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HOT

Julia Harper
Forever (2008)
ISBN 9780446619172
Reviewed by Sandie Kirkland for Rebeccas Reads (3/08)

FBI Special Agent John MacKinnon thought it would be a routine bank robbery investigation, one like he’d done dozens of times in his career.  But from the moment he watched the surveillance tape and saw Turner Hastings, town librarian and part-time bank employee, rifle through the bank president’s safety deposit box minutes after the robbers left, he realized it wouldn’t be routine.  What was it about Turner?  She seemed quiet and unassuming.  That is, she seemed that way until you saw the secret smile dancing around her lips while she went about her theft as a longtime cat burglar.

This starts the action in Julia Harper's book, “HOT.”  The action follows the investigation and the growing relationship between John and Turner.  What is Turner’s motive?  Is it a desire to get back at Calvin, the bank president, for firing her uncle four years ago, leading to his death?  Did she take the job just to case the bank's operations?  Was she the mastermind who hired the robbers, or were they just an excuse for her to make good on a secret plan?  Why does John start craving the sound of Turner's voice as they talk on the phone several times a day?  Why doesn't he arrest her the minute he can?  What is it about this woman that makes him bend the rigid rules he’s always lived by?

Harper’s book is a compelling page-turner.  The action is fast and furious and the characters’ actions are just enough off-kilter that the reader keeps on, hoping to find out their motives.  The tone is light, even comedic at times.  When MacKinnon and Turner get together, the romance scenes are steamy with graphic sex.  Readers will enjoy the ride and find the ending satisfying.  “HOT” is recommended for those readers who enjoy a great yarn mixed with a love story.

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