"Hilarious Contemporary Mythological Fantasy"
In this first book of the series, Cupid has been brought
before the Tribunal of the Gods. The love business hadn't
gone very well lately. It wasn't his fault. He'd gotten a
batch of bad arrows courtesy of one of his momma Venus'
recent conquests. The over-sexed goddess of love had a way
of getting him into trouble. Then there had been the
interference of Fortuna, goddess of luck, who is determined
to take over the love territory. No wonder he'd messed up.
Would he be demoted to god of dust bunnies or worse? Leslie Tramposch - Copyright © 2001 But no, he'd gotten probation. Instead of free reign, he
now had assignments. Thank heavens Mom was Jupiter's
favorite! The first task was to unite Amberlin O'Roarke,
and her kleptomaniac aunt, with the men of their dreams. Amberlin was a nice girl, attractive, a hard working
plumber and closet artist. But that aunt! Cecilia "Sticky
Fingers" Luna was a real piece of work and Amberlin had
inherited the "problem". Cecilia had blamed the Barrett
family department store for the failure of her marriage,
carrying out a forty year vendetta by shoplifting anything
she could lay her hands on. To keep her only relative out
of prison, Amberlin made the weekly "returns". She'd do
just about anything to put an end to Cecilia's life of
crime.
Almost. Posing as a customer, in need of some plumbing, Cupid pays
Amberlin with his lucky coin. It appears to be valuable,
and she intends to return it, except for some reason she
can't quite remember the elderly gentleman's name. From
that moment her fate is sealed. Jeremy Barrett, grandson of the store's owner, has returned
to his family home on business. He can't believe his eyes
when every employee in the department store turns a blind
eye to an elderly woman who has pocketed a leopard skin
teddy. Everyone, it seems, but him, is in on the deal
including his grandfather, the owner. He's determined to
have an explanation, but no one will elaborate. It isn't
until he becomes the recipient of one of
Amberlin's "returns", that he meets the one person who can
help him get to the bottom of his grandfather's strange
tolerance for larceny. Amberlin, still dressed in her plumbers getup , isn't
impressed with the stuffy, well dressed prep., but when it
becomes clear that there is more between Cecilia and
Jeremy's granddad than meets the eye, she reluctantly falls
in with his matchmaking scheme. She is not however going to
fall prey to the handsome man's charm. They have nothing in
common. It would never work. Cupid and Venus, of course, have other ideas. Like it or
not Jeremy is slated to be Amberlin's soul mate. Chaos
reigns, as the pair of immortals pull out all the stops to
get this unlikely pair together. The result is hilarious,
and heartwarming, as each deliberate disaster brings the
couple just a bit closer. But it isn't going to be a piece
of cake. Even when Amberlin realizes that Jeremy is truly
the love of her life, she still can't see herself in his
world. Aunt Cecilia, not be outdone, hatches a plot to
ensure that her niece will not follow in her footsteps. No,
Amberlin would not waste years longing for a love that is
right under her nose. "Sticky Fingers" rides again as she
hatches a plot that will show her reluctant niece that the
most important thing Jeremy possesses lies beneath all his
fancy trappings, and that with love anything is possible. What a hoot! Cupid and Venus are real characters. From
their antics on Olympus, to their forays on Earth, Cupid
and Venus, have a real penchant for going to extremes.
(Picture an exclusive department store as the water begins
to flow and the wall paper begins to droop ) Add to that
their plain-speak, a contrary aunt, and Barrett's blunt and
quirky secretary, and you've got a recipe for laughter. On
to the Bewildering Bequest! Copyrght © 2000
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted September 18, 2001
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