Harlequin Temptation, $3.75, ISBN 0-373-25815-1
Contemporary Romance, 1999

Tantalizing is a little short on the meat. Which is to say, the plot’s a bit on the short side. It’s basically a good-girl-acts-like-bad-girl-but ultimately-reverts-back-to-her-good-girl-persona, although to the author’s credit, the heroine Josie Jackson isn’t a complete ditz. Close, but never a ditz.

Josie is sick of her overprotective sister’s matchmaking efforts and in a latest attempt to scare off yet another prudish, boring stuffed-shirt, she arranges for them to meet in a singles bar, dresses up like the 1980’s Madonna after a hangover, and tries to act like a slutty woman of the world. Despite all this act, Josie does want to have a little fun. Let loose a little, that sort of thing.

Too bad her blind date Bob doesn’t show up. Bob’s more interested in Josie’s sister, so he sends his partner Nick Harris in his stead. Nick sees this woman with great sexy bum and legs and other things men usually notice on women and his hormones go into overdrive. He doesn’t tell her he’s not Bob, and they end up in bed. You can see the big misunderstanding coming already.

But that drama is only minor, for after a great session in bed, she’s all ready to forgive. The rest of the book deals with some matchmaking from Bob and her sister Susan, working on some advertising campaign for an enterprising old lady, getting to know Nick’s grandpa, and other things that, well, are pleasant to read, but don’t really add much substance to the story.

This is a pleasant story, very high on the burning factor, but ultimately a bit light on the plot, so take it as it is: a nice way to spend a few hours with a really cute hunk.