I’ve been excitedly anticipating and positively agonizing over this new collaboration between Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward, ever since Ms. Keeland emailed me about it (I subscribe to her newsletter). “Stuck-Up Suit” is waaay better than I thought it would be. The authors’ first collaborative work, “Cocky Bastard,” was a fun read and was actually the one that introduced me to both writers. After reading “Bastard,” I developed a one-way obsession with Ms. Keeland. I’ve bought, downloaded, and just absorbed all her books into my system. Yes, absorbed. There’s just no other way to describe it.
Her last stand-alone, “The Baller?” My number one go-to now when I just need a good laugh and a mini crying sesh. “Stuck-Up Suit” is reminiscent of it, but, IMO, “The Baller” is still better. Nonetheless, “Suit” is still one helluva read.
Yes, it’s adheres to a formulaic love story. It’s got the alpha male we all know and love – the cover page model, Dusan Susnjar (that’s him below with his daughter, I presume), epitomizes Graham J. Morgan very well.
It’s got a heroine I can certainly relate to. It’s also got the bitch for an ex-fiancee and her equally bitch of a best friend. There’s the standard bitch scene in the ladies’ public bathroom. Then, a brief break-up and a heartfelt reconciliation.
While it IS pretty much a cut-and-paste type of story we’ve all probably read already, I still gave it a 5-star review, because it:
- Was superbly written;
- Has a fast-paced plot;
- Has a heroine who has no Cinderella complex and is not portrayed as one who cannot get enough of her hero’s body (THAT, to me, would be cliched and disgusting);
- Features a hero who’s romantic, sweet, and arrogantly full of himself;
- Just works, dammit.
I also forgot to mention that there’s a brief scene featuring Ms. Keeland and Ms. Ward’s characters from “Cocky Bastard.” I thought it was a pretty nice touch. Now, it’s making me look forward even more to their third upcoming collaboration, “Playboy Pilot.”
P.S. Vi Keeland, I love you. Penelope Ward, what happened with “Sins of Sevin?” I could not finish it to save my sanity. “Playboy Pilot,” though? Wootwoo!
I love reading 