Lead Me On has some very nice moments and I would encourage you to give it a try. I hadn’t read the first book in what I assume will be a trilogy, so the St. Claire siblings (Adrian, Allison, and Aurora (Rory from Falling for You) were strangers to me. This is Allison’s story, and begins with a premise I unfortunately don’t care for – the hero and heroine barely know each other, have “unemotional” and “no strings attached” sex, then fall in love. While the author did a pretty good job convincing me why Allison and hunky suspense writer Scott Lawrence thought they could get away with having sex for sex’s sake, there were other things in the book that kept me from grading it higher.

As owners and operators of Galveston’s Pearl Island Inn, the St. Claire family (which includes Rory’s husband, Chance) faces a challenge. Even though they purchased the former home of their ancestor, Marguerite LeRoche, fair and square, the seller, John LeRoche, wants it back. Marguerite’s ghostly presence is thought to bring good luck and since selling the place, LeRoche’s luck has apparently gone south. With Rory close to giving birth, and with the inn’s needing a capacity crowd as often as possible to help cover legal fees, times are stressful.

Enter famous mystery writer Scott Lawrence. He needs a break from his oppressive editor and frantic agent, as well as a place where he can come up with a plot for his latest book, due out in October for which he has yet to write one single page. He and his sister used to play as children in the house-turned-inn, so he returns to try to get a little rest, and have as much recreational sex as he can find.

The minute he sees the beautiful Alli, he wants her. But she is the shy, quiet, not-for-hot-nights-and-no-commitment type . . . or is she? Tired of being perceived as too nice to have casual sex with, Alli lets Scott know she is willing, and the two make plans to spend the night at an expensive Galveston hotel for the purposes of getting it on. After their night of passion, Alli realizes Scott is not the debauched on-the-make predator he makes himself out to be, so she tells him that this was their only night together. To sleep together again anytime during his month-long stay at the inn might lead to a relationship, which neither party claims to want.

To make matters more complicated, Scott has a secret that, at first, he doesn’t think is important. But as he grows to care for Alli, he realizes he should have told her immediately. This will, of course, cause huge problems later on. As for Alli, she has a secret too, one that haunts her still, but one that allows Scott to be there for her when she finally comes to terms with her pain.

Added to the mix is studly Adrian, eldest of the St. Claires and ripe for his own love story if I’m not mistaken. He’s Alli’s staunchest defender and protector, yet is the first to realize that Scott is an okay guy and maybe The One for his sister. Scott’s twelve-year-old niece, Chloe, arrives on the scene, and while the ghosts of Marguerite and her lover Jack Kingsley never materialize, they are part of the background of Pearl Island.

Honestly, there were times when this book bumped up to a B and I really got into it. Then, things would even out again and sort of “go average” on me. Alli and Scott made a believable couple and I did want a happy ending for them, despite their initial hook-up. But the ghost sub-plot got annoying after a while; it was too complicated to end up so unimportant after all. And I had a ton of trouble believing a ruthless business man such as John LeRoche would try to move heaven and earth based on ghostly rumors, or that he would cave in due to the threats against him in the end.

There was nothing so totally wrong with this book that I wouldn’t recommend it, it’s just that the action slacks off a bit here and there, and everybody likes everybody so much, it’s a bit bland for my taste. However, when Alli tells Scott her secret, it is a heartfelt moment and I found the interaction between these two characters realistic and nicely written. Lead Me On probably won’t knock your socks off, but if you’re in the mood for an engaging read about two people afraid to love, look no further.