"Spicy Contemporary Romance with Paranormal Elements"
Though most would consider GOLDEN MAN a strictly
contemporary romance, I have categorized it as a paranormal
due to a unique experience the heroine has in the
Smithsonian Institute which triggers the turning point in
her attitude and that's all I'm going to say about that,
you'll have to read the book. GOLDEN MAN is a
Cinderella story which is both steamy and filled with
humor. The heroine is feisty, the hero is strong, and very
persuasive, with just the tiniest bit of vulnerability
which makes him even more loveable. Stephen Marshall, Oklahoma cowboy and politician, had
gained the White House on a platform of honor and decency.
The voters had wanted a change after embarrassment his
predecessors had caused the nation with their scandals.
Since he'd dedicated himself to public service, Steve's
reputation had been so squeaky clean, the tabloids had
tagged him the "monk." Steve had also won the admiration of many a female citizen,
with his youth, and golden good looks. Lines for White
House tours had swelled with those hoping to get a glimpse
of the tall, handsome, and muscular Chief Executive. Regina Baxter had recently moved to the D.C. area. While
Ginny certainly couldn't deny that the new president was
the stuff of dreams, the single working mom had joined the
tour queue hoping to teach her disgruntled son that his
government did have its merits. Jake had stood her up, but
she had other problems. The stress of the move had raised
her blood pressure and the diuretic she'd be prescribed had
just kicked in with a vengeance. Steve's aunt, his only living relative, and his top advisor
are worried about his image. He'd been so careful not to
stir up speculation regarding his love life. The monk title
was closer to the truth than anyone realized. He'd thought
the strategy of escorting a variety of respectable,
politically connected women, to the various state functions
would curtail speculation regarding his love life. That
strategy had back fired. Lacking juice, the tabloids had
decided to squeeze their own. Variety had translated to
womanizing. Steve was advised to choose one woman from a
list of suitable candidates. Steve had no plans to settle down, his father had not been
the type of role model to teach a man to be a good mate,
let alone a good father. No one who knew him could question
his dedication to public service, yet no one understood how
lonely had been the task he'd undertaken. Even his closest
friends now called him Mr. President. The women he knew all
had an agenda. Just once he'd like a woman besides his aunt
to care about the man he was inside rather than what he
could do for then. He would choose a woman to date, but not
one of those on the list. His plan is to choose the next
eligible woman, not connected with politics who walked
through the door of the Oval Office. When the door leading to the Rose Garden flies open and
Ginny Baxter falls at his feet, he knows she'd the one.
Plain, ordinary Ginny, will be the recipient of the Golden
Man's undivided attention for as long as necessary. Now all
he has to do is get her to consent to play the part. Being
hand-cuffed and dragged off for questioning isn't a
promising beginning but Steve is nothing if not resourceful. Ginny would like to forget the whole embarrassing
experience. She reluctantly accepts an invitation to attend
a state function, with the understanding that the gesture
is a form of apology but immediately finds herself out of
her depth. She'd fled before Steve could escort her into
dinner. He should have let the whole sorry plan die, but it
had been a long time since he'd asked a woman on a date and
he hadn't been stood up since the 6th grade. Steven
Marshall could not resist a challenge. He won't be sorry, Ginny is sassy, and spicy, the one woman
who isn't afraid to speak her mind, the one woman whose
only agenda is to love him with all her heart. Their
efforts to spend time alone together have hilarious
consequences, as the pair do their level best to give the
secret service a nervous breakdown. Avoiding scandal is now
the last thing on the mind of the Golden Man. Copyright © 1999
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted December 3, 2001
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