Julia London’s Extreme Bachelor is part of a series about some friends who own an adventure company. The hero and heroine of this book are likable as can be, and it is fast and funny. The only quibble I had was with the villain, who was an off-putting combination of terrorist and Dr. Phil.

Leah Kleinschmidt is on top of the world. She’s gotten great notices for her role in a Broadway play and has plans to go to Hollywood. And her love life is even better than her career. Leah and Michael Raney are madly in love. They get along so well – they both love the same food, they laugh at the same jokes, they feel so good together – face it, they are soul mates. The only fly in the ointment is Michael’s job, which requires him to be off for weeks at a time. But that’s only a minor problem and Leah believes Michael might be ready to propose. She is totally devastated when he tells her he is leaving and won’t be back – ever.

In good romance novel hero fashion, Michael is leaving because though he truly loves Leah, his job might put her in jeopardy. He’s a CIA agent who mixes with all kinds of terrorist scum and can’t bear the thought that one of them might hurt Leah – no, he’ll just leave and break her heart himself.

Five years later, Michael has left the CIA and formed a company called Thrillseekers Anonymous with some friends. They offer thrilling and unusual vacations to the rich and bored and also do stunt work for the movies. Recently they have taken on the job of whipping the starlet cast of the upcoming movie War of the Soccer Moms into shape.

Leah’s Hollywood career has not gone all that well. She shares a slum home with another aspiring actor and her car is about to die. After several commercials and bit parts, considering she is about to turn 34 her agent has been uttering the dread phrase, “character parts”. But Leah is cast in a pretty good role in a hot new movie, Revenge of the Soccer Moms.

When Leah and Michael meet, he is bowled over. He has never stopped loving her and turns on all his charm in an attempt to woo her. Leah just acts flippant. When he tells her the truth about his CIA work, she tells every one else and soon the set is full of Austin Powers jokes. When he gives her a bunch of orchids, she passes them around. When Michael left her, Leah was deeply hurt, and seeing him brings back all her old memories. But Michael is a man on a mission. He is by nature a one- woman man, and Leah always was that one woman.

Extreme Bachelor is often very funny, especially in the scenes where Michael and his friends try to get a bunch of spoiled starlets in shape for the movie. There’s also a series of e-mails between Leah and a friend of hers who is about to be married. They discuss bridesmaid dresses and Leah’s relationship with Michael. I got a big laugh out of them.

Michael and Leah are both as likable as can be. It’s very apparent that they truly like each other, love each other and are a couple meant for each other right from the beginning. Neither of them act immature or silly and I can’t find anything to complain about when it comes to them.

However, the villain is another thing, and his sliminess from the start caused me to question Leah’s judgment. And when he captures Leah and Michael comes to the rescue, his long harangue about relationships skeeved me out. I think this episode was supposed to be a combination of humor and suspense, but it didn’t work for me.

But that was a minor bump in an otherwise very enjoyable read. Extreme Bachelor is the second in a series and I plan to read the first one, Wedding Survivor as soon as I can. I’ve read several of Julia London’s books and have enjoyed them. She does contemporary romance with a touch of humor so well, and I really enjoy her characters. If that combination is what you are looking for, give this book a try.