A battle of wills becomes a meeting of hearts. Mindy and Sam are temptation in a frustrating package. Booth grabs you heart first and sets about creating sparks. A Bet with Benefits breathes sexy with a hint of sass and nothing but heart.

Emma has waited a long time to find her happy ending. A surprise revelation has her believing in the fantasy until her fairytale comes crashing down around her. Daniel is everything she's ever wanted. He charms his way into her heart, but will her prince turn out to be a devil in disguise? A Cinderella Seduction casts a spell on the senses. From emotional reveals to dangerous temptation, Booth reminds the heart what it means to love.

A nice, easy read with a HFN of course. Here's the blurb:

Anna Langford is ready to be CEO of the family business, but her brother won't give up control. When she sees the opportunity for a major deal, she goes for it, even though it means working with Jacob Lin, her brother's former best friend, the guy she's never quite gotten over—the man her brother now despises. A successful venture capitalist, Jacob makes ruthless moves. And Anna has given him the perfect chance to take revenge on her brother… 

What starts as business turns into romance—until Anna learns of Jacob's motives. And an unplanned pregnancy presents them both with the greatest challenge they've ever faced.

It was a one-night stand -- until her next project has them working side by side!

Entrepreneur Adam Langford always gets what he wants. And he wants the blonde who shared his bed a year ago -- then vanished. Now a tabloid scandal whisks Melanie Costello back into his life -- as his new PR guru! But the real headline would be if their red-hot secret got out.

Transforming the rebellious image of the soon-to-be CEO will take Melanie's best makeover skills. But how do they hide their sizzling chemistry? Her PR firm is on the line. Will she risk everything for the one man she can't resist?

Adam and Melanie had had a one night stand a year ago. He never got her full name and had thought about her often since then. Now he's discovered that she's the PR specialist his father has hired to repair Adam's reputation and he wants more than her professional advice. 

At the same time, Melanie is desperately hoping that he won't recognize her. She really needs this job to hang on to her business, after being betrayed by her former business partner and almost fiance. All she has to do is keep things businesslike.

Adam was a little bit cocky at the beginning, playing with Melanie and pretending that he didn't remember her. He's certain that he can get her back in his bed without too much trouble. Melanie is equally determined to resist, as the survival of her business depends on it. The attraction between them is really strong and it isn't easy.

I loved seeing the relationship develop between them. Adam is resistant to the makeover at the beginning and Melanie's efforts to convince him produce some pretty amusing conversations, especially with his attempts to pursue her. I really liked his comment "We both know the only way to enforce that is the honor system.." and her reply "Yeah, well you need to keep your honor system in your pants." Eventually they end up with a good working relationship, with Adam respecting Melanie and what she is doing for him. He also has the chance to really get to know her and understand why she is so determined to keep distance between them. I liked the bit of protectiveness that comes out when he learns about her ex. Melanie also learns a lot about Adam and that he is much more than what the tabloids portrayed him as. Her feelings for him grow and she has to deal with watching him date the fake girlfriend. The ending was really sweet, with Adam making it clear what he really wants.

The family dynamics that have put Adam in this position are really interesting. Adam's frustration at being forced into a position that he doesn't want is obvious, especially when his sister so clearly wants the job and is qualified for it. Their frustration with their father's old fashioned views is tempered by their love for him and desire to make his life easier. I'm looking forward to Anna's story. I also want to know more about the briefly mentioned oldest son Aiden.

One of my favourite contemporary romance authors debuts with Harlequin Desire this month! Karen manages to push all of my "like" buttons every time out, and her latest effort, "One Night with the CEO" is no exception. (copy of the book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review).

To summarize: Melanie Costello is working her butt off to keep her small PR firm going. No small feat, after her business (and romantic) partner defected with one of their clients. When telecom mogul Roger Langford retains her to repair his playboy son's image after his latest tabloid scandal, she comes face to face with her best-kept secret: her one-night stand with Adam Langford.

Adam is gorgeous, interested, and still out of reach, now more so than ever.  Can Melanie keep a professional distance from Adam? If she can it will make her career.  If she can't, more than her firm is on the line - her heart is at risk as well.

So here's the thing.  I am SO excited for Karen - she was with Ellora's Cave, did three books with a small-press, re-released her old stuff herself, and this is her debut with Harlequin. So cool! The only drawback to a Harlequin is that an author is constrained by the company's guidelines, and I believe that includes the length of the book.  I would have loved to see more of both characters, and as I know how good she is at character development, it's hard not to feel a bit like she was just able to scratch the surface with Melanie and Adam's story.

That being said, Adam Langford is a hard-working, custom suit-wearing, stubble-bearing, swoon-worthy Hero, well worthy of all of Melanie's efforts.  Melanie is a heroine we can all relate to: burned once, she has trouble believing Adam could be as into her as she is him.  With snappy banter, sizzling chemistry and a sigh-worthy happily-ever after, "One Night with the CEO" is a worthy companion to a cold drink and a lounge chair in the summer sun.

And, I also need to say this:  Best. Cover.  Whew!

PS: Checkout Karen's backlist - this is just a taste of what she can do.  :)