How to Trap a Tycoon
Grade : B

Rarely has the battle of the sexes been this much fun! Elizabeth Bevarly has filled her latest novel with her trademark humor and style. With characters such as Seven and Seven, Salty Dog, Rusty Nail and our hero, Oban-Over-Ice, how could this book not be a good time?

Dorsey MacGuinnes is living a double life, or maybe a triple life, if one got right down to the heart of the matter. She is a teaching assistant pursuing her PhD. in sociology at a well respected college. Her evenings are spent tending bar at an upscale gentlemen's club to gather research for her doctoral thesis. Dorsey is a feminist, particularly interested in gaining economic power for women, which makes it all the more interesting that has written the new best seller, How to Trap a Tycoon under the pseudonym of Lauren Grable-Monroe. Dorsey has some excellent reasons for her secret life as an author, however, and has never appeared as Lauren in public.

Oban-Over-Ice, better known as Adam Darian, is a tycoon, no doubt about it. He is the founder of Men's Life magazine, a publication dedicated to exploring the finer things in life. Adam knows Dorsey as "Mack," his bartender, and has some heated and interesting discussions with her about the relationships between men and women. Adam and one of his writers, Lucas, are hatching plan to expose that horrid Lauren Grable-Monroe person for an article in the magazine. Fortunately for Dorsey, they plan the entire ambush in front of her.

Poor Dorsey, playing so many different roles for so many people, gets her pretty frazzled and her different personas lead to some really funny moments. How To Trap a Tycoon is not just humor and fun though - there is a real story to be found here. Dorsey not just a stock character. I could see her as a real person, with real flaws and concerns about herself, and her budding relationship with Adam.

Adam is best summed up by this description from the book: "He was an intriguing mix of contradictions, first gruff, then gentle, at once antagonistic and agreeable, both chauvinist and conversationalist." Adam is a great hero, and very likable, even if he is a tycoon.

This book also contains a strong secondary romance, which is almost too strong. The characters in it are strong enough to at times overshadow Adam and Dorsey. To say more about them would be spoiling the story. Because the secondary romance is just as interesting, if not slightly more so, both plot lines suffered slightly.

Still, all of the characters are well drawn and full of life. Underlying each person are deeper issues and motivations. So if you're in the mood for an offering that packs a punch under its frivolous exterior, try this one - hangover free, I promise! Did I forget to mention the seven PMS dwarfs?

Reviewed by Liz Zink
Grade : B

Sensuality: Warm

Review Date : June 27, 2000

Publication Date: 2000

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Liz Zink

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