âSweet and witty, with great characters and sizzling sexual tension, this oneâs a fun read.â
âRT Book Reviews on Honeymoon with the Boss
âStrong conflict and sizzling sexual tension drive this well-written story. The characters are smart and sharp-witted, and match up perfectly.â
âRT Book Reviews on Cinderellaâs Wedding Wish
âWell-written characters and believable conflict make the faux-engagement scenario work beautifully ⦠and the ending is simply excellent.â
âRT Book Reviews on Under the Bossâs Mistletoe
âHart triumphs with a truly rare story ⦠Itâs witty and charming, and [itâs] a keeper.â
âRT Book Reviews on Oh-So-Sensible Secretary
Media Buzz
We hear that MediaOchre Productions are celebrating a lucrative commission from Channel 16 to make a documentary on the romance industry. MediaOchre are keeping the details under wraps, but rumours are rife that an intriguing combination of presenters has been lined up. Stella Holt, still enjoying her meteoric rise from WAG to chat show host, says that she is âthrilledâ to have been invited to front the programme, but remains coy about the identity of her co-presenter.
One name being whispered is that of the economist, Simon Valentine, whose hard-hitting documentary on banking systems and their impact on the very poorest both here and in developing countries has led to a boom in micro-financing projects that is reputed to be revolutionising opportunities for millions around the world. Valentine, a reluctant celebrity, shot to fame with his crisp analysis of the global recession on the news, and has since become the unlikely pin-up of thinking women throughout the country. MediaOchre are refusing to confirm or deny the rumour. Roland Richards, its flamboyant executive producer, is uncharacteristically taciturn on the subject and is sticking to âno commentâ for now.
âNo,â SAID Simon Valentine. âNo, no, no, no, no. No.â
Claraâs cheeks were aching with the effort of keeping a cheery smile in place. Simon couldnât see it on the phone, of course, but she had read somewhere that people responded more positively if you smiled when you were talking.
Not that it seemed to be having an effect on Simon Valentine.
âI know itâs hard to make a decision without having all the facts,â she said, desperately channelling her inner Julie Andrews. The Sound of Music was Claraâs favourite film of all time. Julie had coped with a Captain and seven children, so surely Clara shouldnât be daunted by one disobliging economist?
âIâd be happy to meet you and answer any questions you might have about the programme,â she offered brightly.
âI donât have any questions.â Clara could practically hear him grinding his teeth. âI have no intention of appearing on your programme.â
Clara had a nasty feeling that her positive smile was beginning to look more like a manic grin. âI understand you might want to take a little time to think about it.â
âLook, Ms ⦠whatever youâre called â¦â
âSterne, but please call me Clara.â
Simon Valentine ignored the invitation. âI donât know how to make myself clearer,â he said, his voice as tightly controlled as the image that stared out from Claraâs computer screen.
She had been Googling him, hoping to find some chink in his implacable armour, some glimpse of humour or a shared interest that she could use to build a connection with him, but details of his private life were frustratingly sparse. He had a PhD in Development Economicsâwhatever they wereâfrom Harvard, and was currently a senior financial analyst with Stanhope Harding, but what use was that to her? You couldnât get chatty about interest rates or the strength of the poundâor, at least, you couldnât if you knew as little about economics as Clara did. She had been hoping to discover that he was married, or played the drums in his spare time, or had a daughter who loved ballet or ⦠something. Something she could