fantastic ans sweet ( )

I was unable to put this book down. Keeping in mind this is a Harlequin romance novel, if you were to add another 100 pages of background from Hawks' viewpoint on the fictitious banana republic and the less-than-squeaky-clean intrigues of the CIA, this book is fast-paced and interesting enough to stand alone as a mainstream drama (think Tom Clancy). Hawk is a hard case, but as you go along, you understand why. Rorie is syrupy drippy sweet and virginal (usually a turnoff), but she's spun realistic enough that you WANT to believe there's such a thing as a 27-year-old virgin. Although Hawk drips with sex appeal and is not initially drawn to Rorie for her looks (he's as contemptuous of the slightly-plump goodie-two-shoes Rorie as one of the reviewers was), understanding his background, the fact he falls in love with her inner strength, not her 'goodie-two-shoes-edness' is natural. All of the characters, even the peripheral ones, have enough character development to feel 'real.'

The verdict ... if you see it ... grab it and enjoy the ride. ( )