Knock Me Off My Feet is one of those books that takes a little patience. The problems for me included an initial characterization of the heroine that definitely trod way too deeply into “wacky heiress” territory and some real plot implausibilities that pulled me out of the story on more than a few occasions. She won’t knock your socks off, but if you can stick with it, you may find (as I did) that Susan Donovan is an author to watch.

Successful Chicago household hints columnist and TV personality Homey Helen, aka Audie Adams, is the target of an increasingly threatening series of anonymous letters that Detective Stacy Quinn has been assigned to investigate. Audie, the daughter of the original Helen recently killed in a mugging, is far from homey herself and leaves most of the writing of the column to Marjorie, her mother’s long time partner. However, since the gorgeous young woman gave up her teaching job and took over the column only to appease her mother’s deathbed plea, the arrangement in which Audie serves as the front for the column is certainly a fair one.

Of course, any good detective looking into threats against a single young woman starts by checking out the target’s ex-boyfriends and Audie’s list includes more than a few of Chicago’s most eligible bachelors. Especially difficult for Quinn is the fact that one of her ex-lovers is the arrogant jerk and childhood nemesis who played a key role in one of the most painful incidents in the detective’s life.

I’ll have to admit that I read the first quarter of the book with increasingly sinking expectations. One of the first scenes between Audie and Quinn involves the adorably wacky heiress tossing the keys of her Porsche to Quinn so she can change clothes while the studly cop drives. If this zany preciousness makes you want to barf, just know that Susan Donovan, fortunately, is a better writer than the first quarter of the book might lead you to believe. Soon enough Audie morphs from a spoiled and obnoxious heiress into a real and likable character. Especially interesting for me was the healthy and happy attitude Audie has towards sex – she’s got issues, mind, you, but at least they’re not sexual. Audie has a past, she’s had lovers, but she’s not racked with guilt. And, especially refreshing, there’s nothing sexual that Quinn has to “fix.”

Quinn starts out at as that classic Irish cop – complete with a classic Irish cop father and a happy Irish family – but soon enough he also develops into a real person that I actually grew to like and care about. He’s a nice guy and a good cop and I thought that he and Audie made a terrific pair. To call Audie’s family dysfunctional would be an understatement, and Quinn’s well adjusted relatives made a nice counterpoint. And, let’s face it, there’s something endearing about a bagpipe-playing-kilt-wearing Irish stud muffin.

Now for a few problems. Okay, I’m not a cop, but I am reasonably certain that even if it’s not strictly forbidden, a relationship with the person you are assigned to protect probably isn’t considered a good idea. But, despite the danger she’s facing and the fact that the case is far from solved, Quinn never for one moment weighs whether or not it’s appropriate to get involved with Audie. Another cop no-no occurs when, in the midst of the investigation, Quinn briefs his brothers – neither of whom are cops – on the details of the case, all the way down to the full list of suspects. To make the ethical breach even worse, one of those suspects is a somebody very well known to them all.

And Homey Helen as the name of this wildly successful column? Please. Not even the most rabid Hints from Heloise fan could avoid getting nauseous at the adorable cuteness of that title. (I’m assuming Donovan’s tongue was firmly-in-cheek here, but I winced every time I read it – which, as you can imagine, is many, many times.) I’d also have to rate Donovan’s cast of secondary characters as wildly uneven, ranging from the cliché of a Jamaican character who inserts mon at the end of virtually every sentence to a very rich and detailed portrait of Audie’s unhappy and under-appreciated brother.

But, for me at any rate, the strengths outweighed the weaknesses. Audie and Quinn are terrific characters and, once you get past that rough start, Knock Me Off My Feet is an enjoyable and entertaining read. I’m definitely putting Susan Donovan on my author-to-keep-an-eye-on list. Readers who enjoy nicely three-dimensional stories with just the right amount of romantic suspense may want to do the same.