Alexis Hart - Neesa Hart
Hart, Alexis - MOONLIGHT FOR MAGGIE (Neighborhood Press - Paperback 3/99) (3+)
Maggie Howell and Paul Remington have a few things in common; both are reporters who are fiercely independent, and they each have definite opinions about working with someone else. Maggie, a reporter in Shreveport, believes she's as good or better at
reporting than any man. Paul, a small-town reporter in Port
Ray, makes no secret of his feelings about women doing what he considers men's work. When Maggie's editor sends her to Port
Ray to work with Paul on a story about a local crime ring, the sparks really fly!
Maggie and Paul first meet, unofficially, when she goes out for an evening meal after her arrival in town. Unfortunately, she appears just in time to hear Paul spouting off his views about women, and the "war of words and comebacks" begins. It's a classic case of "anything you can do, I can do better," and each time the two meet later, an argument results. However, when Maggie receives a package in her hotel room that terribly upsets and frightens her, she is enormously relieved when Paul comes to her rescue. He invites her to stay at his home, for her own protection and as a matter of convenience since they will be working together. Grateful for the offer, she becomes his house guest.
While Maggie gathers background material for the story she is writing, she becomes friends with a shy lady named Francesca. Francesca is unhappily engaged to a man whom her father demands she marry. She is very afraid of her fiancé, and as it turns out, he is the villain of the story. He threatens Maggie, only making her more determined to expose the criminal activities she has been researching. Meanwhile, Maggie and Paul are beginning to feel attracted to one another, but they both hide their feelings until an accident occurs, which makes them decide to stop snipping at one another and work together to bring the villain to justice.
How Maggie and Paul achieve this feat makes for a fast, intense, yet humorous read. I was pulled in several directions while reading MOONLIGHT FOR MAGGIE. The author made me laugh when the hero and heroine argued—the one-liners were great and reminded me of the old Tracy and Hepburn movies. The villain also spooked me, causing chills to run down my spine! His character was very well written. There was also a subplot about Maggie's past, involving the circumstances surrounding the death of her parents. It made me feel so bad when she discovered how and why her parents were killed.
One thing that only slightly pulled me away from the story was how long the bickering went on between Maggie and Paul, but I did enjoy how Ms. Hart showed the couple slowly realizing both their passion for each other and how much they shared in common. I also loved how she involved Francesca in the resolution of the story, and I would like to see a future story about this character. All in all, MOONLIGHT FOR MAGGIE is an entertaining, enjoyable, and action-packed story, and as this is Alexis Hart's first book, I would like to congratulate her. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. ~Pat Cavender for Bookbug on the Web
Hart, Neesa - HALFWAY TO PARADISE (Avon - 4/99) (4)
While waiting for her flight to board, Maggie Connell witnesses a family reunion between a woman, her small daughter, and a young Marine returning home from duty. Maggie's heart immediately fills with pain, remembering her husband Mark, a Marine who had been killed a year ago in a helicopter training exercise in Saudi Arabia.
With tears streaming down her face, Maggie takes her seat on the plane. One of the passengers, an architect named Scott Bishop, offers her a handkerchief...and a shoulder to cry on. He understands her grief because he, too, lost his spouse a year ago. During the remainder of the flight, the architect discovers he has even more in common with Maggie. She is an interior decorator and they are both submitting plans for a resort project in the city where she and her young son Ryan live. When Maggie mentions that her son is a hockey player, Scott asks if she and Ryan would like to attend a Bruins match—he just happens to have tickets.
Unknown to the travelers, there are two ghosts on board the plane—Mark and Scott's wife, Annie! Observing the blossoming friendship between the Maggie and Scott, the two spirits decide to join forces and see what develops between the couple. When Ryan later meets Scott, he eagerly accepts the man as his mother's friend; and although no one believes Ryan, he can actually see and talk with the ghosts of Mark and Annie. Scott and Maggie continue to enjoy each other's company and passion begins to grow, but mixed feelings of happiness and guilt make them uncomfortable, and they aren't sure they can part with the memories of their loved ones and move on. Will the two ghosts find it in their hearts to help show Scott and Maggie the way to paradise?
HALFWAY TO PARADISE is a wonderful ghost romance about two tortured souls, who learn to trust again and finally let go of their grief. While the story will bring a few tears to readers' eyes, it is also uplifting and humorous. And for all you Bruins hockey fans, some of the players make cameo appearances. I highly recommend this emotional, "spirited" second-chance-at-love story. ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
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