"A wild ride inside a romance author's head."

Tory's perfect hero is a cardboard cut-out. A figment she's seen in her head for twenty years. A man she has plugged into all of her sweetly romantic novels and pretended to be content with. Now alone after her husband's desertion (arm in arm with his former secretary and pockets lined with their entire shared savings account), she finds that she wants more. She also finds, much to her dismay, that in the modern world her sweet romance novels aren't the big sellers they used to be. If she's going to make the money she needs to pay the bills, she's going to have to spice up her stories.

It's not an easy task to rebuild a man from scratch, but when her dream man comes alive in her head, and more, in her house, Tory's willing to try. Step by step she re-forms him into a hero for the new millennium, a man with a brain, a heart, and a sex drive — and she reaps the benefits of her own creation.

Unknown to Tory, however, darkness is lurking in the shadows. Her husband's departure isn't as cut-and-dried as she thinks it to be and, as she'll soon find out, her cardboard hero may not be so cardboard after all!

Morgen's newest adventure is a wild ride through an author's head, encompassing everything from the frustrating pleasure-pain of fictional creation to the monotonous day- to-day aspects of being a writer. The characters are a real pleasure and the story is engaging and even somewhat educational. As the reader steps into Tory's life, she can live the creation of Tory's newest work, a sexy historical romance novel set in Scotland, an experience that includes being able to read numerous excerpts of Tory's work-in- progress. The romance aspect is a little squished, fit in as it is between Tory's work and the intermittent plotline of the historical romance she's writing, but it is exciting and fulfilling nonetheless. Masterfully woven, CARDBOARD HERO is not only a romance, but also a compelling glimpse into the life of a writer that readers are sure to find entertaining.

Note: This novel also has a tie-in short story called WILD GEESE, which finishes the story that Tory creates.

Sensuality Level: This novel has been rated E-erotic by the publisher.

Reviewed by Ann Leveille
Courtesy Sensual Romance Reviews
Posted November 28, 2003

Summary

Ewan MacKenzie. A dangerous man. In control of almost every situation—except the woman who haunts his fantasies.

A desperate woman who has found her hero. He's perfect. The embodiment of every fantasy Tory's ever written. There's only one little problem. Tory writes sweet romances. Her perfect lover's not anatomically correct! That's a problem she should be able to solve. But how do you describe a penis?

Cardboard Hero—a Contemporary-Paranormal-Romantic-Suspense that takes a satirical look at the mind of a writer. You might want to visit, but you don't want to live there. Trust me.

Sexual Content: E-rotic. Genre: Paranormal.