Review: You've Got a Hold on Me

Another book down in the "2011 Colorful Chick Lit" Challenge by Reads4Pleasure.

You've got a hold on me by Tamara Sneed

It takes a lot for Assistant D.A. Amelia Farrow to lose her cool—except when it comes to George Gibson. With his devilish smile and chocolate brown eyes, the handsome defense attorney is known for playing it fast and loose with the ladies. When they're in court together, Amelia can barely think straight. But she refuses to succumb to George's charms—even if those charms can be pretty damn, well, charming...

When George sets his mind to it, he can have most women wrapped around his finger in record time. But prim and proper Amelia, the daughter of L.A.'s most prestigious black judge, is the exception to the rule. It's obvious Amelia finds him attractive—and she'd be one fine-looking sister if she'd lose those stuffy business suits. So why can't he break through that icy exterior and her to the hot-blooded woman inside?

Amelia and George can't avoid each other any longer when they both catch wind of a conspiracy involving court corruption and a possible murder. And when the violence hits close to home, it's impossible to deny their shared passion. But will a shocking portrayal of trust come between them just when the need each other the most?

My thoughts: This story has a whole "opposites attract" theme going between George and Amelia, which I liked. I can see how being with someone exactly like you can be boring sometimes; on the other hand, it may just be a perfect match. I guess it just depends on the couple. But, in this case, being the opposite is exactly what these two characters needed.

Written in the perspective of the two main lovers, this story takes us on a wild ride of "Love Boat" mixed in with "I Spy." Two opposing rivals, secretly lusting for one another, are suddenly thrown together into this scheming (possibly dangerous) judicial conspiracy--like the I love trouble movie starring Julia Roberts and Nick Nolte (my favorite part was when all the boy scouts were snapping pictures of Julia coming out of the pond.)

Both characters were rendered realistically with all the she-bang: fear, anger, stubbornness, and family issues. At times, it seems that George and Amelia are wrong for each other. After all, she's rich and he's poor; she comes from a "celebrity" family, and he comes from the foster care system. Still, I enjoyed the warring spark that ignites between them. And, unlike Amelia's previous relationship with Brian, the guy who was "perfect" for her in every way, George was way better for her simply because he was everything she was never seeking; and it was exactly the same for George--she was everything he didn't want. Overall, they were good for each other: Amelia broke through George's "tough guy" exterior (something he had to develop from a crummy, loveless childhood,) and George brought out the free-spirited woman from Amelia's in-born, conservative shell.

Sometimes I felt that these two people were trying so hard to be Sherlock Holmes that the "mystery" became jaded. Also, the lawyer jargon was too technical to follow, even though the story needed some since it involved courts and judges and stuff. Still, I found myself skipping a lot of this.

It's just as serious as Law and Order--in other words, not funny. It's just all law and lust.

There were some surprises toward the end, but it was overall unsatisfying.