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Million Dollar Secrets #5
Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich
What would you do if you hit the jackpot?
Private investigator Jessie Huell has always eschewed girlie things for the tools of her trade. She'd swap Jimmy Choos for a nightscope any day. But when she arrives as a guest on a popular Atlanta sex show, Jessie is unexpectedly reunited with high school crush and producer Cole Crawford―multi-million dollar lottery winner, igniter of panties...and bad, bad news for her.
Now Jessie is the official spokesperson for fling-havers everywhere―Cole and Jessie are doing hot, naughty things in the very same places she swore she'd avoid. As each incredible second explodes by, Jessie finds herself in deep if she's not careful she'll break the first rule of flingdom and it'll turn serious…which means she'll have to find the real dirt on Cole Crawford...because this man's too good to be true!
Private investigator Jessie Huell has always eschewed girlie things for the tools of her trade. She'd swap Jimmy Choos for a nightscope any day. But when she arrives as a guest on a popular Atlanta sex show, Jessie is unexpectedly reunited with high school crush and producer Cole Crawford―multi-million dollar lottery winner, igniter of panties...and bad, bad news for her.
Now Jessie is the official spokesperson for fling-havers everywhere―Cole and Jessie are doing hot, naughty things in the very same places she swore she'd avoid. As each incredible second explodes by, Jessie finds herself in deep if she's not careful she'll break the first rule of flingdom and it'll turn serious…which means she'll have to find the real dirt on Cole Crawford...because this man's too good to be true!
256 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2007
About the author
Jill Monroe
81 books220 followersI credit my interest in writing romance to my grandmother. She gave me my first Harlequin to read during the hot summer days I spent on my grandparent's acreage in rural Oklahoma.
Immediately I was hooked!!!
Over the years, I would pick up a pen and write down ideas, but it wasn't until I joined Romance Writers of America and then Oklahoma Romance Writers did I become serious. During that time, I completed eight novels.
The first two will never, ever see the light of day. In fact, I should probably destroy these so no one accidentally reads them! Around my third book, I joined a critique group and began to really study the craft of writing.
From there I entered entered several writing contests. In March 2003, one part of my writing dreams came true when I finaled in the Golden Heart.
In late 2000, I learned I placed Honorable Mention in Harlequin's Blaze contest, and began corresponding with the editor who bought my first book. I also won a writing round robin on eHarlequin, which was loads of fun!
On December 18, 2003, I got "The Call" from Harlequin. Actually, my answering machine received the privilege. My seventh novel, Never Naughty Enough was published as a Harlequin Temptation Heat. My sixth novel, Share the Darkness, will be published in April of 2006
I make my home in Oklahoma (where many of my books are set) with my husband and two children. My hobbies include reading, water aerobics with my mother every morning and watching OU play ball. The least domestic thing I like to do is cook.
I met my then future husband as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!!), but we didn't marry until after I received my Master's from Missouri State (Yea Bears!). My husband hero often worked overtime so I could attend RWA's National Conferences. The most romantic thing he ever did was arrange for his parents to watch our children so he could drive me to Houston, Texas for the Emily Awards.
Immediately I was hooked!!!
Over the years, I would pick up a pen and write down ideas, but it wasn't until I joined Romance Writers of America and then Oklahoma Romance Writers did I become serious. During that time, I completed eight novels.
The first two will never, ever see the light of day. In fact, I should probably destroy these so no one accidentally reads them! Around my third book, I joined a critique group and began to really study the craft of writing.
From there I entered entered several writing contests. In March 2003, one part of my writing dreams came true when I finaled in the Golden Heart.
In late 2000, I learned I placed Honorable Mention in Harlequin's Blaze contest, and began corresponding with the editor who bought my first book. I also won a writing round robin on eHarlequin, which was loads of fun!
On December 18, 2003, I got "The Call" from Harlequin. Actually, my answering machine received the privilege. My seventh novel, Never Naughty Enough was published as a Harlequin Temptation Heat. My sixth novel, Share the Darkness, will be published in April of 2006
I make my home in Oklahoma (where many of my books are set) with my husband and two children. My hobbies include reading, water aerobics with my mother every morning and watching OU play ball. The least domestic thing I like to do is cook.
I met my then future husband as a freshman at the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!!), but we didn't marry until after I received my Master's from Missouri State (Yea Bears!). My husband hero often worked overtime so I could attend RWA's National Conferences. The most romantic thing he ever did was arrange for his parents to watch our children so he could drive me to Houston, Texas for the Emily Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 2, 2012
This was a quick and dirty read. I like Cole and Jessie as characters. Cole is the strong, silent type who only really starts talking between the sheets. Jessie is a cynical PI, looking for a fling to get back on the horse after her fiance cheated on her. They went to high school together, and back then she was in love with him, but he skipped town after his abusive father almost killed him. Jessie had thought they'd never get their chance. She was wrong.
Jessie's spunky, intelligent, and down-to-earth. Cole is sweet, sexy, and not afraid to talk about his feelings when the need arises. But he's generally stoic, and he wears that well. He loves his daughters, and he's even nice to his shitty ex-wife. It's interesting how the characters changed places; when they were kids, Jessie was the good girl who thought everything would always work out and Cole was the bad boy who hated the world. Now that they're grown up, Jessie is exceedingly cynical and doesn't believe in love. Cole, despite his failed marriage, isn't afraid to jump into their relationship with both feet.
There isn't a whole lot of plot in this book besides the romance -- that's what stops me from giving it a higher rating. The lottery plotline doesn't get resolved at all. This is probably because this Tall, Dark, & Filthy Rich is the fifth book in a six book series revolving around the people who won this lottery, and I haven't read the first four. I expect the sixth book wraps up a lot of the lottery plot. But the sixth book also stars the one character I don't want to hear from (thanks to this book), so I don't really care.
The plotline about Cole's ex-wife Amber, however, can't be blamed on this book being part of a series. There's a constant looming cloud hanging over Cole during this book as he dwells on the possibility of his gold-digging ex-wife returning in an attempt to take his lottery winnings - if he ever gets them.
Harlequin miniseries should be able to stand alone if a reader doesn't want to take the time to read the others. The books are all written by different authors, and the problem with Harlequins is that they go out of print so fast that even if I wanted to take the time to search out the other books in the Million Dollar Secret miniseries, it's a distinct possibility I wouldn't be able to find them.
So this book gets three stars. I enjoyed it. It's possible I'd read it again, because I did like the characters very much. But if I ever read it again, it definitely won't be for the plot.
Jessie's spunky, intelligent, and down-to-earth. Cole is sweet, sexy, and not afraid to talk about his feelings when the need arises. But he's generally stoic, and he wears that well. He loves his daughters, and he's even nice to his shitty ex-wife. It's interesting how the characters changed places; when they were kids, Jessie was the good girl who thought everything would always work out and Cole was the bad boy who hated the world. Now that they're grown up, Jessie is exceedingly cynical and doesn't believe in love. Cole, despite his failed marriage, isn't afraid to jump into their relationship with both feet.
There isn't a whole lot of plot in this book besides the romance -- that's what stops me from giving it a higher rating. The lottery plotline doesn't get resolved at all. This is probably because this Tall, Dark, & Filthy Rich is the fifth book in a six book series revolving around the people who won this lottery, and I haven't read the first four. I expect the sixth book wraps up a lot of the lottery plot. But the sixth book also stars the one character I don't want to hear from (thanks to this book), so I don't really care.
The plotline about Cole's ex-wife Amber, however, can't be blamed on this book being part of a series. There's a constant looming cloud hanging over Cole during this book as he dwells on the possibility of his gold-digging ex-wife returning in an attempt to take his lottery winnings - if he ever gets them.
Harlequin miniseries should be able to stand alone if a reader doesn't want to take the time to read the others. The books are all written by different authors, and the problem with Harlequins is that they go out of print so fast that even if I wanted to take the time to search out the other books in the Million Dollar Secret miniseries, it's a distinct possibility I wouldn't be able to find them.
So this book gets three stars. I enjoyed it. It's possible I'd read it again, because I did like the characters very much. But if I ever read it again, it definitely won't be for the plot.
January 15, 2020
Not the greatest-it was more about their sex and wanting each other then a good storyline.
August 29, 2011
I didn't realize this was part of a series till the end of the book. Even so, most Harlequin titles provide a rather pat end to the story before continuing with another. This story felt unfinished after meandering around as it was. Not terribly written but neither was it a satisfying read. It definitely did not make me interested in locating any of the other titles in the series.
August 29, 2014
This was a little misleadingly titled, but at least engaging.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews