PACIFIC BREEZE HOTEL

Author: Josie A. Okuly ISBN: 0975286862 11/2004 SUSPENSE Publisher: VINTAGE ROMANCE PUBLISHING
Time Period: 1940's

Felicia Avery arrived in Hollywood with dreams of succeeding in the movie business. But now a powerful movie producer is dead and someone is stalking Felicia through the sunny boulevards and dark alleys of post-war Los Angeles. Her dreams of stardom shattered by scandal, Felicia finds solace in the arms of a handsome detective. Can he protect her from the unknown assailant? Or are her days in Hollywood numbered?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

In the novella, PACIFIC BREEZE HOTEL, Felicia is an aspiring actress in 1940’s Hollywood. Having witnessed the president of DeWarner Studios murdered, she finds herself a possible target of the killer. Detective Sean O’Rourke, assigned to the case, is attracted to Felicia and wants to protect her.

I zipped through reading PACIFIC BREEZE HOTEL. While not the most original of plots, I did like the characters and saw lots of promise. But, as typical of my complaints about novellas, I thought the characters weren’t fully developed and the plot a bit thin at points. I wasn’t particularly surprised with the identity of the killer, and I wish that I had known more about why he chose to kill. The ending is a bit rushed and the hero and heroine realize their love a bit too suddenly for me. Many of my complaints can be attributed to the length more than anything, and Ms. Okuly has created some likable characters. I hope she’ll write something longer next time.

Kendra Patterson