Harlequin Tempation # 362

3 stars

A Voice in the Dark

Dillon After Dark, Harlequin Temptation #362, is a cute, fun romance by Leandra Logan. Dillon Danvers is a laid-back California DJ who airs a talk/ music show where he discusses many topics: surfing, books, music, clubs, and lots of other fun subjects to delight in. Dr. Kristina Jordan is a psychologist and single mother with no time for relaxation. Together these two opposites could make for an exciting couple. However, Kristina needs major convincing to be part of it.

Kristina’s teenaged daughter, Julianne, is absolutely ga-ga over Dillon. His sexy voice makes her adolescent hormones run wild. She’s a frequent caller to his show, making herself seem older than her tender years while complaining about her overbearing mother. Julianne enters a poetry contest for the show and wins the grand prize: a date with Dillon! Her mother thinks this is all silly nonsense And is appalled by her daughter’s behavior. She’s merely fourteen, while Dillon is twice her age!

Against her better judgment, Kristina agrees to let Julianne meet Dillon, but on the condition that she accompany them on their date. Of course, upon seeing that the contest winner is a mere child, everyone is shocked, and the situation is thrown into disarray. Julianne is pushed aside as the producers and press claim it’s Kristina who’s Dillon’s date.

Kristina’s shocked as well. Her reaction to Dillon is one of immediate attraction, and his smooth voice plays havoc upon her senses. He looks as good as he sounds with shaggy blond hair and cool surfer vibes. Just the kind of man she’s been drawn to all her life, and just the kind of man she intends to avoid forever.

So I Fell For My Daughter’s Crush

Dillon, too, is shocked. He had no idea his most frequent caller was just a kid and that the haranguing mother she spoke of wasn’t some post-menopausal nag with empty nest syndrome but a beautiful, sensual woman in her mid-thirties.

Dillon, obviously, has no interest in his young fan; he’s got all eyes for Mom. He pursues her with confident vigor to Julianne’s dismay. Kristina knows what it was like to be a wild youth, but responsibilities weighed her down: being a young mother; dealing with a lousy, beach-bum of a partner who ran off to abandon his responsibilities; putting herself through college and university; and then focusing on her intense career. She has her work and her patients, her daughter, and her elderly father who lives with them to worry about. Kristina doesn’t have time for dating, much less a carefree, younger man like Dillon.

Dillon tries his best to charm his way through Kristina’s icy exterior and ease his way into her warm inner core. (Oh, that sounds terrible, doesn’t it?) He’s got his work cut out for him as Kristina’s heart is hardened from past hurts and having the weight of the world on her shoulders.

When he finally does get through, there’s the issue of Julianne, who resents their relationship. Is it ever possible for them to have a lasting love affair?

Final Analysis of Dillon After Dark

Dillon After Dark was the second Leandra Logan romance I read, and as with her previous work, I enjoyed her writing. This was a steamy category romance with a yummy hero. Kristina’s a bit of an uptight pill, though, and Julianne’s teenage antics get tiresome (yes, I know what I wrote was redundant). The book has been re-released in e-format and slightly modernized for a new audience. Overall this was a pleasant diversion, particularly if you’re a fan of heroes in pursuit.

It does make for an awkward “So, how did you guys meet?” story, though.

Reviewed by Introvert Reader

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