In some ways, I think the Harlequin Superromance line is as divisive as Harlequin Presents. There are those who scoff and assume it's nothing but small towns, hunky sheriffs, and secret babies. And then there are those of us who know better. Perfect Partners? is not only a gem of a book, but it's a Superromance set in NYC with nary a secret baby to be seen.
Within the first few pages of the book, we see the heroine through Nathan Fisher's eyes and learn some major things about his former police partner, Lindsay Fox. First of all, she has some wonderful qualities, but she doesn't always deal well with authority, causing her to leave the NYPD after a very brief stint. Secondly, she is a person of great integrity. So, how does he decide to get his foot in the door of Lindsay's expanding PI business when she values integrity so highly? Deceit!
At this point, this book got into dangerous territory. The deceit and heavy-handedness (as well as Lindsay's rather grudging acceptance of it with not nearly enough of a fight) was a misstep for me, but not so craptastic as to stop me from reading more. Thankfully, the author redeems things pretty rapidly. It helps greatly that Lindsay and Nathan interact very well together and the investigation they handle was just quirky enough to catch my interest.
Lindsay and Nathan both work well as characters. Nathan struggles with not feeling able to live up to the standards he has set for himself, and Lindsay chooses some not terribly healthy ways to hide from the pain in her own past. In other words, these are flawed people and their love story ultimately feels very romantic because they learn to bring out the best in one another and to have each other's backs. Their love story isn't perfect, but it made me smile and, though they are sometimes a little awkward with each other, their partnership just worked. One would never call it a fairytale, but it is romantic.
The suspense plot in the background of this book definitely takes a backseat to the relationship, but is still well-handled and has some unexpected twists to it. The secondary characters, especially Lindsay's assistant, are also well-written and I think I will enjoy seeing them again in the future books planned for this series.
Though the book started off a little shaky and a major part of Lindsay's past reveals and seemingly resolves itself way too hastily, I enjoyed reading this novel. So, if you're looking for a good read and you need a change of pace from the small towns that dominate series romance, Perfect Partners? is definitely one to check out.
Sensuality: Subtle
Publication Date: 2010/01
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By the way, we watched Diner last night. In general, it held up wonderfully. Very fun.