Her Body of Work

I can tell it's going to be very difficult to choose a favorite series romance for the All About Romance annual poll. This week I read Marie Donovan's Her Body of Work and enjoyed it very much: 4.5 out of 5.

When sculpting a nude, the artist must . . .
Understand the male body
Chicago sculptor Rey Martinson has always worked with nudes, but she is floored by her new model's male perfection. Cuban-American Marco Flores's body is more than inspiring--it's irresistible.

Be good with her hands
Because it turns out that Marco is incredibly talented with his--on Rey! After each wildly arousing modeling session, they find release in intense lovemaking.

Have an eye for detail
Rey can't ignore that there's something suspicious about Marco. He's the first lover she's ever had who sleeps with a gun under the pillow! But for Rey, being with Marco is worth the risk. Because she's never been with a man who stimulates her so strongly--as an artist . . . or as a woman.

This was such a good book I don't know where to start. First, there's Rey. I liked her unusual occupation, and for the most part, she's an excellent heroine. I didn't appreciate Rey's agent implying that she needed to have a "personal relationship" so she could get revitalize her art. Other than that, though, I thought Rey was a strong character. She's a woman who can take care of herself, as she shows a few times in the story.

I loved Marco. I'm no expert, but I thought Donovan did a great job of creating a Cuban-American hero and of making his heritage very much a part of him. It was such a treat to watch him fall for Rey. When he realizes his feelings for her are serious, he doesn't try to hide it from her or himself.

As for that "intense lovemaking"--well, that's definitely accurate. I would say there's more sex than in the typical Blaze, but it's incorporated well into the story and didn't seem superfluous.

I also liked the way Marco's secret was handled. Readers learn about it early in the story, but he doesn't reveal it to Rey until much later. It was nice to see Marco realize that the time had come to tell her rather than waiting for circumstances to reveal it for him.

I visited Donovan's site and didn't see any news of an upcoming book. Hopefully she'll have another one coming up. I thought this was a fresh contribution to the Harlequin Blaze line.