Sue Civil-Brown
Civil-Brown, Sue - CATCHING KELLY (Avon - 1/00) (3+)
After reading an e-mail message from her family, Kelly Burke decides to return home to Paradise Island, Florida for the first time in eight years. Her family consists of a lively 80-year-old grandmother/actress, several zany aunts and uncles with unusual interests, a temperamental cook, a butler who is always in the liquor cabinet, and two pet tigers! After the death of her parents, they had all pitched in to raise her. Although she dearly loved them, she left home because she never really felt that she fit in and she wanted to seek a "normal" life. It seemed as if she was always the one who had to take care of them!
Now it appears they need Kelly's help again. According to the e-mail note, her grandmother has turned over the guest cottage to a very nice young man named Seth Ralston, an ex-football star with a bum knee, who has agreed to help with the family's finances. Kelly fears he is a con artist who is trying to bilk them out of their money, and she's off to the rescue. Soon after her arrival on the island, she encounters a surly Seth, who assumes she's a tourist who has wandered onto this private enclave...and rudely tells her to leave. As the days go by, Kelly and the ex-football player continue to clash, but she is not immune to his appeal. Seth is a very attractive, scintillating man, and Kelly is beginning to fear that she actually likes him...and possibly more.
Seth has come to Paradise Island to recover from a serious career-ending injury, as well as a messy divorce and child custody fight. He can't understand why Kelly has avoided visiting her family for so many years. Yes, they are eccentric and not your run-of-the-mill family, but they are so lovable. However, as Seth gets to know Kelly, he begins to understand why she feels inadequate in their company. But something else has been bothering him. Why would Kelly's family lead her to believe he was helping them with their finances when that's not true? Could they be matchmaking? Well, after his disastrous marriage, Seth doesn't intend to get mixed up with another woman—no matter how tempting Kelly is!
Sue Civil-Brown has written another lighthearted contemporary romance set around Paradise Beach. Even though some of the characters from her previous books (CHASING RAINBOW and LETTING LOSE) show up, CATCHING KELLY stands by itself very well. Her vivid characterizations of Kelly, Seth, and all the zany, enjoyable members of Kelly's family are top-notch. CATCHING KELLY is a passionate and fun romance that will brighten up your world. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Civil-Brown, Sue - CHASING RAINBOW (Avon - 1999) (4+)
Strange things are going on at Paradise Towers! The elderly residents of the condo ask Rainbow Moonglow, a well-respected psychic in Paradise Beach, Florida, to determine if the strange happenings are being caused by ghosts. Some of the residents have seen them, others have felt their presence—and they
all want these "uninvited guests" to go away! Rainbow agrees to help, with the proviso that they not pay her. She attends their association meeting and after the election of a new president, who is not in attendance, begins to visit the locations where the apparitions appeared.
Her first stop is the apartment of Jake Carpenter, the newly elected president, who turns out to be surprisingly young and good-looking. Jake, having just moved into his late Uncle Joe's condo that very day, is dead on his feet when he opens the door to Rainbow. After he discovers she's investigating the haunts, he is livid and accuses her of taking advantage of the elderly people in the building. He calls her a fraud, threatens her with the police, and slams the door in her face. Rainbow is angry at first, but as the anger wears off, it is replaced with hurt caused by this man's ridicule. Nevertheless, she has promised to help the residents, and help them she will.
Thus begins the battle between two complete opposites: Rainbow, a psychic who believes in the supernatural, and Jake, a petroleum geologist and a firm believer in scientific data and research. They mix like oil and water! As these two try to work together, searching for an explanation to the strange occurrences in the condo (banging noises in the walls, furniture hanging from the ceiling, and objects being moved by an invisible force), a mutual attraction begins to develop between them. They try to fight their feelings, without success, and Jake finds himself CHASING RAINBOW and courting her. Can two opposites actually fall in love and make it work? And what about the ghosts—could they be trying to warn the residents of impending danger?
Versatile author Sue Civil-Brown (a.k.a. Rachel Lee) returns to Paradise Beach with this hilariously funny, lighthearted and sensual romance that readers will love. All the characters are fabulous, and Rainbow and Jake are so well portrayed they could be the people living next door. But the many endearing secondary characters really steal the show—the residents of Paradise Towers; Rainbow's mother, Roxy, who happens to be a medium; and the ghosts, of course! Also, Blaise Corrigan (the hero of LETTING LOOSE) pays a return visit. As a bonus, there are two secondary love stories that add extra charm. I highly recommend CHASING RAINBOW to anyone who enjoys a good laugh and a wonderful love story. A must read! ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
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