Throwback Thursday: Heart on a Stick by Carla Neggers

Author: Carla Neggers
First published in 1983 by Loveswept

Witty, unconventional JoAnna Radcliff fell off a ladder into brilliant heart surgeon Paul Houghton Welling's arms. But one look at him told her he belonged in the stuffy Philadelphia society world she'd escaped for a cottage in Pigeon Cove. She firmly believed she'd never fit into his life -- she, a puppeteer, spent her days in paint-spattered jeans and her evenings in antique dresses from her grandmother's attic. 

But she couldn't have been more wrong about Paul -- and he set out to show her, with infinite patience and fierce determination. She was the puppet master, but he knew how to keep her heart on a string.

I'm a huge fan of Carla Neggers.  After reading this, I am glad that her writing has improved over the years.  Don't get me wrong, Heart on a String isn't a bad book, but you can definitely tell it's an early work.  It has all the wonderful cheesy content that an early 80s romance needs. JoAnna is a puppet maker who falls fast for a heart surgeon.  She is convinced they won't work well together, but they can't deny their lust.  Paul will do anything to convince Jo that they are perfect for each toehr.

I thought this was a cute story.  I had a couple of issues, the first being the little amount of time they actually spent together. It kind of made it hard to see how they fell in love.  I also got a little tired of Jo constantly doubting Paul.  That just got old.  Their HEA was great and I loved Paul's "revenge" over the puppet show Jo put on at the holiday party.  That was really cute. I'd recommend going this early one a shot, especially if you are a fan of this author.  It's a very quick read.  Perfect for a rainy afternoon.