MATCH GAME

Author: Beverly Brandt ISBN: 0425208281 6/2006 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION

Pop Quiz—Who are you really? On the most special day of your life, your wedding day, the cops bust in and wrongfully arrest you at the altar for money laundering and tax evasion. The only rings that you leave the church with that day are the ones made by the handcuffs on your wrists. You’re soon released because you prove to the Feds that it was someone else who stole your identity and committed the crimes… but your fiancé isn’t as easily convinced, and he hits the road. Now that everything has absolutely fallen apart you decide to: a) Stay in Maple Rapids, Michigan living down your notorious criminal wedding, keep your boring job [insert yawn here], and spend your free time on the couch b) Move to Florida to find the woman who stole your identity—and start a whole new life of adventure c) Choose B—but get into so much trouble that you wish A was still an option! The old Savannah Taylor would have chosen answer A in a heartbeat. But her botched wedding proves that her life is in serious need of a makeover. So Savannah takes off to find her identity thief—and maybe the answer to all her problems—in a wild journey of love, risk, and surprises from an author renowned for creating "fun, feel-good romance."

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

What fun! Standing on the fine line between chick lit and romance, the paperback release of last year's MATCH GAME will be a keeper for either genre fan. Hard to put down, its fast pace and cute quizzes will keep you turning the page long after your bedtime.

Savannah Taylor is the intelligent and organized yet hapless heroine, who decides to completely reinvent herself using the information in hip magazines when she is jilted at the altar. With her identity stolen by a thief who lives in Naples, Florida, she has nothing left to lose. She quits her accounting job and decides to leave Michigan to track down the thief.

Once she's there, she is a fish out of water in the local wealth-and-tourist economy. She has an instant attraction to the owner of her hotel (a relative of a family you will recognize from at least two other Brandt works) but he's not much of an ally, since he thinks she's a crook. You will truly feel for Savannah as she tries to find her way. She's one of those characters you know you'd be good friends with if you met her.

Brandt is a master at immersing us in interesting locales, and has a knack for fresh, contemporary plots. She's been on my must-buy list since her first book, but I'm still so impressed at how she's grown as an author. Bravo!

Heather Hiestand