Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy

Publisher: Brava
Date: November 2007
Page Count: 315

BOOK DESCRIPTION: (ADULT TITLE) In love, there's no such thing as a simple plan. Too bad police detective Russ Evans has to learn this lesson the hard way. At the outset, the whole thing really did seem simple. It was just supposed to be your average stakeout: Russ and his partner would scope out both the coffee shop and Laurel Wilkins. It seems Laurel is the new target of Trevor Dean, a con-artist whose notorious game is meeting women online and bilking them of their money. But when Russ decides to go inside the shop to get a better look, he discovers that Laurel is hearing-impaired--not to mention drop-dead gorgeous, with a body that makes him forget how to order coffee. To further complicate matters, it seems that Laurel has been expecting Russ. She's under the impression that she and Russ have been instant-messaging each other for weeks and are now here for their rendezvous. Russ is thoroughly confused. Is Laurel playing him? Is she Trevor Dean's accomplice? If her job is to distract him with sex, it's certainly working. "Mouth to Mouth is a delightful fusion of driving suspense, sharp wit, and sexy romance.

MY REVIEW: "Mouth to Mouth" was an enjoyable read. I liked the characters, though Laurel did seem too naive at times and Jess had too much free time away from his job as a cop. The dynamics between them were credible and McCarthy's writing was smooth and held my attention. The romance and love scenes were engrossing (especially the Pixie Stix candy scene). The storyline involving the online stalker, Trevor Dean, took a backseat to Laurel and Jess' story, and when it did take on a prominent role, the climatic scene and some of the conflict leading up to it, left me wishing for more. From reading the description I was lead to believe Laurel would actually be used as bait and she wasn't. THAT could have made this book even better. Still, this is a cute story and well worth reading. Some of the touches the author put in (Jess' spelling out words on Laurel's skin was touching, and the candy scene made me look at these sugar confections in a new light). Mouth to Mouth is definitely a book to pack for a long trip. Recommended.

COVER COMMENT: Very cute and super sexy picture. My main problem with it is Laurel is blonde, not brunette, but the picture did capture the feel of the novel. I have noticed this same picture used on at least three other covers.

RATING: +++1/2

SERIES: No.

FOR FANS OF: Contemporary adult romance.

BOOK SOURCE: Swapped.

REVIEWED BY: Laurie