Charmed

by Beth Ciotta

Beloved storyteller to hundreds of children, Lulu Ross champions non-violence. Just her luck, she's tiara over glass slippers for a man who carries a gun. Professional bodyguard Colin Murphy is sexy.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 193281504X
• ISBN13: 9781932815047
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Medallion Press
• Length: 307 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.3" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Charming...

I picked up this book because I'd been reading the author's blog and found her "voice" in her entries to be one I enjoyed. I was not disappointed by the decision. "Charmed" is a delightful story, not quite romantic comedy, but definitely not your average romantic suspense. Bodyguard Colin Murphy is called in by a friend to watch out for a "princess" who's in danger. He's not expecting a children's storyteller with a princess persona. Ciotta gets things moving from page one and doesn't let up until the end. There's a tremendous amount of humor mixed in with the action that follows, all of which arises naturally from the movement of the plot rather than having the feeling of "insert joke here" that one sometimes encounters when reading romantic comedy. Since Lulu not only works children parties, but is a roving entertainer in an Atlantic City Casino, there's a great deal of material to mine and Ciotta doesn't hesitate to do so. The hero being forced to don the troll suit is great. Trust me. I will confess that there were a few moments near the beginning where I felt Lulu threatened to veer into "too stupid to live" territority, but since her escapes from the situations caused by those moments actually a) moved the plot forward and b) caused Lulu to take another look at the situation around her and realize it really *was* as serious as Colin was trying to tell her, they bothered me far less once I was pass them. Part of Lulu's character is that she does try to look at the world with a sunny disposition and treats people as if they are well-intentioned until they prove otherwise. Since there's a lowlife after her, this causes more than one problem, and in dealing with those problems, we see her grow and change, revealing a strength of character at the end of the story that wasn't obvious at the beginning. It was an easy and entertaining read, and this is one author whose other works I'll definitely be taking a look at.

Fun Romantic Supsense

Beth Ciotta's second romance is a fun, humorous, and exciting romantic suspense novel! The characters are intriguing; the suspense keeps you turning pages; and the setting is so real that you feel you are in Atlantic City. Don't miss this exciting book!

Movies are made of this stuff

This book took off from the beginning with a hook that landed me immediately, characters that sang with believability, and venues that I found shiek and fascinating. I admit that when I started reading the book, I was scared because I don't read romance generally. But while the romance was plentiful and sensual, the drama and intrigue interspersed throughout kept me turning the pages. Beth writes with a style that puts the reader into the heads of the characters. Not forced, not flowery. Real, gut-level prose that you can picture real people saying. Just about anybody will be able to see a bits of himself or herself in this novel. It's a sweet read for an afternoon at the beach or for savoring over a few days during breaks from reality.

Perfect blend of laughter and romance.....

This book took off from page one and didn't stop. I can't believe I had it in my house for a week before picking it up. Normally, I'm not a fan of contemporaries, but Beth Ciotta has changed that opinion! It really was a funny and fast paced book. The mix of characters and their traits blended so well. They all took on such a real persona that I feel as if they truly are alive. The appearance of the characters from her previous book, "Jinxed," blended so well and didn't feel forced on to the page. It was so much fun to see them again. This is definitely one that has been happily added to my keeper shelf!

Another Hit For Ms. Ciotta!!!

Ms. Ciotta's second effort "Charmed" has compelled me to add this very talented author to my "must read" list simply because her name is on the cover. This was not only well written, but also funny, romantic, endearing, snd...charming story. After all the main character Lulu Ross does dress up as Princess Charming, in order to entertain childern during their birthday parties. She also has a thing for the color pink, and carries a pink poodle purse. With a quirky fun character such as Lulu how can you loose? In addition to having a truly likeable heroine and yummy hero Colin Murphy, we also get to visit with old friends Rudy, Jean Pierre, Jake, and Afia all from the first book "Jinxed." If you've already read the previously mentioned title all I have to ask is why have you not bought this one!!! This is not just a light hearted romance but a romantic suspense as well. No one can combine the same amount of tension (sexual as well as suspense) and humor as Ms. Ciotta does with the same stunning results. I highly recommend this read and her previous effort "Jinxed". I can't wait for the next in this fun series "Seduced." Ms. Ciotta is an author you won't want to miss! Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com