Rainbow Reviews

BOOK BLURB:
Stella is just minding her own business and having a bit of fun, working as an exotic dancer at the Peacock Lounge. Through no fault of her own, she witnesses a double murder and gets pulled into a shady dance of deceit with political bigwigs, mob bosses, dirty cops and scheming widows. Now she’s everyone’'s target; her only chance is to sift through the lies and expose the truth.

BOOK REVIEW:
I love the way this book starts:

“I strip for the fun of it. Don't let anyone tell you different. It's not the money. I could make nearly as much working at the mill and keep my clothes on, but then I'd have to suck up to the bosses. Here at the Peacock, I'm the one in charge, and I like it that way. Sometimes I think it's a sort of revenge, for all the times I heard those nasty calls trailing after me: Honey Jugs, Monster Boobs, Bouncer. Not to mention those sweaty, awkward clinches in back seats, trying to please. Trying to be popular. Now they can't take their eyes off my breasts, swinging back and forth in time to the music. Their tongues are hanging out.”

Stella starts out sassy and sure of herself, and goes uphill from there. She loves her job as a stripper at the Peacock Lounge, and she is very clear that it doesn't make her a victim ~ or a whore. She's in charge, and she's having fun.

The trouble starts when she becomes involved in a double homicide while doing a private dance for a prominent politician. As the only witness, she is suddenly in danger from a variety of sources: the police, the politician's widow, the mob ~ and the real murderer. I like a book with a strong intelligent woman: Stella is definitely that. So what's her first thought? It's sure not staying safely out of the way: Stella starts looking for the truth.

Stella is not afraid of hot sex: she is torn between her lust for the hunky policeman and her inability to resist the gorgeous widow, but she is feisty enough to hold out for what's best for her. Her search takes her into the highest and lowest parts of town, into danger and into sexual encounters, but neither threats nor bribes nor bodily harm will stop our Stella from solving the crime.

I liked this book for its light tone, its sassy heroine, and its sexual variety. I especially liked that the author did not cast Stella as the cliched 'stripper with a heart of gold' or 'poor little woman with no other skills'. Stella strips because she loves the job and she's good at it. She has sex the same way ~ with enthusiasm ~ whether it's with a man or a woman. 'Exposure' is a rollicking ride of a tale with well-drawn characters. The loosely-woven plot is a twist of motivations and emotions. I think you will enjoy reading it.

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