Tongue in Chic

Author: Christina Dodd
Published: February 6, 2007 (Signet)
Category: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 8/10

This book is an excellent example of being able blend lots of elements together well, without losing any of them.

Natalie Szarvas is trying to steal a painting from her grandmother's former residence. Well, it's not really stealing if your grandmother intended for yout o have it, right? Natalie's mother is suffering from cancer and in order to pay for the treatments, she's got to find this valuable painting in her grandfather's house.... only it's no longer her grandfather's house.

In the midst of her search for the painting in the dark mansion, the lights come on and Devlin Fitzwilliam, the new owner, surprises Natalie enough for her to strike her head against a the tooth of a stone lion and knock herself out. When she comes to, Devlin, a terribly handsome man, is administering to her head injury and offering her a Honesdale vase for her to vomit in. Being an artist and knowledgeable in art history, she refuses to vase. He's already figured that she's a thief, and a rather inept one at that, but he asks her what she's doing in his house. She comes up with the excuse of amnesia and says her name is Meadow (her real middle name). He one-ups her by claiming that she's his estranged wife. Hilarity ensues.

At the same time, Devlin is focusing on turning the old mansion into a luxury boutique hotel. It's in a very traditional southern town and some of the natives are against this change. He's had to deal with sabotage on his property, and he discovers that Meadow is not the only one looking for a painting. Someone is also trying to murder Meadow, setting up accidents for her. Is it about the painting or the hotel opening?

While pretending to be husband and wife, Devlin falls in love with Meadow. He loves the way she gets along with everybody, charming his employees and the old guard (the other mansion owning geezers in town) that is so opposed to him. She's attracted to him as well, but is afraid that he might turn into someone like her grandfather, the previous owner of the house. Speaking of the grandfather, there's a reunion of long-lost family for Meadow and for Devlin. Roberto Bartolini, from Dodd's Trouble in High Heels is actually half brother to Devlin.

Tongue in Chic was really good, very entertaining to the end. It was steamier than High Heels and normally that's not something I use to qualify a book. It's just that the steamy parts of High Heels were eh, and I think the book would've been better without them. Since I find I enjoy Dodd's contemporary fiction, I've decided to give her historicals (my preferred style of romance) a try and have picked up The Prince Kidnaps a Bride.