A Review of "Isabella's Dilemma" by Anna James

Isabella Sheridan has a problem, and it comes in the form of handsome Jake McAllister. Jake's the golden boy of Sheridan Advertising Agency, her late father's business. He could do no wrong in her father's eyes, and in the eyes of her family and friends. Isabella knows differently. She wouldn't trust him as far as she can throw him. Jake, however, has his own ideas about Isabella. From what he's seen, she's risen to the top of the advertising world in a not-so-ethical way. Could it be, however, that they're both wrong?

Both Jake and Isabella are strong characters in this engaging tale. Their struggle to fight their attraction to one another and the people who keep pushing them to be together kept me turning the pages. Isabella came off as very likable in that she was independent, yet loved and cared for her family and friends. Jake, for me, was a little hard to connect with, because most of the story is written in Isabella's POV. Some of those POV switches were a little abrupt, but not so much that I lost track of the story. Jake was still an interesting character and a good match for the strong-willed Izzy.

The sparks are there in the form of some nice non-graphic love scenes, and Ms. James throws in a surprise or two along the way. It's a well-paced, fun contemporary romance that will provide a nice weekend read. The only things I'd nitpick are a majority of scenes take place in cafes and restaurants. Besides making me hungry, the settings could have been varied a bit more. Also, the word "ruefully" is used a lot. I'm not even sure what it means, except that I saw Isabella smiling that way many times. Other than these minor issues, I enjoyed the story a great deal.

This is Anna James's debut novel and the second title I've read from this author. I'll definitely be reading more!

Buy your copy of Isabella's Dilemma now at Sugar and Spice Press.