Book Review: High-Heeled Wonder - Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile

Media Type: Ebook (ARC)
Title: High-Heeled Wonder
Author: Avery Flynn
Publisher: Entangled: Ignite
Pages: Ebook; 250
Release Date: January 24, 2014
Source: Publisher
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Genre: Romance / Thriller

HDB Rating: 3 Keys to My Heart

Recommended to: Readers who love sizzling male leads and strong female leads!

Add it on: Goodreads / Amazon / BookLikes

Sylvie Bissette may be one of Harbor City’s youngest glitterati, but only her best friends know her most closely guarded secret. She’s the woman behind The High-Heeled Wonder, a must-read blog for fashionistas everywhere. Gossip, fashion advice, exposés. Too bad some people can’t take a little criticism. When an internet troll discovers her secret identity and escalates from stalking her to threatening her life, Sylvie turns to security expert Tony Falcon for help. The investigator from the other side of the tracks is the olive oil to her Evian water and aggravates her to no end, but it’s not just her temper he’s inciting…

Tony Falcon wouldn’t know a kitten heel from a tabby cat, but since most of the bad guys he tracks down aren’t wearing stilettos, it’s never been a problem…until he meets Sylvie. When a murder investigation leads him to the same place Sylvie works, he realizes the feisty fashionista may be his best chance at catching the criminals who killed his best friend. It all leads back to the cut-throat fashion world. But solving that case means going after the people Sylvie cares about, and soon his attraction for her—and the danger she’s in—has him wondering if solving the case is worth hurting the woman he can’t stop fantasizing about…
When Sylvie’s almost run over in broad daylight, Tony goes undercover as her boyfriend to infiltrate the close-knit fashion community. And when they discover Sylvie’s stalker may be linked to Tony’s own investigation, what started as a simple plan to find his friend’s killers turns into a hot bed of secrets and revelations. In a world full of overblown egos and dog-eat-dog ambition, Tony and Sylvie must work together to find her revenge-obsessed stalker before Sylvie ends up with a literal knife in the back.

After a very long week, I was in need of something fun and flirty to read. High Heeled Wonder fit the bill perfectly! A strong, sarcastic fashionista. A PI whose abs should be considered a deadly weapon. A mystery seeded deeply into the inner workings of the fashion industry. What’s not love? I placed myself squarely into Sylvie Bissette’s heels, and set off on what I hoped would be one smoldering adventure.

This was a quick read. Avery Flynn wastes no time pulling the reader into the tension filled world of fashion. I was introduced to key players, seduced with talk of perfectly tailored suits and designer clothes, then charmed with Sylvie’s razor sharp wit. In fact, Sylvie’s character was actually a huge surprise for me. Despite being part of the “gliteratti”, she was so down to earth. Sylvie is strong, funny, and not afraid to go for what she wants. Points to Avery Flynn! This is a girl I can get behind.

Speaking of getting behind someone, I can’t deny I fell head over heels for Tony Falcon. Please ignore his rather cliche name, because this man is perfection. Tony was instantly likeable. He’s sweet, fiercely loyal, and just all around adorable. I loved the banter between Tony and Sylvie. These two had sparks flying between them the entire book, and I loved every minute of their chemistry.

I do have to say that I felt a little shortchanged on the overall romance though. High Heeled Wonder walks the line between romance and mystery. However I feel like, because of that, each aspect wasn’t as fully realized as it could have been. I was able to figure out the mystery pretty early on. Then I was even further disappointed by the big reveal at the end. It felt so cliche. Most frustrating of all, that build up took away from “between the sheets” time. Come on, we all know we read these books for those scenes.

Anyway, therein lies the reason I gave High Heeled Wonder a three star rating rather than a four. I loved the premise, and the characters, but wasn’t perfectly satisfied with the execution. Still, if you’re looking for a fun and flirty read? One with a delicious male lead? High Heeled Wonderis a good one to get lost in.

FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.

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