Judith Gould Dreamboat

Dreamboat

Judith Gould

Nal, Oct 2005, $23.95, 320 pp.

ISBN: 045121661X

In Albany, New York hair colorist Crissy Fitzgerald feels lonely and tired. Her friend Jenny persuades her to come with her to the Nine One One Club where she meets Tom Gentry. Out of character for her, they go back to her flat where they make love. As she dreams of love, he wants nothing further to do with her.

Jenny persuades Crissy to take a month off to tour Greece, and leisurely come home on the trans-Atlantic cruise ship Sea Nymph. The ship is the jewel of Vilos Shipping Lines, whose owner Georgios Vilas is nearly bankrupt, and trying a desperate final game plan to save the firm at all costs. Meanwhile on board, she meets handsome Georgios' son Mark and ship Dr. Luca di Salerno, who both vie for her attention. As she falls in love with Luca, Mark tries to take matters into his own hands while Jenny is jealous, although she has caught a septuagenarian fianc .

Even though Jenny is obviously a me-me only, self-centered soul from the start, her reactions to her friend turning into a beautiful butterfly that initially comes across as competitive rivalry, becomes overdone once she decided to marry the septuagenarian for money. Still Crissy makes this a strong romantic suspense, as she wonders about the trunk brought on board by the handsome Mark. He, in turn, has spent his life as a hedonist, so when he wants her, he tries to rape her, even after she rejects him for Luca. Fans of romantic suspense will enjoy this deep terrorist dramatic backdrop, but Crissy keeps the tale sailing smooth.