| NYT best selling author, Carly
Phillips has done it again! This author’s every book is to be cherished and so it is
with ‘The Playboy’ too. If you loved ‘The Bachelor’ then
‘The Playboy’ is guaranteed to knock your collective socks off. The sexy,
sensual and unforgettable Chandler men are here to entertain you again. Officer Rick Chandler is growing weary of the all-out attack
on his bachelorhood that the ladies of the small town of Yorkshire Falls have launched,
with his very-eager-to-have-grandchildren mother’s blessings. His long-ago failed
marriage has taught him a bitter lesson and he’s determined never to risk his heart
again. That is until Kendall Sutton comes to town. The product of wandering archeologists
who’re more interested in their digs than their children, Kendall has been passed
from relative to relative and has learnt from an early age never to put down roots or lose
her heart. She’s in Yorkshire Falls to sell her aunt’s house and use the money
to go to Sedona, Arizona to hone her jewelry making skills. But all her dreams crumble
when she sees the dilapidated condition of her aunt’s house.
Rick Chandler seizes advantage of this moment and
proposes a bargain. If Kendall pretends to be his lover, it’ll get all the women,
including his mother, off his back and in return, he’ll help her fix up the house so
that it’s in shape to sell. With no other option and low funds, Kendall agrees and so
the charade begins. But pretty soon the charade becomes reality as the sizzling attraction
between Rick and Kendall erupts into an inferno. Rick and Kendall are both aware of the
transient nature of their affair. Soon Rick realizes that he loves Kendall, heart and
soul. But will that be enough to keep this nomadic and commitment-paranoid lady in town?!
Carly Phillips’ latest offering, ‘The
Playboy’ is a must buy for your keeper shelf. The hot and tender romance, the depth
of the simply irresistible characters, the deep emotional conflicts, the richness of
writing – all make ‘The Playboy’ a spellbinding joy to read.
In this story, the deep-rooted insecurities in both
the main protagonists are explored sensitively and in detail, and their gradual change of
heart is simply but evocatively shown. Rick Chandler is every bit as sexy as Roman, but
more in touch with his feelings and his white knight routine is altogether too adorable.
Kendall is also a very humane heroine and it’s very easy to sympathize with her
plight. And by making the lady, the commitment shy one in the relationship, Ms.
Phillips turns the tables, which is a refreshing change. Humor comes in the form of the
innumerable ways the ladies of Yorkshire Falls try to get Rick’s attention, his
healthy mother’s invalid antics and Kendall’s runaway half-sister, Hannah’s
shenanigans. The eroticism in this book is perhaps even greater than the previous book,
which makes this a red-hot read! The overall tone is a bit more serious than the previous
book, which was more comical in nature because of the panty thief. But it only makes
reading ‘The Playboy’ all together so much more fulfilling and soul satisfying.
Don't miss this beautifully written, intensely
satisfying love story. And look out for Carly Phillips’ next book, ‘THE
HEARTBREAKERr’ about the last Chandler man, Chase, coming out in August 2003 in
hardcover.
Reviewed By Rashmi Srinivas
January 2, 2003 |
