FOR THE LOVE OF PETE

Author: Julia Harper ISBN: 9780446619189 1/2009 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: GRAND CENTRAL

What happens when opposites attract? Free-spirited Zoey Addler is about to hijack a federal agent. And not just any federal agent, but very Special Agent Dante Torelli, a man whose designer suits and Italian shoes are more GQ than FBI. But when her baby niece, Pete, is snatched right in front of her eyes, Zoey doesn't hesitate to scramble into Dante's spotless BMW. She needs his help to rescue the baby ... if only she can ignore his Lips of Sin. Oh, baby! Dante's original mission is down the drain and he's dodging bullets with a loopy redhead by his side. He likes quiet. She never shuts up. He likes to follow the rules. She throws the rules out the window. But these opposites do more than attract—they ignite. With a henpecked hit man running wild, cooking-obsessed matrons chasing down contraband spices, and a relentless killer tracking them all, Dante and Zoey will risk everything—for themselves and ... for the love of pete.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

FOR THE LOVE OF PETE begins on a high note and continues that way until the very last page. A laugh-out-loud, rollicking romp, it is a pleasure to read and a story that lingers in the memory long after the last page is turned.

Zoey finds herself face-to-face with a federal agent innocently enough. Her plan is simply to secure a parking spot in front of her building. When she sees Dante—who she secretly calls “Lips of Sin”—taking her space, she confronts him. Things take a deadly turn very quickly… shots are fired, Dante covers Zoey’s body with his own to protect her, and before anyone can blink the couple is on a high-speed chase. Wise-cracking sisters-in-law, some gorgeous babies and the always-tricky diaper-changing dilemma take this romantic comedy to another level. Figuring out who is doing what, and where and why, kept me turning the pages—and completely engrossed in not only the romance but the intricate storyline.

Wild and witty, well-written and wonderfully engaging, FOR THE LOVE OF PETE is delightful. I heartily recommend it!

Kay James