A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

As the curator of the costume collection at the Fashion Institute of Chicago, Athena Smith lives and breathes couture dresses. They're her entire life. And while she's in a vast underground bunker where the Institute houses their private collection of vintage couture clothing, examining the dresses, she falls desperately ill and is rushed to the hospital. Word around town is that Athena has been poisoned. Dr. Drew Montgomery, a physician at Northwestern Hospital, knows all about Athena's gal-about-town reputation. He's seen her picture in the society rags and he can barely contain his disdain. But he's perplexed by her illness. As they together unravel the secrets behind her illness to figure out who might have poisoned her and why, an attraction blooms between this society gal and this no-nonsense doctor. But is love enough to keep them together? [borrowed from GoodReads]

Oh, but I loved this book. Ms. Bodine has a way of bringing you into the world of high fashion couture dresses and making any girl feel all giddy inside. I loved the descriptions of these fantastic gowns. Oh, to just twirl around in one of them (a girl can dream right?) obviously sans the poison.

I loved the chemistry between Athena and Drew - it was flirty, it was sweet and very romantic. I especially liked how you read a little bit about their past together in short increments making you come to terms with how their relationship ended and have you rooting for them to have another go at it and make it work. Between the mystery of the gowns and the romance between our characters it definitely keeps you on your toes, making this a very quick read. This was a light, fluffy romance, with great characters, witty banter and an underlying mystery to solve. I thought it had a little bit of everything needed to make it a very enjoyable read.

This book was provided for review by Hachette Book Group.

GIVEAWAY: I have 5 copies of each up for grabs - thanks to the lovely Anna at HBG.

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Rules: This contest is open to U.S. & Canada residents only. No P.O. Boxes. Winners will be drawn Friday, February 5.