Reviews...            

Her Secret ThrillBy Donna Kauffman, December 2001, Series Romance
Harlequin Blaze #18, $4.50, 248 pages, ISBN #0-373-79022-8
Sensuality: Hot

Her Secret Thrill by Donna Kauffman is everything I've hoped the Harlequin Blaze line would be. While the sex is hot (hot!), the characters face realistic conflicts; the result is an emotionally satisfying story along with the expected dose of risqué business.Natalie Holcomb is the character you've seen over and over in the Blaze books so far - the good girl who decides to cut loose just this once and have some fun. She's a buttoned-down lawyer whose best friend Liza is a free and easy Hollywood publicist.

In the aftermath of a party, Natalie finds herself stuck with Jake Lannister, the best friend of Liza's current client and inamorata, Con. Jake is not a Hollywood type either - he's the scion of a cattle ranching dynasty in Wyoming, and knows Con from childhood.As Jake and Natalie make uncomfortable conversation, what Liza and her lover are up to in the next room is noisily obvious. Anyone who has been in that situation (and I certainly had college dorm flashbacks) can empathize.A trip to an all-night coffee shop eventually leads to a just-one-time morning of very, very hot sex.

One thing I like about the Blaze books is that they use a more earthy set of euphemisms for sexual acts and naughty bits than most romance novels - words that I comfortably use myself and which make me identify that much more with what's going on in the scene. Jake and Natalie are modern folks who don't shy away from exploring fantasies and desires with each other, and it was definitely fun being along for the ride.Natalie and Jake eventually agree that although their busy careers and frequent travel preclude seeing each other that often, they can compare itineraries and hook up for some no-strings fun when they are in town with each other. And oh, what fun they had! Did I mention I really enjoyed the sex scenes in this book?

They are playful, creative lovers who have a tremendously good time, while at the same time their encouragement of each other's desires leads to deepening emotion between them in a believable way.Before you know it, both are facing the "oops, I messed up and fell in love" dilemma. I loved that the obstacles in their relationship were very real-world. Both have demanding careers and live on the opposite sides of the country from each other. In addition, Natalie has family obligations that she doesn't feel she can ignore. I respected her decisions at the same time my heart was breaking for her. This wasn't a seen-only-in-romance-novels dilemma; it's something that happens to real people all the time. Ultimately, however, what Jake and Natalie have together brings to the surface questions both have needed to ask about their careers and priorities. Again, the resolution was appealing and believable. So many romance novels seem to start out well but lose their way at some point. Her Secret Thrill hooked me with the hot set-up, but the emotional follow-through is what makes this book a keeper for me.

It's the first book I've read by Donna Kauffman but it definitely will not be the last.

-- Colleen McMahon

Provocative! Very highly recommended

Their agreement seems so simple. Two consenting adults who don't have time to pursue relationships but are in need of sensuality that works around their itineraries agree to meet when they happen to be in the same town. The sex is incredible and without emotional complications. But Jake Lannister will find himself challenged when he decided he wants to be more than just her secret thrill.

Unusual circumstances and the late hour lead Natalie Holcomb to act very uncharacteristically when she rents a room with Jake. Their mind numbing encounter leaves her satiated, and yet hungry for more. But it doesn't take long for lust to lead to love for Jake. Too bad Natalie's responsibilities and reserve don't allow her to yield to emotional complications.

Erotic and enticing, HER SECRET THRILL is as thrilling as the Blaze line promises. Sensuality explored through strawberries and chocolate, playfulness and naughtiness, results in a hot read. The emotional complications are well defined, and wonderfully exploited, lending the characters a convincing depth. Steamy and passionate, HER SECRET THRILL will thrill all lovers of erotic romanticism. Belonging on the keeper shelf, HER SECRET THRILL is very highly recommended.

Cindy Penn editor@wordweaving.com
Senior Editor, http://wordweaving.com
Amazon top 50 reviewer
eBook Specialist, Midwest Book Reviews

Hot and sexy!"
When Natalie Holcomb and Jake Lannister meet at the end of a party, after everyone else has gone home (well everyone except his friend Conrad and her friend Liza) they decide to go have coffee to give Liza and Conrad a little much needed privacy. While they are having their coffee one thing leads to another, and lust leads them out of the restaurant and into a hotel room. After a wonderful (and I do mean wonderful!) night of hot sex, Jake is reluctant to just let Natalie walk out of his life, so he slips her his itinerary and suggests that since they are each unattached and want to remain that way, and since they had such a good time, they should just agree to meet for hot sex whenever their schedules allow. This works well for them for a while, but each of them discovers a growing emotional attachment that is not wise, considering their agreement to stay uninvolved. Will one of them take the chance and confess his or her feelings, or will they just call the whole thing off and go their separate ways?

HER SECRET THRILL was a lot of fun to read. The story was exciting, with some really sizzling love scenes. It was a definite page-turner that I didn't want to put down. I enjoyed Natalie and Jake, and Ms. Kauffman had a way of letting me experience the emotional highs and lows of their new, fragile feelings of love as it developed and grew stronger. I highly recommend HER SECRET THRILL.

Reviewed by Janice Bennett
Posted December 22, 2001
thebestreviews.com

Natalie Holcomb and Jake Lannister are unwittingly thrown together after their friends disappear at a hotel party. Left to each otherís company, they soon feel sparks of their own. At first refusing Jakeís offer to be
HER SECRET THRILL (3), Natalie gives in a few weeks later when she finds herself within driving distance of his place. As their physical union turns emotional, can they readjust their lives to stay together?
Donna Kauffman puts a sexy spin on a modern romance premise with two sensual characters and a warm love story.

...Romantic Times

Her Secret Thrill
Donna Kauffman
Harlequin Blaze
December 2001

Natalie Holcomb is the exact opposite of her wild impulsive best friend Liza. But when she’s stuck listening to her best friend get it on with the boyfriend du jour, she wonders exactly what’s stopping her from flinging
herself head first into a one night stand with fellow eavesdropper Jake Lannister. Poor Jake, listening to his friend’s passionate encounter has stirred his libido for the attractive woman at his side. After a late night
cup of coffee, the two succumb to the urges initially generated by the awkward situation and further fueled by mutual desire. A single rendezvous isn’t nearly enough for either participant so they agree to a series of one
night stands when their hectic travel schedules overlap. So what happens when stolen moments are no longer enough for one of them?

Donna Kauffman’s book delivers the Blaze promise with a bang and then some!

Natalie and Jake hop into bed thinking their mutual desire is the result of a very interesting situation. Only after the fact do they realize there’s more between them and begin to learn more about each other. As they
discover each other and themselves, Donna takes the reader along with them on the voyage. Along the way, the sex is hot and wild and surprisingly inventive, full of burgeoning emotion. Donna’s straightforward writing
style enhances and mirrors the mood in each scene, sucking the reader in and refusing to let her go. “Her Secret Thrill” is also the reader’s thrill, and one the reader won’t want to end.

...Romance and Friends