Katie: After the debacle that was the shark shifter book, I felt like a palate cleanser was in order. LB Gregg’s sequel to Catch Me If You Can, Trust Me If You Dare, seemed like just the ticket – and it was, just as expected. I love that the author uses feisty to describe a male character. It’s not actually a gender specific word, but is so often used that way – especially in romance. And, let’s face it, Saysahr is nothing if not feisty.
Now working with his cousin Poppy in her catering business, he occasionally helps boyfriend Dan out with one of his investigations, which is how he finds himself wrecking three BMWs within five minutes on a dealership lot. For the record, tap means tap, not punch it. After completely breaking the spirit of the poor wanna-be-a-cowboy salesman (srsly? Who wears cowboy hats in NYC other than Jon Voigt?) at the dealership, Saysahr heads to work at the delightfully named Posh Nosh.
Patty: Saysahr is kind of a spaz; and by that I mean he’s a COMPLETE spaz. You know that friend you have who has to get a tetanus shot because they licked an envelope and got a papercut on their tongue so they went to get some ice from the freezer then remembered the leftover cake in the fridge and and ended up with a bleeding gash on the back of their head when they opted to forgo the calories in the cake and stood back from the fridge, forgetting the freezer door was open and whacked their head against the corner of the freezer door and then they understood why Tom (from Tom and Jerry) always saw birds circling his head when Jerry smacked a 2 x 4 against Tom’s face, which distracted them from realizing they had lost their balance and ended up cutting their forearm open against the rusty nail that had been sticking out of the kitchen window frame? The same friend who can tell this exact story without pausing for a breath. That’s Saysahr, God bless him.
Katie: I feel breathless just reading that.
This one was light, fluffy and enjoyable, just like the first one. In fact, if I had a complaint, it would be that the blueprint of this novel was obviously the first. I don’t really have one though. It was funny, and sexy, and full of Saysahr’s irrepressible family. I enjoyed every word of it.
Patty: Yeah, but that’s pretty much any mystery series. It’s not that you know whodunit, it’s that you know the personalities and recognize the characters and can expect to enjoy yourself despite the predictability in tone. I mean, how messed up would it be if Nancy Drew stopped being all Mary Sue and instead began handing out blow-jobs to compensate for how distant her father has been since their camping trip? Or if the Hardy Boys suddenly stopped pretending to be Mormons?
I’m having a weird day. Kaytay, you may want to do the non-spoily summary.
Katie: Patty, you COMPLETELY threw me off with that bit about Saysahr being a spaz. I mean, he totally is, but it halted my summary midstream. Like the previous installment, the mystery involves Seysahr’s ex being mixed up in something, his current beau investigating said goings on,and Seysahr’s family trying to insert themselves in his personal life. What makes this one interesting are some curious sexual politics involving Germany’s answer to Brad Pitt.
Patty: The flamboyantly pervy Austrian/German dude cracked me up to no end and I enjoyed Dan’s management of Seysahr’s insecurities without the former unfurling into the Questionable Consent Dom so popular in romance these days. Enough with the tortured hero grunting and sociopathic Mr. Darcys, already. No boy or girl wants a fixer upper that comes with a Lithium prescription and a safety word, I don’t care how washboardy his abs are.
Katie: I think it’s safe to say that Patty and I both recommend this one. While readable on its own, it’s probably best enjoyed if you read them in sequence.
