AUSSIE RULES

Author: Jill Shalvis ISBN: 9780758211408 1/2009 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: KENSINGTON

THIS JUST IN: HELL'S OFFICIALLY BREAKING LOOSE It's bad enough that gutsy pilot Mel Anderson has to clean up after her lovable but completely disorganized best friend and business partner, Dimi, while her certifiable employees make more work than they do. Now, the one man she hoped she'd never see is back and looking for trouble. Scratch that, he is trouble. Amazing, holy cow, more please trouble. Bo Black wants his family's airport back, and he's determined to get it. This laid-back Aussie is nobody's fool. Thing is, neither is Mel. She's intense. Uptight. Sexy. And very, very tempting. Suddenly, Bo's thinking less about revenge and more about kissing and touching and falling into a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-underpants kind of forever love.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Jill Shalvis’s AUSSIE RULES is pure romantic fun. Witty, with characters who made me laugh out loud, this is a romp that fairly jumps from the pages. I lost myself in the story, learning more about aviation and airports than I ever thought to know, and finding myself in love with a cast of characters so quirky they could be anyone’s neighbor. I mean, we all have quirks, right? Ms. Shalvis does a delightful job of showcasing that fact, and bringing a sense of normalcy where it is needed most.

Mel and Dimi are an unlikely pair. One struggles to hold things together in the face of chaos; the other tries to fathom what it is that she really wants and how she can best get those things. Dimi needs to open herself to love, and the man who offers it. For Mel, the challenge comes in the form of a sinfully gorgeous Aussie pilot who, from the moment he reenters her life, brings every sense of calm and control Mel owns crumbling around her feet.

The chemistry between Mel and Bo is hotter than hot and their story is both sexy and tender. It was amusing to watch this pair clash; more interesting still to see them make up. AUSSIE RULES is the perfect way to pass a rainy afternoon. I loved it, and I think other romance lovers will, too.

Kay James