CONFESSIONS OF A LINGERIE ADDICT

Author: Jennifer Ashley ISBN: 0505526360 5/2005 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: DORCHESTER/Love Spell

The fixation began on New Year's Day: Silky, expensive slips from New York and Italy. Camisoles and thongs from Beverly Hills. Before, Brenda Scott would have blushed to be caught dead in them. Now, she'd ditched the shy and mousy persona that had gotten her dumped by her rich and perfect boyfriend, and she was sexy. Underneath her sensible clothes, Brenda was the woman she wanted to be. After all, why couldn't she be wild and crazy? Nick, the sexy stranger she'd met on New Year's, already seemed to think she was. Of course, he didn't know the old Brenda. He didn't know about her brother and his failed life. He didn't know about her mother's embarrassing new boy-toy. How long before Nick stripped it all away and found the truth beneath? And would that be a bad thing? In life, it seemed, it was all about what you put on and what you left off. And, of course, who you were wearing it for.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

As witty and charming as this one is, I just cannot relate to it. Not that I have to; I just would like to. In order to say it's great or call it a Top Pick, that is. For me, it's nice to be able to understand the hero and heroine on some level, or at least what motivates them. But in this book, I am confused or perhaps uncomfortable with their casualness. I am just not into it, so it certainly colors my perception of the story. Even so, I do like it.

If you are a fan of Jennifer Ashley's, then you already know her writing sparkles with a humor that can make you laugh out loud. CONFESSIONS does that too, and that is one of the things that makes the book shine. It's a fun read, but takes on some serious issues while maintaining most of that humor. The side characters are quite funny' too, and go through quite a few interesting developments themselves.

Now the part that disturbs me. Brenda, the heroine, depresses me with her lack of self-worth and apparent commitment phobia. She is also, in my opinion, a bit loose. She says she isn't, but she finds herself in a couple of situations that make it appear that way. Maybe I am just a prude, as this is a contemporary romance, after all. And who is a virgin these days and hasn't ended up in bed with a strange man after a few cocktails? Well, besides me, that is.

Alright, admittedly there is much to recommend CONFESSIONS OF A LINGERIE ADDICT, and fans who aren't quite so into having totally good girls for heroines will no doubt love it. Happy reading!

Shannon Johnson