"He wants commitment, she's still deciding what to be when she grows up."

Cassie Carmichael is still trying to decide what she wants to be when she grows up. At 24, she's tried a number of different jobs, attended various colleges and trade schools. Right now she's working in a coffee shop while learning massage therapy. She may finally have found the right career for her, since she's been interested in treating sports injuries since her days on the high school ski racing team. But she also needs to get her personal life straightened out -- she's been dating Boring Bob, who has turned her into a doormat who cooks and runs errands for him and waits on him and his friends, despite the fact he never expresses appreciation.

In an attempt to spice up her life, Cassie follows Bob on what he claimed is a working weekend -- and she catches him with another woman. Stuck at the resort by a snowstorm, Cassie bumps into Guy Walters, the gorgeous and adventurous guy she's drooled over since high school. Their wild weekend together definitely adds excitement to her life. But now Guy is acting like he wants to continue to see her, while Cassie has firmly decided to put men and romance on hold while she gets her career and the rest of her life under control. It doesn't help her resolve when Guy starts showing up everywhere, offers to coach her in ski racing, sends her flowers. And then Bob jumps back in the picture, convinced that good little Cassie will come back to him. How's a woman to keep her priorities straight with all that going on?

I enjoyed the role reversal of this story -- the hero is the one who realizes he wants commitment and is ready to settle down, while the heroine wants to be free. Cassie's struggles to figure out what she wants from life and how to get it were very believable (as long as viewed from the perspective of a very young woman). The seduction scene at the resort was fun; it never occurred to me before that Scrabble could be such a sexy game. And Cassie's massage skills prove very useful. The only jarring note for me was Cassie's mother, an intrusive and rather obnoxious character, built on the old stereotype of a woman who thinks the only important thing is finding a wealthy man to support you. The mother undermines Cassie's resolve and actions, telling her things like she should quit the skiing she loves because it will give her big thighs and therefore make her unattractive to men and unable to catch a husband. This character added nothing to the story and could have been eliminated.

All in all, a fun and enjoyable way to spend a few hours.

Reviewed by Raelene Gorlinsky
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted September 28, 2002

Summary

Twenty-four year old Cassie Carmichael has never done one single dangerous, daring, or even slightly naughty thing in her life. Until now. Left stranded at a ski resort by her cheating boyfriend, Cassie sets out to seduce local heartthrob Guy Walters, the man who has starred in her fantasies since high school. Guy can't quite believe his eyes when his sister's school friend blows in with a blizzard. Though he's admired her from afar for some time, she's always struck him as the timid type. Obviously he was wrong. As Cassie pours out her story to Guy, he sees a passionate woman with a warmth that's been lacking in his life of late. Things get even warmer as the two long-time acquaintances get to know each other better while the storm rages outside. The way things are shaping up, they won't need firewood to start a blaze this weekend.

One wild weekend isn't enough time to fall in love -- is it? When Cassie heads down the mountain, she thinks she's going back to her same old save, conventional life. But a weekend fulfilling her fantasies has changed her. Suddenly boring Bob and brewing double lattes isn't enough. She tells Bob to take a hike, and sets about discovering what she really wants in life.

Guy knows what he really wants -- Cassie. The sweet seductress has shown him what's missing in his fast-paced life. He wants her back on a permanent basis. So Guy goes after her. The seduced becomes the seducer as he insinuates himself into Cassie's life. Guy's attention confuses and frustrates Cassie. After all, he's her longtime fantasy lover and she knows fantasies don't come true -- do they? It's up to Guy to prove they do!