The Sweetheart Racket

Loved this books so much I bought the next one in the series. Cheryl Ann Smiths writing style reminds me of Jill Shalvis. Great read!!

I liked it. But What I don't like is having to write a longer review so it will be accepted.

3.5 Stars - 2.5 FlamesWell this was a breathe of fresh air. I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked this up, but I've finished it with a smile on my face and with a little pep-in-my-step.Thanks to an ex-boss who left her stranded with her two BFF's, Taryn meets her current boss, Irving, who quickly turned cheerleaders into a private investigators. Over the last couple of years, Taryn has not only become one of the best PI's, but has been left with a complex thanks to her cheating ex-husband. Needless to say, she pours her anger in to her work. But when a hot piece of as...sorry, when Rick Silva walks in to her office, she's starting to actually "feel" again and it's not what she was expecting.Rick's mom was conned. So badly that after doing some of his own research, he's found that she's not the only one. So he goes to Brash & Brazen to hire a PI to help find the guy who's gone MIA. If Rick was surprised that Taryn was a PI, he hid it well. What he didn't hide well was his attraction to her. Swearing to himself that this was just business and that he couldn't touch, was proving to be VERY difficult. Especially after he tasted her smarty pants lips.I like a lot of things about this book, but there are two things that really stick out for me. First and foremost would be the fact that Irving took three cheerleaders and turned them in to even stronger woman to help bring justice to the world. Think Charlies Angels and you TOTALLY get it. But the humor was wonderfully balanced as well. The canter between Rick and Taryn had me laughing at loud multiple times to the point that I was almost looking forward to their "conversations" more than the actual chemistry building between them. Speaking of chemistry, yes, we get a little bit of the romance. But it "fades to black" for all of those hard core romance readers out there. I would still recommend this book for those looking for a fast paced "who done it" romance.*I received this book from the Jeep Diva in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher.I really liked the characterizations of three strong, independent, self sufficient, able to physically defend themselves women.Taryn, Summer and Jess are Private Investigators. The company name is Brash and Brazen. Love it.Taryn is divorced from a cheating ex. She takes a lot of the cheater cases because of this. She is sassy, outgoing, speaks her mind, is pretty good at reading people and drives like she works for NASCAR.Summer is the computer geek and loves to geek speak.Jess is intense. We don’t get too much interaction with her in this book.Rick Silva is an alpha male, intense, tattooed, hard edged, DEA agent with a Triumph motorcycle. He hires Taryn to help him find the man who conned his mom out of her money.I loved Irving. He loves these three women like they are his daughters. He’s protective, indulgent, loving, and encouraging. Think Charlie’s Angels, only they see Irving daily and interact with him.Alvin is an interesting character. I look forward to seeing what happens with him.Multiple LOL moments. Rick and Taryn have chemistry and their banter is quite entertaining. The Sweetheart con twist at the end was funny.I look forward to the next book in the series.

Every once in a while you come across a book that just works on every level. The writing is good, the characters engaging, and the plot is a twisting turning roller coaster instead of a carousel. This describes The Sweetheart Racket to a T.Taryn Hall and her best friends, Summer and Jess, have just lost their jobs as professional football cheerleaders because Taryn refused to let the team owner pimp them out. Left in the middle of nowhere, they start walking. A car pulls up and an older gentleman refers to them as “Angels” a la Charlie’s. Thus begins the trios’ lives as Private Investigators.Taryn takes on the case of locating a man who habitually marries, defrauds, and then abandons vulnerable women. The case is brought to her by the son of one of the defrauded women. Rick Silva’s a DEA agent with tats, a motorcycle, and bad boy written all over him.“You think I’m not perky?”“You are perky’s brooding Goth sister.”Right off the bat, the repartee between Taryn and Rick is flaming. It’s full of playfulness and innuendo and so very much fun to read. They are combustible and the energy and sizzle continues throughout the well-paced novel.Both characters are different from the norm. They have idiosyncracies. When Rick asks Taryn, “Is there anything about you that’s normal?” You can’t help but think, thank goodness no! Except she does have normal parents. Despite Taryn’s penchant for fantastic but crazy driving, being a good heart, she’s far from perfect as evidenced by a laugh-out-loud funny karaoke scene.And, Rick is pretty much the perfect hero. Arrogance, swagger, all of the interminable BS that goes hand-in-hand with a lot of romance heroes is not present. Rick is engaging, funny, smart, and has a smart mouth, good-looking and sexy to boot. The seeming anti-hero and DEA agent juxtaposition works fantastically well.The Sweetheart Racket is the first book (yay! a first book in a series, yay!) in the Brash and Brazen series; Brash and Brazen is also the name of the detective agency. Summer and Jess will be the heroines in those books. Already, from what I’ve gleaned from both of those characters in The Sweetheart Racket, I imagine the subsequent books will be just as entertaining. Summer is blonde and beautiful in the Marilyn Monroe-vein of smart and ditzy and Jess is the tough girl. I look forward to reading both of those stories!A lot goes on in The Sweetheart Racket. It falls into the category of romantic suspense. There are lots of twists at the end, lots of unexpected fun. Looking for some laughs, romance, and mystery? Read The Sweetheart Racket!I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review.