Along for the Ride

Michelle M. Pillow's Along for the Ride has been getting some good buzz. Even more importantly, the story sounded intriguing, so I picked it up at the bookstore. It was a terrific find: 4.5 out of 5.

New York City police detective Megan Matthews is cursed with always being right. Her instincts are good, her deductive reasoning even better. She's found her hard-headed ways to be too much for most men, so she's given up trying to find Mr. Right and has settled for arresting Mr. Wrong.

Easy on the eyes crime-scene photographer Ryan Lucas has had a crush on the sexy detective since he first took her photograph by accident at a crime scene. That picture became headline news, and she hasn't talked to him since. He's tried everything to get her attention, but when nothing works he's left with only one option. But is blackmailing a cop into marriage really a good idea?

I've been craving a solid, character-driven romance, and Along for the Ride had just what I wanted. Megan and Ryan are well-drawn characters, so realistic I felt like I knew them. Ryan is a wonderful example of the appeal of beta heroes. He's smitten with Megan from the start, and I loved watching Megan's journey to the realization of her feelings toward him. It was a nice role-reversal from the norm.

This is how erotic romance should be, with love scenes that are always relevant and revealing, and characters who are always engaging. I loved the way Pillow spread the character revelations throughout the story--it kept me turning the pages, anxious to find out what happened next.

I'm on the hunt for more of Pillow's books in the Cheek line. Along for the Ride is apparently part of a series, so I'm going to track down the other books.