MaryJanice Davidson is the bestselling contemporary author of the Undead and… series, the Alaskan Royal Family series, and at least twenty other titles. Her style is fast, hot and humorous;
she generally covers the quirky and unusual – from vampires to werewolves to mermaids
and witches. Her newest offerings are not paranormal but aren’t exactly the usual fare either; Doing It Right is a collection of two novellas. In
"Thief of Hearts" (a reprint, originally published as an e-book) , emergency room doctor Jared Dean walks into the hospital records room only to stumble into a crime in progress. Before he has a chance to help the damsel he thinks is in distress, she dispatches the big thug who is taking her on and makes a run for it
- but not before the good doctor has become both a witness in danger and a man in love. Now “kick-ass princess” Kara has to keep him safe from Carlotti, a dangerous underworld criminal. But since this Avenging Angel is also wanted by the District Attorney, they can’t exactly go to the police for help. Not that Dr. Dean minds – it gives him plenty of time to convince her that they should live happily ever after.
More of an extended epilogue than a stand alone novella,
"Wild Hearts" is a quick glimpse into the life of a secondary character from "Thief of Hearts." When Kat Wechter comes out of the mall to find a man trying to steal her car, does she do what any normal person would do and run and call the police? Nope. She throws herself onto the hood of the car and royally screws up undercover cop Chester McNamara’s day.
Both stories were more loosely written than some of Davidson’s other works; the characters sometimes make connections that
aren’t clear in the text, and the pace moves unnecessarily fast. "Wild Hearts," perhaps because of its unusual format, seemed incomplete as a story, with little character development and a mostly one-act plot.
Even though Doing It Right is not her best work, there’s still enough here to recommend it;
the dialogue alone is worth the price of the book - snappy, witty, and quick. She’s one of the few authors
who follows through on her hype. Almost every one of her titles has at least on laugh-out-loud moment, and Doing It Right is no exception. It’s odd, but you can almost forgive the haphazard plot because this author’s voice is anything but dull and you get caught up in the amusing byplay between the characters.
The e-book was originally published by Ellora’s Cave, whose offerings tend to be more erotic than most mainstream publishers, so the love scenes are particularly steamy and inventive.
All in all, Doing It Right is short on plot, yet characteristically sexy and spirited. I suggest adding MaryJanice Davidson to your “auto buy” list.