Ami's Hoard

The combination of the gruffy but can very caring Anthony Moretti and sweet but fierce (as described by one of the characters) Maggie Walker was a definite winner for me. Especially Maggie. My GOSH how I adored her. She was the definitely the 'better' character in this book. Her vulnerability -- especially when it related to her own family -- felt real and appealing but it didn't make her weak. She was determined to be better, to reach her dreams as an author. I loved her dreams, I loved her heart, I loved her soul ... I loved EVERYTHING about this girl.

I might want to knock some sense into Anthony's head but I thought that Anthony being unconvinced that he could balance the work life/love life to be pretty convincing. Especially with what happened with his last relationship. I couldn't help being goeey-eyed too, whenever Anthony showed that caring side of him. Walking Maggie's dog, cooking her breakfast, reading her draft of a novel. *Sigh*. I was happy that Ms. Layne didn't exactly make either Maggie or Anthony changed for the other person. Anthony still had his eyes towards the top position but he expanded his dreams and now included Maggie in it.

I enjoyed their togetherness SO much. All that tension was rewarded when we got the their first kiss and then later their first lovemaking *hugs book*.

I did have a couple things that I wasn't fully happy with...

One, the way that the characters dealt with Anthony's last girlfriend. I just didn't understand how the rest of them acted very spiteful towards Vannah, claimed that she was selfish, and clingy, and needy. True maybe, but she was dead. We shouldn't speak ill of the dead, should we? Plus she was committing suicide, so it was clear that she had problems. A serious one. I just didn't feel that comfortable of people dismissing her like that.

Two, the whole thing with the burglar, a.k.a. Smiley. Sorry, that whole thing definitely made the NYPD looked incompetent. Heck, even the resolution of this case was because Eddie came to Maggie instead of the result of the NYPD's own works. Considering that Eddie was small-time burglar and he really never did it before, I just thought it was too easy for him to being able to fool NYPD all this time.

But despite those two things, I LOVED this book. Steal Me is definitely my favorite Lauren Layne so far!