Lawson’s Review of Hot by Julia Harper
Contemporary romance released by Forever January 1, 2008
Sometimes being in the mood for a light-hearted contemporary romance after several historicals can be a good thing. Hot seemed like it would be a nice story that could entertain between historicals. It is light hearted and wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. We’ve got a bank robbery, a woman on the run, the determined FBI agent out to get her, the villain out to cover his tracks for his crimes and of course, the comic relief.
With all that it’s just kind of a mess. It’s one cliché after another. Turner Hastings is the town librarian in small town Wisconsin, and has lived there all her life. She must be a local because no one questions why a woman would be named Turner. When the bank she works in on Saturdays gets robbed she takes the distraction to steal from the bank president’s safe deposit box. Turner is out for revenge for a years-old crime against her family and Special Agent John MacKinnon has been assigned to the bank robbery and to Turner after she’s seen on security tape.
What follows is a lot of predictable scenes. John is struck from the first by the contradictions he thinks he sees in Turner’s actions, she keeps running because she knows she’s right and is going to prove it, damn it. The majority of the get-to-know-you scenes are done by Turner and John talking on cell phones. She is on the run after all, she can’t turn herself in until she gets the proof she needs. As Turner dodges and runs from one place to another, she gets more and more pathetic. She’s emotionally cut off as well, she doesn’t want to feel things. . .big surprise.
So John and his… uh… not-so-little-John, help release these pent of feelings of Turner’s and open her up to the woman she could be. John is dealing with his own problems with a snotty partner that doesn’t like the way he runs things and a daughter that’s calling across country to find out the real reason while her parents divorced. Throw in the Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dumb bank robbers (more like Dipshit 1 and Dipshit 2) and the whole story just reaches for something that’s not there. The humor is forced, the bumblers are annoying and though there are some steamy love scenes, it’s kind of like watching porn (at least for me): it’s there and makes you feel that way due more to involuntary response rather than mutual feelings and desire.
What kept me reading was John, ’cause he’s dealing with a lot and he works it all out rather well. Except for the whole lusting after a criminal thing. The style is well done. Harper has a excellent way with words and though the story left much to be desired, it was well written and easy to read. I suppose the best way to put it is to say it has lots of style, but the substance isn’t up to snuff. Too many clichés and trying to hard to be funny mixed with good writing just can’t make a good book.
Grade: D+
Backcover copy:
For four years, play-by-the-rules bank teller Turner Hastings has brooded over her uncle’s wrongful imprisonment. But when two bumbling crooks stumble into her branch (barely disguised in Yoda and Sponge Bob masks) and hold up the place, she sees a chance to do something she’s never thought possible: get revenge. She takes advantage of the melee to pull a heist of her own, seizing info from a security box that will exonerate her uncle.Sent to investigate a bank robbery in small town Wisconsin, Special Agent John MacKinnon discovers the robbers were two not-quite-so-bright thugs and one woman. Now, Turner is on the run. With SA MacKinnon on her trail, she’s breaking into the bank president Calvin’s house, kidnapping his Great Dane, and for the first time in her life, setting out to break a few rules. But when Calvin hires a hit-man, MacKinnon will have to decide between his career–and saving Turner.
Interesting review – I say that because Julia Harper is Elizabeth Hoyt, whose historical romances I have enjoyed a lot for their humor, storylines and their originality.
LOL that was the reason she wanted to read it *g*.
OK, I would agree about the substance lacking but it does have it’s funny moments, right? Such mean girls – taking your romances so srsly. Romance readers don’t want substance. We want sex, haven’t you heard? Peace.
I agree with Keishon, though it was a bit predictable and lacked substance, I truly enjoyed the silly, funny moments. And though I felt parts of it were over the top, overall the story was fun to read..if a bit fluffy. Sometimes that’s what I want, something fluffy and not something I have to think too hard about. That’s what this story was for me.
But, having said that, I can see where your frustration comes from. 🙂
I am surprised I haven’t been able to get into it. Then again I have read some off the wall shit this week.
Are we going to get to hear about this “off the wall shit” or are you going to torture us by leaving that comment just hanging out there?
Oh no I am gonna post I just can’t make up my mind how I wanna do it 🙂
I suppose the thing that got me was the hard driven FBI guy who doesn’t chase, capture and turn in his suspect when he has the chance. It just didn’t fit for me really. That and emotionally closed off women bother me. She prefers to get herself off instead of having sex. . .which I don’t understand, ’cause hell that’s not me.
Yes, there are some funny moments, but there was too much cliched schtick that it didn’t work for me.
LOL – I read this one for the same reason – just finished a Very Good Historical and I knew if I tried another heavy historical, it would be a let-down. And it turned out – for me – I made the right decision. I enjoyed this one much more than you did. I didn’t really think it contained that many cliche’s. The hero/heroine don’t meet until part way through the book. I thought that was a different spin on things. Instead they communicated by phone. And I thought the two bumbling, would be crooks were a hoot. I suppose if I sat and analyzed it, there would be lots of plot holes *g* (a lot) but I just went with it and really enjoyed it.
(oooh – I like the edit feature!)
I didn’t like that it took them 2/3 of the book to finally meet. That annoyed me. And the two bank robbers remind me way too much of my idiot students. It was too much slapstick, dumb kids there for the comic relief for me.
Yeah I have to agree the phone/email thing wouldn’t have worked for me. I HATE it when the h/h take so long to meet.
But glad you guys enjoyed it