Brenda Jackson, Spontaneous

Spontaneous

Brenda Jackson

Harlequin Blaze, May 2010, $4.99

ISBN: 9780373795420

Former cop now a private investigator for the past three months Duan Jeffries rushes from a case in Atlanta to attend his brother, the once "Holy Terror" Terrance, wed Sherri Griffin (see Temperature Rising). He muses about the family's rash of marriages as his sister Olivia recently wed Senator Reggie Westmoreland (see Tall, Dark and Westmoreland) and his father to his devoted assistant. He is happy for all of them as he feels they deserve the best and they got the best.

During Terrence's reception, Duan and Sherri's friend ER nurse Kimani Cannon sneak away to make love. As they get to know one another, he is appalled when she mentions to him who her four failed marriages mom is now engaged to. When he was a cop, he thought strongly that Edward Villeros killed his two wives, but could not find proof. He vows to save her mom from a fatal mistake while Duan and Kim fall in love; however with her mom's track record Kim rejects happily ever after leaving Duan to wonder if the last Jeffries standing will remain a bachelor.

This is a superb hot romantic suspense thriller that grips the audience from the moment Kim mentions the name of her future step father and never takes a breather afterward. The mystery of Edward is well designed so readers are unsure whether he is a black widower or a bad luck husband. However, the tale belongs to the lead couple as Kim has relationship issues that make Duan wary to confess she makes him whole.

Harriet Klausner