Notes of Temptation — Rebecca Halsey

Together they take the stage. Together they must defend it to the death.

When Carrie Cooper leaves her small gold-mining town to seek her fortune, it's not until she arrives in L.A. that she learns her college certificate is a fraud. The only work available is in a less-than-respectable speakeasy. The job comes with the opportunity to take the stage with Oz Dean, the club's captivating bandleader. But rivals out for her blood along with her place in the spotlight lurk behind the curtain. Oz Dean has the rare ability to "see" music as brilliant colors, but nothing has ever dazzled him like Carrie's pure, choirgirl voice. With a mob debt hanging over his head like a guillotine, he organizes a revue that will launch them all to stardom. Unfortunately, his bold move attracts exactly the kind of criminal attention he'd like to avoid. Mired in Hollywood's underbelly, caught off-guard by their growing attraction, Carrie and Oz are forced to consider the cost of success. Or their one chance to make beautiful music together could be their last.

Warning: Romance with the flare of jazz and a touch of suspense. Wise guys, jealous dames, a wide-eyed ingénue, and fancy moves-and we're not talking about the dance floor. May require a little morning-after hair of the dog.