Naughty or Nerdy?/The Husband Hotel

by Darlene Gardner, Elise Title, Title & Gardner

Duets 2-In-1 by Elise Title\Darlene Gardner released on Dec 25, 2001 is available now for purchase.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373441347
• ISBN13: 9780373441341
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Harlequin Books
• Length: 379 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 4.1" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

first story is excellent, the second not as much

I loved the first story, _Naughty or Nerdy?_. Judd Turner lived his college years looking nothing like a hunk. Unfortunately for him, he was in love with Lucy Walker, who happened to be dating a hunk. After college, Judd became a P.I. and revised his image. He's looking forward to going to his 10-year reunion and showing off his new sexy self to Lucy, who he still thinks about. It's too bad he's got to lose the sexy look in order to bust Lucy's fiancee for embezzlement... One of the things I really liked about this book was that Lucy was attracted to Judd even when he looked overweight and nerdy. There were a few scenes that were really hilarious. This is one of the best stories I've ever read in a Harelquin Duets book, and I recommend reading it.The second story, _The Husband Hotel_, is not nearly as good. Jay Overman, the inventor of the Impeccabra (a really good bra), has been given the job of keeping likely suitors away from Tara Patterson by her father. Her father believes she's the manager of the hotel in order to find herself a husband, and he doesn't want her to get married until she's 30. I couldn't like Jay, because, out of embarassment at being known as the Bra Prince, he tended to overcompensate with "manliness". I wouldn't have been surprised if, at some point in the book, he started grunted, bared his teeth at any males present, and dragged Tara off by her hair.

Two jocular tales

Both jocular tales "Naughty or Nerdy" by Elise Title. Roz Morrisey, owner of a Florida private investigation agency, informs operative Judd Turner that he will attend his Florida State tenth anniversary event dressed as a nerd. Though now a hunk, Judd remembers hating college because he was a shy, skinny geek. He could not compete with football star Kyle Warner for the affection of Lucy Weston. Now he must investigate Kyle's criminal activities while the stud is engaged to Lucy, the woman Judd still loves. Though Kyle is portrayed as too slick for Lucy to ignore, this is an amusing private investigative romance with two likable lead characters. Both jocular tales "The Husband Hotel" by Darlene Gardner. Though his father owed a debt of gratitude to Cliff Patterson, Jay Overton believes he inherited that same duty. So when Cliff asks Jay to persuade his daughter Tara not to marry for several years, the latter obligingly but reluctantly accepts the assignment. Tara becomes a hotel manager in search of a husband. Civil Engineer and bra inventor Cliff accepts a maintenance job so he can interfere if Tara gets too close with a male. However, Jay and Tara fall in love with one another, but his honor and deception keep them apart. Once the reader clears the concept of interference by Tara's father, the story is a funny romantic tale. Jay and Tara are a warm couple while his interventions leave them in humorously embarrassing situations. Both jocular tales star lead characters that fans will relish.Harriet Klausner

Outrageous fun! Highly recommended

Romance in hotels becomes the common theme in DUET #68, which includes NAUGHTY OR NERDY? by Elise Title and THE HUSBAND HOTEL by Darlene Gardner. Both are comedic delights, offering delightful distraction to readers who enjoy the necessary deceptions of the spy world to bring hearts together. Under cover work has never been more fun!A ten-year class reunion would be the perfect time for Private Investigator Judd Turner to reveal his transformation from college nerd to PI hottie. Unfortunately, his boss has other ideas, planning to send him to the reunion in retro nerdy to investigate a money-laundering mobster. Too bad the girl of his dreams has gotten engaged to him nemesis. Now he's got a padded butt and waste line, fake braces and thick glasses, not to mention a powder blue tux. His investigation only makes him long for Lucy to see beyond the nerdy to the new improved man within. But before he can reveal the truth, Judd's got to make sure of Lucy's innocence, shake the class siren that wants to use her wiles to bring him into the mobster's fold, and stay alive long enough to complete the assignment.Tara Patterson holds a newly acquired degree in hotel management and has earned her first job as the hotel manager of the Reston Excursion Inn. She enjoys the business travelers nearby Washington D.C. attracts, lightly flirting with the gentlemen guests while still maintaining appropriate professional distance. Indeed, she's a pro at managing men, having spent her life practicing on her father. Except this time she got a bit impatient with his dithering, announcing she was using her degree at hotel manager to create a husband hotel where she'll have her pick of her who to marry. Now her newly hired maintenance man is actually her father's spy assigned to prevent her from getting married before she comes to her senses. And it doesn't take maintenance man Jay Overman long to decide the best way to keep other man away is to keep her interested in himself.Undercover work in motels provides marvelous humor in this duet selection, as questions of honesty and truthfulness lend powerful underlying themes to these to these lighthearted spy games. Title's shower scenes and seduction games lend NAUGHTY OR NERDY a touch of the risqué. Gardner's marvelous characterizations complete with Alley the cat, and an office assistant that's better at fixing faucets than polishing her nails lend THE HUSBAND HOTEL a marvelous, off-beat humor. Indeed, both authors' wonderful characterizations and touch of slapstick humor make this duet selection a must read. Highly recommended.