The Appeal

The Appeal is the latest courtroom drama by John Grisham. I thoroughly enjoyed The Appeal and am glad that Grisham went back to the old school courtroom dramas that his readers love. As with any Grisham novel, there is secondary story in the background. It all starts with a lawsuit where $41 million in damages is awarded to the plaintiff. The attorneys for the plaintiff are Wes and Mary Grace Payton, who have risked bankruptcy to keep the fight going against Krane Chemicals Corporation. Krane Chemicals, owned by Carl Trudeau immediately sets out the appeal the judgement. With the help of a consultant firm, Trudeau can see that the Mississippi Supreme Court will rule in favor of the verdict, unless a change is made to at least one of the justices.

My hiring the consultant firm, Mr. Trudeau is almost guaranteed that there will be a new justice before the case makes it to the Supreme Court. All for the right to keep his money, not caring how many people he has hurt or might have died from his greed, Trudeau sets in motion a plan to change the Supreme Court of the state of Mississippi. A young lawyer, Ron Fisk, is convinced that he is the man for the job and he will be able to change the legal system.

Although much of the legal stuff happens outside the courtroom, Grisham give the reader that enjoys legal drama a great read.

Superb and Sexy

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis is the final book on the Sky High trilogy. Shalvis scores again with a can't miss, sexy book. Superb and Sexy is the story of Brody, the third owner of Sky High Airlines, and Maddie, Sky High's gorgeous, wise-cracking concierge. Maddie is in over her head trying to protect her twin sister Leena from their ruthless family. Brody, who is just beginning to admit his feelings for Maddie to himself, decides it is his job to protect Maddie from herself.

Things really heat up when Maddie and Brody finally give into the passion and attraction they feel for one another. I loved reading Noah and Shayne's stories, but I feel that Shalvis saved the best for last with Brody and Maddie's story. There is drama, passion, and heart-felt romance with both Maddie and Brody growing as the story progresses.

Nobody Does It Better

Nobody Does It Better by Jennifer LaBrecque is an awesome read. Schoolteacher Holly Smith is traveling to Venice to find her mother, who left her family when she was very young. She has hired someone to show her the sites, since she could get lost going from room to the next. Gage Carswell ends up being her tour guide, although Holly has no idea that he is actually an undercover spy.

Gage believes Holly is an international spy who he must keep under surveillance 24/7. While both are attracted to each other from the start, Gage only acts on his attraction after Holly has an emotional upheaval. The passion between Holly and Gage jumps off the pages. I can only say one of the most sexy scenes I've ever read happens on the gondola ride, following every man's dream at the dinner table. LaBrecque writes another winner with Nobody Does It Better.

The Loner

The Loner is Rhonda Nelson's latest in a series called Men out of Uniform. Lucas "Huck" Finn is a former Army Ranger who joins Ranger Security after leaving the service. Huck's first assignment is to babysit heiress Sapphira Stravos. Sapphira's father has been receiving threatening notes that Sapphira is in trouble. Sapphira doesn't want a bodyguard because she is afraid her father will find out how she really spends her days. Sapphira and her friend Cindy Ward have started a charity called Belle Charities. Sapphira tries to get rid of Huck by trying to act like a "spoiled little rich girl", who shows no concern for those around her, spending her days shopping, and carting her little dog around to various appointments. Huck gets the upper hand when he puts Sapphira under house arrest. Of course, you can feel the chemistry between them from their first meeting.

Huck and Sapphira try to fight their attraction for each other, but eventually give in to the passion. Huck also can tell that there is more to Sapphira than meets the eye. He continues to search for search for the writer of the letters even as he begins to fall in love with her. Huck and Sapphira find a way to make the differences in each of them work together to form an explosive, sexy relationship.

4th of July

4th of July by James Patterson is the next in the Women's Murder Club series. Lindsey, Claire and Cindy are still dealing with the loss of a dear friend and meet for dinner at their favorite handout. Lindsey must not only search for a killer in the latest installment, she is on trial for her career. Lindsey is put on leave, so she heads to her her sister Cat's house to stay away from the media until the trial starts. While on her "vacation", Lindsey stumbles into an area with murders taking place that have all the markings of being related to an unsolved homicide from 10 years ago that Lindsey has never been able to solve.

Patterson writes another nail-bitter with 4th of July. The Women's Murder Club is one of the best mystery series I've ever read. You have lots of action, a little romance, and wonderful friendship between strong women. Patterson also makes it difficult for the reader to figure out some of the killers. I usually pretty good about figuring out the bad guy, but I will admit that one of the people was a major surprise to me.