Harlequin Temptation, $2.95, ISBN 0-373-25497-0
Contemporary Romance, 1992
As I said in my TBR Challenge review of last month, I’m switching the themes of the previous month and that of this month, due to the mess caused by moving house. So, as promised, this month I am reviewing a romantic suspense… uh, wait a minute. There are some accidents and near-death incidents here – do those count as suspense? Give me a break people, just look at the still unopened boxes of books in my new place and cut me some slack. Besides, the hero of The Mighty Quinn has a huge penis, so this one can’t be that bad.
Mike Quinn, who also gets his nickname from being strapped like a Viking, is a drifter whose latest stop is the idyllic Paradise Island. Oh, don’t worry, Mike may be a drifter, but he isn’t dirt poor – he has a gorgeous sloop after all, so he has some spare change to splurge. Sure, he also drinks a lot and probably doesn’t bathe often due to his inebriation, but since this is a romance novel, alcohol fumes and the stench of unwashed bodies on a hot guy will always make any woman drool and get the horny horns. So, the Mighty Quinn is in town and he is soon getting into fights and all, much to the consternation of the only local doctor, Hana Jamieson. She’s sensible, likes sensible men, but oh my, Quinn’s attempts to molest her and says sexist, er, sexy stuff when they first meet are so hot and romantic, she surely can’t be blamed for wanting him bad.
Seriously, one has to remember that this one came out in 1992, because much of Quinn’s behavior can be rightfully viewed as offensive, chauvinist peen-cheese material. Still, him being like that doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing, because you know what they say about the bigger they are – and this dude really falls hard, all the long, long way down. His idea of a marriage proposal is to tell Hana that he wants to have a baby with her. Isn’t that sweet?
In all seriousness, though, The Mighty Quinn is a textbook example of a story of a playboy jerk who is secretly nursing some really deep damage in his soul, and the whole thing works like a charm to me. Fine, I always have a weakness for this kind of heroes, and Quinn’s damage is actually a heartbreaking one. He was a larger than life hero once upon a time – or so he would be if he hadn’t choked and messed up – and as the story progresses, sexy times with Hana and, I guess, love help him become that man again. Quinn is a very appealing hero as he is physically attractive and dominating, but deep inside he is so messed up that he is also as vulnerable as he is virile. As for Hana, she’s cool-headed, smart, and isn’t too much of a pushover when it comes to the hero.
Oh, and while this story isn’t brimming with sex scenes, the ones that are here are actually hot. The author has put some thought into her characters’ fun time locations and positions, something that I can only commend her for.
The second half or so of the story is pure Lifetime movie material, as our hero and heroine lurch from medical dramas to accidents. Hana gets to show off how dedicated she is to her profession, while Quinn gets to puff up his chest and play the hero. This part of the story could have been cheesy, but the author manages to make it work very well. I go “Awww!” when Quinn risks his life for the people in Paradise Island when he’s not going all vulnerable and emotionally needy for the heroine’s affections.
So yes, The Mighty Quinn may be in many ways a typical “beautiful brain and the hot playboy jock” story, but it’s one that delivers the entertainment very well. It also helps that Hana never has to play dumb or downplay her braininess to make Quinn look more manly. This one is definitely mighty in all the right areas!
