Because Janelle Denison’s Christmas Fantasy was a very sexy book with a super hero, I had high hopes for the sequel, Valentine Fantasy, written by Jamie Denton. Sadly, my expectations for a sexy romance were not met this time around.

Cait Sullivan is a newspaper reporter hot for the scoop that will make her career. After receiving a tip that the male-stripper organization “Fantasy For Hire” may be swindling rich woman out of their fortunes in exchange for illicit sex, Cait goes undercover, posing as a rich debutante, in an attempt to ferret out the truth.

Jordan McBride is filling in for his honeymooning brother (the luscious Austin from Janelle Denison’s Christmas Fantasy) at Fantasy For Hire, and he’s making a real mess of things. When pretty Cait Sullivan walks in with a wad of cash demanding a date for Valentine’s Day, he’s torn – for all of two seconds. He quickly agrees to become Cait’s pretend Valentine. Even though he’s a bit confused about what she means by giving her “the works,” he decides that he can handle it and begins to drown her in gifts. Not the brightest bulb, our hero Jordan, but he’s a cutie and his intentions are good.

During their week together they begin to fall in love – or more accurately, lust. Cait’s incorrect assumption about Jordan and her deception are the only things standing in their way of a happy ever after. This deception drags on for what feels like an eternity. Is he or is he not a cold-hearted gigolo? Well, any savvy reader will figure this out on page one (before page one if you’ve read the prequel), but it takes Cait nearly the entire book to come to the correct conclusion. Even worse is when she admits to falling deeply in lust/love with Jordan and continues with her little ruse because, you see, every time she attempts to talk to him it’s simply a bad time, or his bone-melting kisses leave her brain dead, or . . . well, I’m sure you get the drift. “Tiresome” describes this section pretty well. If she had bothered to spill the beans much earlier the two could’ve spent some quality time together, but that doesn’t happen.

Because this flimsy conflict was stretched to its limits there was no time for the couple to develop any kind of emotional connection, and zero time was devoted to watching them get to know each other. He gave her presents, they admired each other’s sexy bods, they shared a few meals, they eventually had hot sex. They did not know each other nor did they have an honest conversation until the book was nearly over. When asked by his brother who Cait was, Jordan has the startling notion that He didn’t know. All he knew about Cait Sullivan was that he wanted her. How’s that for an undying romantic declaration? This is in the last quarter of the book, mind you. But a little thing like that doesn’t stop Jordan from believing that he’s fallen deeply in love with her – barely three pages later! All right, so maybe this hero is just a wee bit too stupid to live.

This book was a big letdown after it’s wonderful prequel, Christmas Fantasy. A weak plot can work if the characters have sufficient spark. Unfortunately, these two were rather flat and their actions far too predictable. The hero did not come alive, and although he gave good presents, was becoming a successful architect, and was very talented in the sack, I finished the story knowing little else about him. The heroine was your average career-driven sexpot who held little emotional appeal for me.

If lust-at-first-sight stories are your thing, give this one a shot. But if you prefer even a smidgen of relationship development in your romances, leave this one on the shelf.