Smart and Sexy [Paperback]

Six months after piloting a plane that crashed in Cabo with horrific results, Noah Fisher decides to head to Mammoth Mountain for a little R and R. He figures some skiing and a ski bunny will go far in helping him relax. When Noah finds himself hijacked at gunpoint while enroute to Mammoth Mountain, it makes him just plain mad. Once he discovers that his hijacker is Bailey Sinclair, a young widow who has been the object of many of his wildest fantasies, he is still angry, but his anger is redirected toward whoever has terrified Bailey enough to push her to take such drastic measures. When Noah learns that Bailey's husband, Alan, wasn't killed in a hunting accident, but was murdered, he realizes how imperative it is that she find the money he had hidden in avoidance of becoming a victim herself. With Alan's killers hot on their heels, the two make jaunt after desperate jaunt in search of the concealed cash. When it looks like they will have to travel to Cabo, the place where Noah crashed, he questions whether he has healed enough emotionally to take them there.

Bailey Sinclair wants to kill her husband. Unfortunately, someone has already killed him, after he swindled them out of a ton of money. Bailey gave up a successful modeling career after marrying Alan so she could be by his side. Unfortunately, he was more interested in himself and how much money he could make than being with her. Alan left Bailey with a cryptic clue about where the money is hidden just before he was murdered. She has little choice but to force someone to take her to Alan's resort in order to find the money. She decides on Noah Fisher, one of the three pilots at Sky High Air, because she knew he was the most likely of the three to help her. Bailey has had a bit of a crush on Noah for some time, but has to get past that for the time being, and focus on finding the money that will save her life. After the initial flight, yes, the one where she kidnapped him at gunpoint, Bailey has no intention of involving Noah in her search. Besides, the "gun" was actually a pen, so no harm done, right? Noah doesn't feel that way, and insists that he accompany her so he can keep her safe, and while Bailey dislikes involving him in her personal problems, she appreciates having him with her.

Bailey and Noah are both extremely likable characters, and the secondary characters from Sky High Air are equally charming and are practically screaming for their own books. Thankfully, Jill Shalvis will be giving her readers those stories. Noah and Bailey are quick to act on their shared attraction, but it doesn't feel rushed as their long-time interest in each other is covered. This book has fast-paced action, intriguing suspense, and sizzling sensuality. I personally feel that Jill Shalvis' writing gets sharper with each new book, and I highly recommend SMART AND SEXY to anyone who enjoys a romantic suspense that isn't too heavy or frightening.

Jill Shalvis is a fabulous writer. Time and again, she has seamlessly blended humor and heat with some sort of suspense, all while ensuring that an emotional connection between each immensely charismatic hero and intelligent, strong heroine not only exists, but evolves and deepens in a believable, emotional manner. That has held true for every single Jill Shalvis book that I have read - and I've read more than a few - except, unfortunately, for this one.

That is not to say that the humor isn't there - there are some very funny moments and lines. And the heat is definitely present and accounted for, as the chemistry between Noah and Bailey is intense, and translates into truly steamy encounters. And the book has suspense - there is definitely a thriller aspect to the story that involves the hero and heroine repeatedly being chased by armed thugs.

It all sounds good. So, what's the problem, you may ask? Well, I would say the issue is that disbelief can only be suspended so much and so far before one is in danger of rolling her eyes so often that she runs the risk of permanently injuring herself (or, at the very least, getting one heck of a headache). First, it's true that Noah has been hot for Bailey for some time, yet once she hijacks him and his plane - yes, hijacks - that attraction is evidently more than enough of a valid reason for him to risk his life to help her on numerous occasions. That wouldn't be such a problem if Bailey were a good heroine. She's sweet and certainly ddoesn't deserve to become embroiled in the mess that serves as the impetus for the aforementioned hijacking. Unfortunately, she enters too-stupid-to-live territory on a routine basis. She just seems utterly incapable of taking care of herself, and always needs Noah - who is a master of all trades, apparently, and on MacGuyver-like levels - to rescue her. This is a woman who wears high heels when she knows that she will likely have to run and climb on snowy, icy terrain. This is a woman who begins the story already having the information she needs to figure out where to find what she's looking for in order to get out of her situation, yet even though she has exceedingly long stretches of time in which she can think things over, she just can't figure it out until Noah prompts her to do so. Near the end of the book. Really?

Plus - and this is something that another review or two has mentioned - Noah begins the book heading out for some R&R so that he can. . . cavort with as many ski bunnies as possible. There isn't anything wrong with that per se, except that the reader is reminded of that over and over. And over again. Throughout the book, by not only Noah, but also his friends and coworkers. It gets old very, very quickly.

Then, there is the issue of repetitiveness. Noah and Bailey have essentially the same conversation about a dozen times, and the formula for said conversation goes a little something like this: Noah (reasonably) asks Bailey to tell him the truth about what's going on, since he's, you know, risking his life to help her. Bailey hems and haws a bit, and mentions not wanting to put him in danger (though after, say, page 2 it's a bit too late for that), before she eventually gives him a tiny piece of information. Noah is hurt (understandably) because even after all that he's done to help her, she still won't trust him, but he decides to keep helping her anyway. This conversation happens way too many times, and by the time Bailey finally, *finally* tells him the entire story, it is more than blatantly obvious that if had she done so from the very beginning, they could've avoided a great deal of life-threatening trouble. It is absurd, and it's repetitive, and all too quickly, it becomes boring.

And then there is by far the biggest problem: Noah and Bailey are (as previously mentioned) chased on numerous occasions by armed thugs who demonstrate a willingness to use their firearms in Noah and Bailey's general direction. Yet in the midst of chases, our hero and heroine take the time to not only think endlessly about how attracted they are to one another and admire each other's bodies, but also to contemplate all of the sex they'd like to have with one another. It gets worse. They also take the time to kiss and grope each other a little (actually a lot) right smack in the middle of chase scenes. Plus, there's one instance in which Bailey refuses to keep running - regardless of the armed gunmen who are right on their heels - unless Noah stops right then and there and tells her about his past. Really? The first time the inappropriately-timed sex-related activity happened, I chalked it up to adrenaline and chemistry doing odd things to Noah's and Bailey's brains. By the fourth or fifth time they stop mid-chase so that Noah can, let's say, make Bailey happy, I couldn't believe what I was reading. I understand that this is not fine, classic literature, but this was utterly absurd. I actually couldn't believe that Ms. Shalvis wrote this, because this was not at all in-keeping with her talent.

So, the book has some pretty major problems, in my view. It does have its good points - Noah is a fantastic hero (though why he puts up with Bailey is mostly beyond me). And if one is able to look past Bailey's flaws, she and Noah make a great couple who, as I said, are pretty steamy (and the book does not lack sex scenes, though again, some occur at incredibly inappropriate times). All in all, though, while there were some enjoyable parts, the aforementioned problems proved to be far too significant for me to get past. Fans of the author may still like this book for its enjoyable moments that are pretty much classic Shalvis. Other than that, I think that readers may be better served by choosing literally any other Jill Shalvis book.

I think every reader has authors whose books they really enjoy. One of those authors for me is Jill Shalvis. Not surprisingly, I read and loved her latest book, Smart and Sexy.

The tone of the back cover suggested Smart and Sexy would be a light-hearted romp. It isn't. Instead, it's a gripping romantic suspense novel with characters who lingered in my mind long after I finished the book.

Speaking of the characters, the way Shalvis sets up the situation is perfect. Noah and Bailey aren't strangers--in fact, Noah's had a weak spot for Bailey for some time. This makes it all the more believable that he would want to help with her quest. Bailey is equally drawn to Noah; it is no accident that she tags along on a flight where he is the pilot.

I loved Noah. He's a well-rounded character with strengths and insecurities. His connection with and protection of Bailey is wonderful to watch. Bailey is initially secretive; trust comes slowly for her. The way her trust grows is realistic and compelling.

These two characters generate a lot of heat together. This book includes some of the best love scenes Shalvis has written.

The mystery is also excellent, and I loved that it complemented rather than overshadowed the romance. Smart and Sexy is the start of a series, and I can't wait to read the next one!