The Model Man (Zebra Debut) [Mass Market Paperback]

I didn't know quite what to expect from this book, but it blew my mind, honestly. It's so well written and has a real edge to it. It's like a female Elmore Leonard only with a stronger romantic hook. Part comic thriller, part romantic suspense, part - I don't know. The characters really ring true and it's just a blast from start to finish. Definitely not just genre. It's funny, sexy, gritty, yet stays kind and true to the characters.

Funny, ironic, slightly whacky view of LA lifestyle

mated with an appealingly hot romance. The fat

ex-model is an hilarious, sad, and believable villian.

The con-artist/Hollywood setting manages to put a

fresh spin on a scene that's been done before. And

lurking beneath the surface there's a sense of

heartbreak and hope that you don't often find in

bright adventures like this. Read it!

Christy Harris is a scam artist. She came to California years ago as an aspiring actress, but she soon found that she wasn't making money waiting on tables. She and friend Louie figured out that together they were able to make money a much faster way, setting up all sorts of scams and not getting caught. Christy's forte is the psychic route, but she's also good at stealing things, with Louie's help.

Joe, a good-looking cop from Texas, seeks out Christy the fortune-teller to help him with a case. Christy of course gets nervous that she's even talking to a cop, as she knows that eventually she is destined for some jail time. But she helps him out nevertheless, faking a psychic event when they go to house where a murder had occurred. Joe seems to buy her psychic act, which shocks Christy. She doesn't think she's that good, and besides, Joe is a policeman. At the same time, she feels a huge attraction for him, as he does for her. Not a good thing!

The two fall for each other and eventually have amazing sex in a cheesy motel. Louie is beside himself to think Christy is sleeping with a cop but Christy claims it will be just a one-time deal. She intentionally does not keep his phone number (she throws it in the trash) so she has no temptation whatsoever to call him back. What she doesn't know is that it is not the last time she'll see him.

Christy soon learns that she's now part of a big plot involving the mystery of the death of a once successful male model, Ricky LittleJohn, whose death Joe is so obsessed about solving. What Christy does not pick up on right away is that Joe's story is not exactly the truth, which is ironic since it's Christy's job to scam nearly everyone she meets. So she's in lust (or is it love?) with a man that is conning her to find information on a murder, and it is quite possible he's as good a con man as Christy.

THE MODEL MAN is a contemporary romance with lots of humor, and takes place in the world of Hollywood and wanna be actors. This book is filled with bigger than life characters who have a lot of wild and wacky adventures, definitely stuff that is over the top and not necessarily true to life. It's a great beach read, perfect for those lazy summer months. The reader will love Christy, although at times she can make one angry because of the way she lived. She was a true con-artist. Readers will also love her relationship with her best friend Louie, her gay neighbor who is very flamboyant and just as talented as she was in terms of running a good scam. This reviewer, however, had a hard time with the character of Joe. There was something about him that rubbed this reader the wrong way. He came across as a sleaze, despite the fact that there were other characters around him that were no better than he, but it was the fact that he was posing as a cop that felt all wrong. This is not saying anything against the book, but just a comment that this character could have been a more "goody two shoes" that helps save the day, but instead turns out to be not so perfect.

The book reads like a Hollywood movie script, in that the reader will be able to easily imagine all the scenes and characters as if watching it on the big screen. This reviewer was able to picture the palm tree lined streets of Hollywood where Christy and Louie hung out, as well as envision the many Hollywood parties the two would attend (uninvited) where they would be able to steal whatever they could sell later on.

This reviewer recommends THE MODEL MAN for those looking for a fun read with a lot of over the top adventures. The only real flaw could be the ending, and although the author didn't rush it, it felt somewhat forced and almost unbelievable. (No plot spoilers here! It's up to the reader to discover it for herself). This reviewer gives THE MODEL MAN 3 ½ stars. - courtesy of Love Romances