characters are perfect with their flaws & insecurities. I fell in love with them at first sight, Seb is a wonderful hero with the right amount of strength, good humor & tenderness. Poppy is shy & mousy but she is smart & courageous. my only complaint is the end, it seems very rushed to me, the book ends just after the declaration of love. An epilogue would have done a lot of difference.
Kelly Hunter 's writing style is so fresh, so breezy, her dialogue is so amusing, so flirty that I kept smiling non stop while reading this delightful book. Not to mention the laugh-out-loud moments .
KH's characters are perfect with their flaws & insecurities. I fell in love with them at first sight, Seb is a wonderful hero with the right amount of strength, good humor & tenderness. Poppy is shy & mousy but she is smart & courageous. my only complaint is the end, it seems very rushed to me, the book ends just after the declaration of love. An epilogue would have done a lot of difference.
October 29, 2012
Cracking the Dating Code is a fun and light-hearted story about a brilliant cryptologist who is looking to break the code to a government encrypted file and locate her missing brother and a oil-rigger who is dealing with the recent tragedy of a rig explosion that killed one of his men and seriously wounded another. Their tale of love is short but sweet, and though the relationship progressed quickly I thought it was done realistically. I spent a good deal of time chuckling out loud at the banter between Poppy and Seb, two smart and engaging characters.
April 10, 2012
This book was full of hilariousness. Between the sexy flirty banter and the general cockiness, it was great to read. I can't say it was the most serious and wonderful book I've ever read but it did have great attempt of dragging me away from my "regular" world and into a dreamy seduction of bliss. Worth the read!
August 4, 2018
3.5 stars
This was a nice way to spend a day or so reading. Nothing earth shattering, but nice. Poppy was a shy nerdy girl who had no clue how to flirt, except she did so well with Seb. Honestly, I didn't get the vibe that Seb was a playboy like he claimed to be. For me, he was just a nice hero who was intrigued by Poppy's innocent flirtation:)
This was a nice way to spend a day or so reading. Nothing earth shattering, but nice. Poppy was a shy nerdy girl who had no clue how to flirt, except she did so well with Seb. Honestly, I didn't get the vibe that Seb was a playboy like he claimed to be. For me, he was just a nice hero who was intrigued by Poppy's innocent flirtation:)
April 3, 2019
A fun romantic read, this is part 2 in 'The West's' series so looks like I am off to find part 1 next.
Ps- aren't the covers on these books hilarious??? This is why I read them on kindle
Ps- aren't the covers on these books hilarious??? This is why I read them on kindle
April 14, 2012
Another short novella on my reader - this time it's the second youngest daughter, terminally shy Ophelia West, genius code cracker who needs time alone and a really strong supercomputer not connected to the internet to crack a file with important information about her missing older brother.
Fortunately her employee in Oxford, Thomas, has a younger brother who runs a very successful rescue company for oil drilling accidents (or something suchlike) and is a billionaire in his own right - he bought himself an offshore island and had a state-of-the-art house built - with a state-of-the-art supercomputer room for his older brother to visit - the batcave.
While Seb is usually a real ladies man, he has withdrawn from everyone due to an accident that cost one of his men his life and another one his hearing (actually I thought the timeline for the recuperation of the widow and the deaf employe at end, so it was an allover happy end, was simply too short for this much calm forgiveness) - he is rather annoyed to find out that his brother's boss is a younger woman who is cute but also totally scared of open water (a swimming pool is just fine).
Poppy's main arc has to do with her trying to overcome her shyness with Seg and then later with the people he cherishes in his company - and that is quite hefty (again, due to time constraints, her eventual ability to be self-assured in a group of Seb's friends is pretty unrealistic).
I did like that we saw some more of the hero/heroine of the next book, Poppy's recuperating older sister Leda and her childhood friend with a huge crush, Trigger (real name - Adrian). And the plot line about Jared continues.
Fortunately her employee in Oxford, Thomas, has a younger brother who runs a very successful rescue company for oil drilling accidents (or something suchlike) and is a billionaire in his own right - he bought himself an offshore island and had a state-of-the-art house built - with a state-of-the-art supercomputer room for his older brother to visit - the batcave.
While Seb is usually a real ladies man, he has withdrawn from everyone due to an accident that cost one of his men his life and another one his hearing (actually I thought the timeline for the recuperation of the widow and the deaf employe at end, so it was an allover happy end, was simply too short for this much calm forgiveness) - he is rather annoyed to find out that his brother's boss is a younger woman who is cute but also totally scared of open water (a swimming pool is just fine).
Poppy's main arc has to do with her trying to overcome her shyness with Seg and then later with the people he cherishes in his company - and that is quite hefty (again, due to time constraints, her eventual ability to be self-assured in a group of Seb's friends is pretty unrealistic).
I did like that we saw some more of the hero/heroine of the next book, Poppy's recuperating older sister Leda and her childhood friend with a huge crush, Trigger (real name - Adrian). And the plot line about Jared continues.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 23, 2013
Seb has the weight of the world on his shoulders, feeling responsible for the loss of the life of one of his employees and injury to another. He's hiding out on his island trying to figure out his next step.
Poppy is trying to figure out where her brother is hiding out and needs isolation to crack the code. Her partner, Seb's brother, offers the use
of their island. She needs to convince Seb to come back to work though. She gets him to teach her the fine art of flirting and then things go from there.
Fun, light read. Like these Wests!
Poppy is trying to figure out where her brother is hiding out and needs isolation to crack the code. Her partner, Seb's brother, offers the use
of their island. She needs to convince Seb to come back to work though. She gets him to teach her the fine art of flirting and then things go from there.
Fun, light read. Like these Wests!
April 28, 2013
I tore through this in a couple of hours while resting a twisted ankle. Hunter once again brings the fun dialogue. I loved that Poppy was a true introvert and not a caricature of of a computer geek. There was nothing wrong with her, just that social interactions don't come easy to her. It was refreshing. And I loved that Seb was more outgoing and a risk taker but never really wanted to change her to be more like him. Just wanted her to feel more comfortable. Very fun read.
July 13, 2014
Nice but ultimately forgettable.
December 5, 2017
3.5 stars
Fun. Flirty and frustrating. I like how the family relationships and series arc is handled.
Fun. Flirty and frustrating. I like how the family relationships and series arc is handled.
April 16, 2018
Quick cute read. The title says it all.
February 21, 2019
DNF due to boredom p44.
February 23, 2022
Excellent book!!!
October 10, 2025
Really good writer but her romance stories are not for me. Majority of the heroines from this author this one included have numerous sexual encounters. Not relationships just sex with numerous partners, and of course when they find the hero with the magic penis? The right size? Romance happens. For me it’s just kills the romance, heroine having so little respect for her body to just encage in casual sex with different partners. 🤢
April 5, 2012
I loved the banter and flirting between Seb and Poppy - it was sweet, funny, and sexy (which are probably words I use about every single Kelly Hunter book).
I found it interesting that Poppy was portrayed as suffering from crippling shyness or as she puts it, she's not just a people person - that is a slightly different slant for an M&B. I liked all the secondary characters, especially Seb's brother Tom(as), who really needed more page time (though slightly annoyingly, Seb kept on flipping between Tom and Tomas, and I never did figure out why he would use different names).
Kelly Hunter's strength lies in sparkling dialogue and believable relationships, and this was a really enjoyable read for me. And as an unexpected bonus - this was linked with her previous book, Flirting with Intent, I'm guessing we'll be getting a West family series?
I found it interesting that Poppy was portrayed as suffering from crippling shyness or as she puts it, she's not just a people person - that is a slightly different slant for an M&B. I liked all the secondary characters, especially Seb's brother Tom(as), who really needed more page time (though slightly annoyingly, Seb kept on flipping between Tom and Tomas, and I never did figure out why he would use different names).
Kelly Hunter's strength lies in sparkling dialogue and believable relationships, and this was a really enjoyable read for me. And as an unexpected bonus - this was linked with her previous book, Flirting with Intent, I'm guessing we'll be getting a West family series?
April 17, 2013
Love Poppy. She's super smart, super awkward and that's what makes her so charming. She is curious about the sexual attraction between her and Sebastian and follows that curiosity with her inquisitive nature into a relationship with Sebastian. I love her honesty and it was really refreshing to read about a heroine who didn't turn into an absolute idiot when she's around the hero. Instead she charms him out of his misgivings about a serious relationship with her - whether she did this on purpose or not is up for speculation - and then she tries her best to bond with his friends and family despite her social awkwardness. It was funny to read about a heroine more concerned about getting along with the hero's family than her feelings for the hero; she was already clear on the emotions part.
Kelly Hunter is a great writer and I just love reading about her characters falling in love. They're usually very unique and so much fun.
Kelly Hunter is a great writer and I just love reading about her characters falling in love. They're usually very unique and so much fun.
July 3, 2016
Poppy, a highly intelligent, code-cracker, needs a private place to crack a code. It MIGHT be slightly illegal, hence her need for secrecy. When a friend offers the use of his private island she accepts. But fear of water and talking to new people are just the beginning of her problems when she takes a boat out to this island.
I enjoyed this story. It was cute, fun and entertaining. While very predictable, it did have a few angles that were a bit different. It is the second book featuring Poppy's family and I would recommend reading the first. I felt just a bit lost a couple of times when people and situations were mentioned. But this book is definitely stand alone.
I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed this story. It was cute, fun and entertaining. While very predictable, it did have a few angles that were a bit different. It is the second book featuring Poppy's family and I would recommend reading the first. I felt just a bit lost a couple of times when people and situations were mentioned. But this book is definitely stand alone.
I received this book free of charge from Goodreads in exchange for my honest review.
April 6, 2013
3 stars.
Sequel to Flirting With Intent, and I strongly suggest that you read that one first before you attempt this one, else you'll miss out on the many references made to it.
This was improbable and interesting. Poppy put me in mind of Fred from Angel ... only more likeable. Seb is brooding & guilt-ridden, strong & athletic, capable & rich.
I like that they each grew from the time that they spent together. I liked spending time with them.
A quick, well-written read, with some depth, as Kelly Hunter does them.
Sequel to Flirting With Intent, and I strongly suggest that you read that one first before you attempt this one, else you'll miss out on the many references made to it.
This was improbable and interesting. Poppy put me in mind of Fred from Angel ... only more likeable. Seb is brooding & guilt-ridden, strong & athletic, capable & rich.
I like that they each grew from the time that they spent together. I liked spending time with them.
A quick, well-written read, with some depth, as Kelly Hunter does them.
March 13, 2014
A quieter book than the other West siblings because Poppy herself is a more introspective character. A child genius, she was always much younger than school and university mates so she's introverted. A successful criptographer she needs to be somewhere isolated to decipher the file Damon hacked in Flirting with Intent.
The somewhere isolated turns out to be an island owned by her business partner's brother Sebastian Reyne. Sebastian owns an oil rig company and is on the island nursing a hangover after the death and injury of two employees/friends on the job. Alone on the island the attraction between the two is immediate.
A sweet book.
The somewhere isolated turns out to be an island owned by her business partner's brother Sebastian Reyne. Sebastian owns an oil rig company and is on the island nursing a hangover after the death and injury of two employees/friends on the job. Alone on the island the attraction between the two is immediate.
A sweet book.
May 15, 2014
The fragmentary, elliptical prose style didn't work for me; it kept me from losing myself to the world of the story. Also, I kept waiting for the story to start - there seemed to be so many hints for external plot, but ultimately it's a story entirely about emotional shifts. There were some delightfully vivid scenes, though, and I really rather liked both main characters. The writing and dialogue were deliciously intelligent. All told, there's nothing wrong with an all-emotion story - it was just odd to find it half-pretending to be something else.
February 13, 2013
I really enjoyed this book! Poppy was a lot of fun - she's awkward around new people but still strong-willed and willing to try new things. I love that she wanted to push herself and that she wouldn't let others push her around. Seb was a tough hero with plenty of guilt over a recent work accident, but he was a great foil for Poppy. I really believed in their HEA. Definitely recommend this one to readers of category romance!
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February 4, 2015Poppy is on Sebastian's island to search the Internet for information on her brother's location. The over-the-top system he has are just what she needs, the only this is the ocean she must cross, by ship, to get there.
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May 8, 2012Kelly Hunter writes delightfully realistic, flawed characters whose dialogue absolutely sparkles!
June 10, 2012
Read two Kelly Hunter books this weekend and loved them both. Sparkling dialogue and seriously sexy heroes.
October 6, 2012
3.5/5
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December 27, 2014Miniseries: Battle of the Sexes
Category: Classic Romance
Category: Classic Romance
Read
December 27, 2014Miniseries: Battle of the Sexes
Category: Classic Romance
Category: Classic Romance
November 11, 2012
Rating: 3.5/5
December 16, 2012
A sweet and fluffy little story, memorable mainly for having a geek heroine. The subplots didn't really grab me, but it was a fun enough diversion.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews