Strokes of Midnight
Hope Tarr
Harlequin Blaze, Dec 2007, $4.99
ISBN: 9780373793686

Author Becky Stone hopes her horoscope proves correct as it states she in for a great year. She assumes if the stars are accurate her goals will be met of landing on the NYT bestseller list and finding a hunk to share her life with

The New Year proves promising when she shares the greatest night of her life following a writer's party. However, once the holiday passes, her agent informs her that her bed hopping heroine Angelique is out and that as a mid level author she is in trouble. To survive she must collaborate with male adventure writer Adam Maxwell, who is a recluse living on the top of White Mountain, New England's highest peak. Becky says no to the proposal she once said romance writing is "housewife porn". However, she reconsiders when she learns the stranger who gave her feelings like never before lives is the recluse on White Mountain when he is not in town attending a publishing function.

With its "novel" within the novel (extracts from the lead couple's joint efforts open each chapter), this is a fun well written contemporary romance. The story line is fast-paced from the moment that Becky learns if Angelique is to survive another book she needs to team up with Adam's action hero Drake and never takes a breather whether their characters or the lead couple is front and center. This a well written creative tale as Hope Tarr entertains sub-genre fans with "two" blazing romances.

Harriet Klausner