The Dimple of Doom by Lucy Woodhull (Samantha Lytton #1)
Released: August 2, 2013
Contemporary Romance

Reviewed by Mandi

Favorite Quote: Usually food was my number one passion, but this man was locked in a dead heat with fried chicken.

It’s rare that a book really makes me laugh out loud. I remember laughing really hard at the start of Nice Girls Don’t Fangs by Molly Harper. I laughed while I read Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson. There are many times authors tell me their books are funny in the review requests but funny is hard. People think different things are funny. But The Dimple of Doom cracked me up. I laughed and laughed and then laughed some more.

Samantha is a secretary for a company called Steak on a Stick. She has a sleazy boss, she has failed at acting and her mother always dumps on her. The one thing that keeps her going is her lust over Sam, an accountant she works with. At the company Christmas party, things finally start to take off between them.

“Potato ball?” he asked. Sam Turner, aka The Accountant, held the fried offering palm up on a festive red and green paper plate.

I had the hots for a dude named Sam. My name is Samantha. Samantha ‘n’ Sam. It was the stuff of obnoxious wedding invitations.

What colour were his hazel eyes today? Glancing up, I slid into hormone heaven. He stood, eyes mossy green pools of sensual seductiveness, and offered me the Garden of Eden apple. Except it was a potato ball.

Cocking my head, I posed in an alluring manner that I hoped brought Marilyn Monroe to mind. I should say something. Something not stupid.

“I love balls.” Oh, damn. “And potatoes!” Did I just tell him I loved to eat balls? “I mean I love to eat food! In ball form. You know. Because it’s easy. To eat. Except when it rolls. Then it can be hard to catch.”

Things progress from this lovely banter to a make-out session up in her boss’s office. Samantha knows her boss has a secret vault full of pricey art work and uses the code to open it up and show Sam around. But they are then caught by security guards, halting their make-out session.

Samantha goes home but her night is not over. Someone breaks into her apartment and tries to kill her. Samantha escapes and as she is running down the street clad in bunny slippers, Sam is there with a gun and starts shooting at the bad guy. Sam tells her he is not an accountant, rather a FBI agent, trying to bust an art thief ring. He drags her to a cheap motel to hide out. He tells her that her boss is an international art thief and she is in danger now that they were spotted in his vault.

But soon, Samantha learns the real truth about Sam – and she gets dragged into craziness with him. (spoiler alert – she also falls in love with him!)

Samantha really worked for me. She makes fun of herself. She loves to eat. She knows she shouldn’t pursue any romantic notions about Sam, who more than once lies to her, but she lets her ovaries do the talking and fully admits to it. She has a best friend who gives her advice as she sneaks phone calls to her:

“Are you peeing? I hate it when you do that!”

I stopped what I was doing, which was not peeing, because that was poor behavior.

“That’s what you have to ask me? After the story I just told you?”

“It’s the first thing I have to ask you. The second is…what the what, Samantha. Why…where….why? Why are you not at the police station?”

“Um,” I answered. Why hadn’t I run to the coppers?

Because his eyes made me wet.

There were worse reasons.

And Sam.. He is a good guy, although he makes some poor decisions in this book. But I really adored him. He may handcuff Samantha on more than one occasion which really pisses her off, but he does it to keep her safe. Sam is quite sexy too – this book isn’t just funny but has some nice, sexy romance in it too.

I will note, at the end, although they are in love, they are not physically together due to circumstances. And due to the fact the author plans more books with them. I think this book is a bit on the long side, especially with the ending not 100% complete. I also really wish the publisher didn’t have this book listed so pricey. It’s hard to take a chance on a newer author when you have to spend a lot. But if you want something light-hearted, funny and well written – you might want to take a chance on this one.

Rating: B

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