Just For Kicks

 (15 customer reviews)

Vegas showgirl Carly is having trouble getting her pup Rufus to behave and her sexy neighbor's patience has just about run out. To add insult to injury, neighbor Wolfgang Jones is second in command in security at the casino she works for, forcing them to coexist in a truce-like atmosphere. Wolf's future plans don't include getting involved with a sexy showgirl with legs up to here, but when his nephew Nik is suddenly thrust on his doorstep, and strikes up a friendship with Carly and her motley crew of pets, Wolf realizes there's more to her than what meets the eye.

With Wolf and the rest of the friends and neighbors, Nik has finally found what he has missed most of his life - a sense of family. Nik knows that the only way to put an end to the nomadic existence he's been forced to contend with thanks to his flighty mother is to get Uncle Wolf to settle down, and what better candidate than Carly. As he schemes to get the two together, they quickly become willing pawns and...Read more

This book was charming, with well-drawn characters and a believable love story, but there was just something missing. . .

In my opinion, the lack of spark comes from Andersen's mix of "older" and "younger" dialogue. I had the same problem with the first book, "Skintight." Like some of the other reviewers, I, too, cringed every time Carly referred to someone as "toots" or referred to sex as the "hootchie-kootch." I mean, who uses terms like that anymore? There were times when the words sounded very much like a 30-something person; other times, they sounded like my grandmother. It kept a good book from being excellent. Ironically, Nik's "teenage" language was very well done. Too bad she couldn't have made Carly's language a little more realistic.

I would recommend this book as a light, pleasant read, nothing spectacular. Andersen has much better books that I consider keepers, but I would not count this as one of them.

This author writes on the verge of the dreaded "chick lit" genre

but keeps her books a little smarter and more developed. Here the gals, as usual, pretty much have it together. Interesting jobs, good friendships--all written up in the day-to-day worklife of a Las Vegas dancer/showgirl. The twist that makes this one a goodie is that two men enter our female leads life

who don't have it together. One, our male lead, is a strict, career oriented Casino security expert and an unsuspecting Uncle

to a smart, talented teen boy essentially kicked to the curb by his overwhelmed mother. Watching the change and development of these two guys as they enter into the lives/hearts of our solid female lead is wonderful and rings completely true. Stuff happens, usually with a reason and change is hard but the rewards make the hard stuff worthwhile. Well done, with just a little silly stuff inserted to give a some plot tension. Enjoy!