Simply Sinful

Simply Sinful, book one in the Simply series, is a reissue of the first stories written by Carly Phillips; it is an enjoyable read and one of the many early books of hers that I read and re-read. This re-release has been modernized, updated and expanded. This is a story with a humorous bend, a bit of intrigue and suspense; not quite the current, hot and sizzling books she writes. After a case goes wrong, Detective Kane McDermott is assigned an undercover assignment that is anything but the fluff case it was supposed to be. All he had to do was find out if the etiquette business was or was not really an escort service. Kayla Luck has owned Charmed since her aunt and uncle died. From the moment they met, Kane has a hard time not telling Kayla the truth, as the attraction is instant. Keeping things professional helps Kane get to see that Kayla is innocent, but there is definitely something sinister lurking in the wings. Discovering that Kane is a detective, investigating her business does not endear Kayla to him; especially after spending a night together. Kane is determined to keep Kayla safe, becoming her protector and having them live and work together. It is going to take more than the chemistry and magnetic attraction before solving this case. It’s going to take trust, trusting each other, before they will find out who is harm Kayla and her business. Ms. Phillips wrote a wonderful, humorous and sweet story that will pull at your heartstrings and is not to be missed. She provided a tale rich with sizzling chemistry, amusing banter, and charming characters in order for Kane and Kayla to find their own happily ever after. I highly recommend Simply Sinful to other readers. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

When Kayla Luck's Aunt Charlene passes away, she leaves Charmed!, her etiquette school for businessmen to her. While Kayla has some ideas to bring the business into the modern era she never imagined what mess she would find herself in. Detective Kane McDermott knows he has to find out if Charmed! is on the up and up after receiving an anonymous tip, but he never excepted the jolt he received when he first touched Kayla's hand. While trying to pretend to be in need of etiquette lessons, Kane quickly realizes that will not work and instead gets Kayla to agree to going out to dinner with him which turns into a hot night together. Kane is drawn to how smart Kayla is as well as her curvy figure. The next day when Kayla heads to work, she is attacked and the attacker is looking for "the books". When the police show up, imagine Kayla's surprise when Kane shows up and she realizes he lied to her. Kane has quickly developed feelings for Kayla and insists he stays with her to make sure she is safe. The more time these two spend together, the more obvious their feelings are but because of things from Kane's past he will not take things to the next step. Just as the mystery of "the books" gets solved, Kane must decide if he is ready to let go of the past so he can have a future with Kayla. It will take a lot of looking deep inside himself but eventually Kane comes to realize that what he needs for a happy ending is Kayla. I really enjoyed Kayla. Being very smart and very curvy is something I can really relate to. I loved how she handled things. I also really liked Kane. He was all alpha male but deep down was a soft teddy bear. I really enjoyed their happy ending. It was fun rereading this series that has been updated to more modern times.

I absolutely adored Simply Sinful, the first book in the Simply series. This book is one of the Carly Classics and it totally stands the test of time. I loved both Kane and Kayla from page one! I had mad love for both of these characters. I loved that Kayla was genius level smart and happened to have a body most men would lose their ability to think when they saw her...and Kane is really no different when he first sees her. I kinda love the hard-nosed cop totally couldn't stay in his undercover character he was so attracted to Kayla. While I did wish Kane was forthcoming with his real reason for being there after he decided Kayla was innocent, I got as a cop he had to follow procedure. I loved this super-fast paced romance. The chemistry between Kane and Kayla had me completely falling for them as a couple, even when he messed up big time. I also really enjoyed the bit of mystery to the story, and especially how Kayla was instrumental in figuring everything out. I love a smart heroine and Carly Phillips does an amazing job writing intelligent women who are also sexy and able to take care of themselves. Simply Sinful was a wonderful story. It pulled me in from page 1 and I didn't want to put it down. I highly recommend this Carly Classic to romance fans who love an emotion filled story. Rating: 5 Stars (A) Review copy provided by publisher