Nerd in Shining Armor

Even though I don't buy romance books, I must admit this one tempted me for years. I mean, come on, it's a romance with a geek! And I love geeks. However, the main thing prevented me from getting the book was my concern over the heroine. The back cover copy made it sound like Gen was a shallow slut; couldn't the nerd do better than that?

As it turns out, the book was a hoot. Gen does initially come across as desperate and shallow, but there is surprising depth to her character. She's a girl escaped from the Tennessee backwoods who is trying to make-do in Hawaii and act like someone she's not. She goes along on the flight with her sexy boss despite his reputation for having one night stands with secretaries. Fortunately for her, the show more brilliant programmer, Jackson, is along for the ride and he manages to save the day when her scummy boss escapes via parachute and leaves them to die. Stuck together on an isolated speck of an island, Jackson finally gets to be with the object of all his fantasies, and Gen shows her backwoods smarts to keep them sheltered and safe. They do have great chemistry, and it made for a fun read. show less

Funny and exciting stuck on a desert island story. Action packed from beginning to end had me totally engaged throughout and I really like it when hero falls in love first. Gen was excited about a weekend in Maui with her boss but unexpected happens and nerdy coworker Jack saves the day.

My review:

I love Vicki Lewis Thompson. Her books are always funny and lighthearted. This was no different. Well worth the read!


Synopsis:


For Genevieve Terrence it seemed like a dream come true: a weekend alone on Maui with her sexy boss, Nick Brogan. But little did she know that Nick had dreams of his own--a nefarious scheme that nearly got her killed on the flight over the Pacific. Lucky for her, brilliant computer programmer Jack Farley was on board and quick-witted enough to crash-land the plane. Now Jack is her sole companion on a remote desert island with nothing but guava trees and sharks for company. Who’d expect the shy genius--and the least alpha male she knows--to turn out to be the uninhibited stud of her wildest show more dreams?

Saving Genevieve’s life has made Jack a hero in the eyes of the woman he has secretly lusted after for months. Now they’re alone together in a tropical eden where they’re free to give in to their every sensual whim. But when some nasty unfinished business puts them at risk again, Gen will learn there’s nothing quite as dangerous as a fully aroused ex-nerd who’ll move heaven and earth to protect the woman he loves… show less

Nerd in Shining Armour, Vicki Lewis Thompson’s first book in the Nerd series, is set in Hawaii. Jackson Farley finds himself the third wheel on a plane trip to Maui when his boss Nick Brogan takes one of the firm’s secretaries, Genevieve Terrence, for a meeting and an overnight stay. At least, that’s what the plan was. But apparently Nick had other ideas, and suddenly Jackson finds himself trying to land a plane in the ocean near a tiny island. Meanwhile, Genevieve’s mother, Annabelle, is convinced something has gone wrong and enlists Nick’s business partner Matt Murphy to search for her daughter by sea. Jackson manages to be Genevieve’s Nerd in Shining Armour when they are wrecked on the island. Plenty of humour, some show more intrigue and quite a bit of hot sex. If it moved just a bit faster it would be perfect. show less

All of the nerd books have something going for them and some drawbacks. First of all, this is the first in the series, which means that it feels the freshest and the most natural. Unlike some of the later books in the series, neither excess openness about sex or excess nerdiness is forced into places they shouldn't be. Thompson has a habit of making most of her nerds muscule-men, and this is (as far as I remember) the only one where this is necessary for some legitimate plot points: there are some things that Jackson needs to do while he and Genevieve are stranded that are a lot more believable if he works out routinely. But nerdy stubborness and creativity do their part in saving the day.

Now for the things this one does badly: the show more heroine is fairly stereotypical. Aside from having been a hillbilly during her formative years, it's the adult version of the high school cliche of a nerdy guy lusting after the cheerleader type instead of the equally nerdy girl. It also isn't his nerdy qualities that attract the heroine to him, except for a passing mention that being good at typing probably means good dexterity, but his being broken out of his nerdy mold while stranded. She ultimately "accepts" his nerdiness, but it's not presented as attractive.

Over all: it's fun, it has a good subplot/secondary romance between Genevieve's mother and Genevieve's and Jackson's boss, and there's plenty to keep it from being the worst in the series- but it's not the best in the series, either. show less

This was a really funny, fluffy escapist romance. The characters were deligtfully quirky and somewhat unconventional for romance novels (the hero is a "nerd" and the heroine is from a poor, hillbilly background), and the sex was hot. Not great literature by any means, but an enjoyable read.

What could have been a really cool series ends up being a typical Harlequin sleaze slog. The sex parts were overboard, and the nerd wasn't even really nerdy. He was just a colorblind guy and therefore a mismatched dresser. The redeeming parts of the book were the supporting characters, and that's the only reason I didn't award one star. I was disappointed, and don't plan on reading any further into the series.