Dorothy Howell - Tanya Huff
Howell, Dorothy - TEA TIME (Jove - 1995) (4+)
Miss Allison Tremaine has her mind set on cleaning up the disreputable town of Brighton, Nevada, which is overrun with saloons and "unfit for decent folks." She forms a ladies' club to enact cultural reform and rid the town of its unsavory element. Cade Jessup, owner of the Pleasure Palace saloon (and darn proud of it), locks horns with the "uppity" Miss Tremaine and her righteous ladies' club.
This book is a pure delight from start to finish with its small-town charm, humor, and lively escapades. The hero and heroine are spirited and likable; and the secondary characters are just as winning, especially Tyler, the homeless boy whom Cade takes under his wing. TEA TIME is a sweet Americana romance that will give you a case of the warm fuzzies and leave you with a satisfied smile. ~June (bookbug@oocities.com)
Huff, Tanya - SUMMON THE KEEPER (Daw - 1998) (4)
This is a fantasy with two romantic love interests—a hunky handyman and an impossible-to-resist lusty ghost. It was highly recommended on one of the e-mail lists and I really enjoyed it. Claire is what they call a "keeper," a person with supernatural powers who keeps order in the universe and the evilness of Hell under wraps. Her latest assignment has her ticked off. She's been summoned to a bed and breakfast where Hell resides in the basement, and she fears she may be stuck there for the rest of her life. Claire spends the rest of the book attempting to figure out how to complete her assignment. . .while fighting off her lusty thoughts about the younger handyman, resisting the advances of the sexy ghost, arguing with her know-it-all cat (who talks!), and dealing with the strange assortment of guests who visit the bed and breakfast.
This book is pure fun, with lots of sensual tension and some great one-liners (many made by Hell, who argues with itself). All of the characters are likable, and despite the setting there is nothing gory about it. If you like fantasy comedies or you're looking for a change of pace, give SUMMON THE KEEPER a try. I hope Huff turns this universe into a series because I'd really like to visit these people again. ~Laurie S. (shallah@empire.net)
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