Isabella's Dilemma by Anna James

TITLE: Isabella’s Dilemma

AUTHOR: Anna James

PUBLISHER: Sugar and Spice Press

PURCHASE: Here

MAIN GENRE: Contemporary

SECONDARY GENRE: Romance 

LENGTH: 93 pages

HEAT LEVEL: Simmering 

OTHER: M/F  

ROSE RATING: 3.5 roses

REVIEWED BY: Anya

BLURB:

Isabella Sheridan has a big problem and his name is Jake McAllister! Jake is now Isabella’s business partner. To make matters worse he owns more of the Sheridan Advertising Agency than she does. He is difficult to work with, has a hostile attitude toward her and makes business decisions without consulting her. So why does she respond with so much passion when he kisses her?

Jake McAllister does not like Isabella Sheridan. As far as he’s concerned she’s shallow and without moral values, both in her personal and professional life. So why is he so attracted to her? You’d think he’d know better based on past experience. And why, after just one passionate kiss, is he ready to give her the benefit of the doubt and become involved.

Will Jake and Isabella resolve their differences and find love or will past perceptions be too much to overcome?

REVIEW:

Sometimes, things are not always what they appear. Misunderstandings and misgivings can create a world of havoc on relationships, particularly when both parties refuse to admit their attraction to the other. Someone will have to give.

Isabella has had enough heartache to last a lifetime. The one parent with whom she was close too has recently passed away, leaving a mother who’s never been what you’d call “motherly” toward her, and a brother who’s too busy having a good time to offer a shoulder to cry on. Thank goodness she has an aunt and uncle, as well as a few other family members, to support her. While her father always thought she would take over the business, she cannot stomach the idea of working with his partner, Jake McAllister. From day one, the man breezed into her father’s company and took over like he owned it. Their past dealings have been nothing short of disastrous. The only thing they have in common is their dislike of one another. There is no way she can work with him. Too bad everyone else has other ideas about it.

Jake has no need of Isabella’s help when it comes to running her father’s business. From what he can tell, she has only managed to succeed by using her body as a bargaining tool in a business scenario dominated by men. He has had his fair share of lying, cheating women; Isabella is no different from the rest. Yet, he cannot deny the sparks between them. While hostile on the surface, the underlying attraction between them baffles him. Part of him wants to believe she’s not the manipulating floozy he’s made her out to be, but the other isn’t willing to let go of old heartbreaks and disappointments to give her a chance.

Isabella’s Dilemma is a cute little story between two people who are equally qualified to be the boss, but are stubborn enough to risk the future of Sheridan Advertising Agency by refusing to let go of faulty opinions about each other. Both have the ability to be on top, but in order to work together, someone is going to have to relinquish a bit of power, both intellectually and emotionally. Isabella seems more willing to give Jake a chance, than vice-versa. A hardheaded man, he ends of jumping to conclusions at a time when Isabella needs his understanding the most.

Ms. James does a good job of building the main characters, as well as some of the secondary characters, into people the reader can relate to. There is enough sexual tension to spark your interest, but the story is not riddled with erotic content. No, the main theme here is the relationship development between these two; any sexual content is just a bonus. Some minor editing errors and a little head hopping did get my attention. From my own personal experience, I have noticed some publishers do allow frequent point-of-view shifts—others would call them violations and require the author give a warning sign to the reader that they will be jumping into the other character’s thoughts—so this may not be an issue for some readers. Overall, I enjoyed the story and hope to see some more work by Ms. James.

For a story that will warm your heart, grab a copy of Isabella’s Dilemma by Anna James, it’s worth the read.

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To find out more about Anna James, please visit her Website.