LynneC’s review of Good Girls Don’t (Donovan Family Series, Book 1) by Victoria Dahl
Contemporary Romance published by HQN Books 30 Aug 11
I had a lot of fun reading this book. It’s the start of a trilogy featuring siblings who own a microbrewery. The background is convincingly brought to life and the characters clearly depicted, so I could really relax into this one. Dahl is in charge of the story every bit of the way, and I could safely let her guide me through. At no point did I become jolted out of the story. WTG, Ms. Dahl.
The series starts with the sister’s story. Tessa arrives at the microbrewery to discover that while her brother Jamie had set the alarms, he’d left the premises when he shouldn’t have, and, in his absence, thieves broke in and stole their computers and a keg of beer.
She is incandescent, especially when she discovers that Jamie’s leave of absence is so he could spend a little time with the daughter of the man they’re just about to sign a big contract with. His daughter is his princess, so the deal could be off.
Their elder brother, Eric, takes everything on his own shoulders, and Jamie and heroine decide not to tell him. Or rather, Tessa decides not to and persuades the guilt-ridden Jamie to go along with her scheme. She’ll fix everything herself.
Since we already know that Tessa isn’t a bossy female, we know that is part of her problem. But it doesn’t really emerge until later, so I won’t spoil it for you.
Attending the scene of the crime is Luke, the hero, and his partner, Simone, who is heavily pregnant. They are detectives and not an item, although Luke won’t tell about Simone’s pregnancy because she refuses to name the father. He lets people think what they like, so of course, they do.
And the story rolls on from there. Luke and Tessa have their moments, and the sex scenes, while described graphically, aren’t in any way generic. They describe that man and that woman and nobody else. They explore each other, they go on dates and get to know each other. The development of their relationship is totally believable and engrossing.
Sometimes when other characters intrude on a relationship, it can get irritating, but I don’t find it so in this book. I enjoyed Tessa’s interactions with her brothers and the other characters. I only found one character too obvious and a bit of a cliché, which is unfortunate.
The mystery side of the story, which emerges from the robbery, isn’t as well done as the romance, but it is enough to keep the story chugging along, and at times it gives the other events a shove in the right direction. The resolution is a little disappointing, but it will probably continue in other books and I honestly can’t say that I minded very much.
While the treatment of the story is light, it’s not exactly comedy, which I enjoyed because romantic comedies don’t always work for me. The characters care for each other and have lives of their own. And the brothers aren’t there just for sequel bait. We get to know them a bit and they have their parts in the story, they’re not just here to wave and say “just you wait for my book”!
A really enjoyable read, and I can’t wait for the next book. Just as well I don’t have to!
Grade: B+
Summary:
With her long ponytail and sparkling green eyes, Tessa Donovan looks more like the girl next door than a businesswoman – or a heartbreaker. Which may explain why Detective Luke Asher barely notices her when he arrives to investigate a break-in at her family’s brewery. He’s got his own problems – starting with the fact that his partner Simone is pregnant and everyone thinks he’s the father. The last thing he needs is a nice girl like Tessa getting under his skin.Tessa has her hands full, too. Her brother’s playboy ways may be threatening the business, and the tensions could tear her tight-knit family apart. In fact, the only thing that could unite the Donovan boys is seeing a man come after their “baby” sister. Especially a man like Luke Asher. But Tessa sees past the rumors to the man beneath.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
