Pepper has no interest in Grant Chamberlain...until she accidentally wins him at a bachelor auction and finds the sexy and persistent firefighter impossible to ignore.
Living in the small town of Rosewood, Alabama, hairdresser Pepper Anthony has one rule-never date a Chamberlain. She's always said, "the only thing worse than being ignored by a Chamberlain is being dumped by one." But Grant Chamberlain isn't used to rejection, and Pepper has consistently turned him down since high school. When Grant volunteers at the charity bachelor auction, to his surprise, Pepper buys him. She hadn't meant to, but Adelia Chamberlain dropped a cold drink in her lap, sending her leaping into the air at precisely the wrong moment. Suddenly she had a massive bill to the town and Grant at her disposal. Since the money has to come from her "restore the house" fund, she decides to use Grant for manual labor instead of a romantic Valentine's Day date. Grant is happy to help, sweaty and shirtless, because one way or another, he's going to get Pepper to admit she's attracted to him. All it takes is a small spark, and soon they'll be feeding the fire. Review
"This is a fun-filled and steamy story featuring a hero who's been crushing on the heroine for years -- and who just happens to be a deliciously hot firefighter. If that's not enough, there are also some laugh-out-loud moments, a dash of witty banter, a long-held family secret finally revealed and a peeping tom mystery. With a diverse cast of three-dimensional characters, Laurence's latest has all the elements of a great small-town romance." - 4 stars, Romantic Times Book Reviews