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.  :)