Who Doesn't Love Shoes?

Gemma Halliday has a "High Heels Mysteries" series that is just down right cute. First off, let me dive right in with LOVE THE SHOES!!!! Prada, Gucci, and Manolo’s…Oh MY!

I envision the main character, Maddie Springer, as a mish-mash of Rebecca Bloomwood from "Confessions of a Shopaholic", Stephanie Plum (though I think Stephanie has a few more IQ points) from the Janet Evanovich books, Carrie Bradshaw from Sex in the City, and a short version of my mother-in-love, Patti.

You cannot help but love that the main character is a struggling shoe designer who makes good. It also makes a girl happy when some gorgeous shoes are described though I agree with the character that "real Bond Girls don't wear Choo's" being that she spends most of her time chasing, being chased, or slugging through some pretty sticky situations.

While I normally like my leading ladies to be a bit more cerebral, I have to admit, Maddie makes me laugh as much as she makes me want to shake her. She gets herself into some situations that just make you want to ask…really?

And Ramirez. That is one hot leading man. So he is a bit of an over-protective homicide cop. With Maddie’s track record, he kind of has to be or she would be dead before the end of the first book. I think the relationship tangent with Felix, the secretly rich tabloid reporter, was a bit unnecessary but then again it isn’t my book series so I am sure Gemma had her reasons.

My only complaint with this series is that I like a little more romance in my romance novels. Okay, I will be more blunt. There is some intense kissing in the first 2 books but no sex. By the end of the first book, I was sexually frustrated for the poor girl with all the near misses in the bedroom department. Luckily, this was remedied by the end of the 2nd book but it was literally, the END of the 2nd book. And, even then, it was only the discussion leading up to the clothing removal and then a “The End”. Seriously. What are you trying to do? Kill me?