*** Gold Medal Winner, 2010 Readers Favorite Awards Contest ***
What happens when a dedicated researcher learns a bit too much about her client's newest drug? Her life begins to spin out of control, and a dashing computer security expert from South America seems the perfect antidote. But is his arrival really the happy coincidence it appears to be? Find out in this complex tale of suspense, humor, and romance.
*** Gold Medal Winner, 2010 Readers Favorite Awards Contest ***
What happens when a dedicated researcher learns a bit too much about her client's newest drug? Her life begins to spin out of control, and a dashing computer security expert from South America seems the perfect antidote. But is his arrival really the happy coincidence it appears to be? Find out in this complex tale of suspense, humor, and romance.
Excerpt
Robert spoke with open hands and a casual stance, "Look, fella, take it easy. We just--"
"O-okay, listen, I-I'll tell you the whole story. Everything. But I swear, I never did anything to her. Nobody did. Not on my watch, anyway. I took real good care of her. I swear. You gotta believe me!"
Nic's pulse quickened. He took a step closer and cocked a brow at the stocky man, "Who her?"
"Y-you know--your girl."
"My girl?"
"Y-yeah. You know...petite, brunette, pretty. Kinda..." The guy relaxed a little, pulling his hands away from the chain-link fence, and started forming an hourglass shape with them.
Nic pursed his lips. "Okay. I know what she looks like." He lifted his chin at the stocky man, "So what are you talking about? 'Your watch'. 'Took care of her'. Where? When?"
"Come on, you guys..." The tattooed man looked from Nic over to Robert, as if he expected a more reasonable interrogator--a Good Cop to Nic's Bad.
But Nic insisted, "Humor me."
"Well, uh, well..."
Nic took another step.
The tattooed man gulped and started talking, "Yeah, okay. See, when I took the job, I didn't know it was her, okay? It was only when I saw her close up, in the light, that I recognized her. I remembered her from the bar. From that night last summer when I pulled her off the stool. I mean, I didn't know who she really was. I just thought she was your date, your girl or whatever, okay? I didn't know she was like...one of you."
Professional Reviews
Readers Favorite (Amazon Vine Voice)
Josie Natale was a brilliant bio-statistician. Her report proved that a drug had high adverse reactions. She refused to change her report when threatened. Josie was good at her job but she was just as lax concerning her life. She was always running late. She rarely cooked, cleaned, or did laundry. When they began receiving strange emails from The Warriors Of God, they called in a computer security team to track them. Josie turned to Nic,a handsome security expert from South America. Josie did not know what to do or who to trust. Someone entered her home and her best friend was attacked at the women's clinic where she worked. Who was responsible: her former boss, ex boyfriend Henry, or could it be Nic?
There is one thing for sure, the reader is in for a rollicking ride. It is full of suspense and mystery along with romance and humor .This book will keep you guessing to the very last page. The prologue was a bit perplexing at first. I was half way through the book before I could make the connection. A very enjoyable read.
Molly Martin of Molly's Reviews
Romana’s characters are portrayed with skill, each is a credible person filled with foibles, warts and gaffs…the various twists and turns are handled with skill, are easily followed, and add depth and dimension often lacking in works provided by newer writers…Maria Romana’s Little Miss Straight Lace is a fast paced, keep ‘em guessing and turning the page type read sure to intrigue readers who enjoy good writing, a bit of romance, a lot of action, and a downright good read for these long hot summer afternoons.
Author A.J. Braithwaite
Maria’s book is a mixture of romance and pharmaceutical statistics. Which may not sound like a divinely-arranged combination, but it works really well. The main thread of the plot concerns statistician Josie Natale and her relationship with Nic Remedian. Who is a gorgeous Latino man who drives an Aston Martin and wants to settle down and have babies. If you can get over the suspension of disbelief required to accept that combination of qualities in one human being, then you can settle down and enjoy the book. The romance gets caught up in mystery/thriller territory when a pharmaceutical agency starts interfering with drug trials to discredit their competitors and promote the development of their own products. Throw in a religious cult and the trauma of teenage rape and you’ve got all the ingredients for a story that’s hard to put down.
The book is well-written and rattles along at a good pace. It would make a great beach read (if you weren’t worried about getting sand in your ereader, that is). In some ways I’d class it as escapism (all the main characters are good-looking and rich, for example), but there is more to it than that: certainly enough of a mystery to keep me reading for the last two days.
On the pages of Little Miss Straight Lace, Maria Romana has adroitly crafted a saga filled with more than enough deception, maneuver and stratagem to hook readers into the tale and keep them turning the pages from the first lines right down to the last paragraphs.
While Romana weaves a convoluted tale comprised of multiple threads including, friendship, deep personal issues seated in a less than happy teen aged violation, cult mentality, and even romance, in addition to the major theme of the corporate chicanery, espionage and greed within the pharmaceutical industry; the various twists and turns are handled with skill, are easily followed, and add depth and dimension often lacking in many works provided by newer writers.
Romana’s characters are portrayed with skill, each is a credible person filled with the foibles, warts and gaffs as are live flesh and blood humans. Settings are detailed, overflowing with features, elements and specificity meant to create an aura in which the reader feels what the characters feel, see what the characters see and understand the ambiance as the characters understand the ambiance.
Maria Romana’s Little Miss Straight Lace is a fast paced, keep ‘em guessing and turning the page type read sure to intrigue readers who enjoy good writing, a bit of romance, a lot of action and a downright good read for these long hot summer afternoons when sitting on the porch, sipping tea and reading, is a most enjoyable activity.
Happy to recommend Maria Romana’s Little Miss Straight Lace. 4/5 stars
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