The Cheapest ROOM

I can't even believe this is the first book I've read by Linda Howard! Her writing was absolutely brilliant! Mr. Perfect was a perfectly balanced book, it has the perfect amount of romance, humor, drama and suspense.

The story:

Everything starts with The List. Four girlfriends make a list about what would make a man perfect. It starts out as a joke, just a fun list nobody was supposed to see. But soon the list spreads like a wildfire and it's all over the newspapers and internet. Some people think it's brilliant, some think it's funny and others think it's degrading. The situation turns even more serious when one of the four women is killed.

The characters:

Jaine Bright is the heroine, she is one of the four who create the list. After three almost-marriages Jaine is no more trusting when it comes to men. She moves to a new neighborhood, she has to deal with her annoying neighbor, her mother's cat and all the situations she finds herself in.

I LOVED Jaine! She was so strong, I truly admired her. She has a foul mouth, she is funny and feisty. I liked that she was so cautious after the drama of the story starts to develop. She is not one of those reckless heroines we often find in romance novels that want to deal with everything alone. Jaine acts really like and adult and it was really refreshing.

Sam Donovan is Jaine's frustrating new neighbor. He seems unkept and grumpy most of the time, but in reality he is a police officer, he is sweet, charming and just as witty as Jaine. I LOVED his character!

“I thought you were a drunk."
"A drunk?"

"Bloodshot eyes, dirty clothes, getting home in the wee hours of the morning, making a lot of noise, grouchy all the time as if you had a hangover… what else was I to think?"

He rubbed his face. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I should have showered, shaved, and dressed in a suit before I came out to tell you that you were making enough noise to raise the dead.”

The chemistry between the two of them is blow-off-the-roof HOT! The dialogues are hilarious and made me laugh a lot.

"I kept you from sleeping? I kept you from sleeping?" he repeated incredulously. "You are the same woman who shook me out of a sound sleep at two a.m. yesterday morning, aren't you?"

"I didn't shake you. I kind of bounced on you, but I didn't shake you."

"Bounced," he repeated.

"You had a hard-on. I couldn't let it go to waste, could I?"

"You could have woke me up before you started not to let it go to waste."

"Look," she said exasperated, "If you don't want used, don't lie on your back with it sticking up like that. If that isn't an invitation, I don't know what is."

"I was asleep. It does that on its own."

The suspense was really terrifying and it kept me on edge through the whole book. It was really well done.

I can't wait to read more books by Laura Howard!


***** 5 Mr. Perfect stars *****