You did it! We figured this one out! It is a truth universally acknowledged (by me for certain) that the Bitchery pretty much knows everything, and really, it's true. Scroll down to see the solution for this HaBO - and many thanks!
This HaBO comes from Christine, who is looking for a romantic suspense novel:
Hey there! So I am feeling like this was a series of contemporary romantic suspense books that I read about 15 years ago. T
he books had connecting characters (brothers, I think). There was quite a bit of sailing/yachts in the first book.
The hero was kind of a jerk. The heroine’s first name started with a T (Tallulah? Tabitha?) and she was described as being sort of plain looking. She had a lot of insecurities being with the hero.
At the start of the book, she is on a yacht of a bad guy (maybe he’s Greek?) and ends up jumping overboard. The hero rescues her but doesn’t really trust her, hence some of the jerky behavior.
There is steamy sex scenes including the use of pearls (I think maybe part of a treasure that was found by hero?). The second book in the series had the hero’s brother in it.
I don’t remember much except that the heroine was an ex, who he referred to as “California.” I thought maybe it was Cynthia Eden or Cindy Gerard, but I checked their backlists and I can’t find the book(s).
Boy, romance heroes really love pearls, don’t they.
In Too Deep
by Cherry Adair
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Could it be In Too Deep by Cherry Adair? Many of your details fit. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZVRAB6?tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1
@Erica H, I also vote for Cherry Adair. I haven’t read it, but I feel like that pearl scene was much discussed when that book came out. The hero being a dick also sounds pretty familiar.
I’m so glad you came up with her name. I was convinced that it was Candy, but nothing was coming up with my Googling.
You guys rock! it was totally Cherry Adair – In too deep! I couldn’t come up with that author, and instead kept circling other romantic suspense author’s with C names. LOL
Thanks SBTB and Erica & Jill!
In Too Deep is on KU so I borrowed it and did some searching and skim reading. There’s definitely a sex scene involving pearls but the heroine isn’t an ex and there isn’t a single mention of California in the book. And at the beginning of the book, the heroine doesn’t jump off the boat, it’s blown up.
However, the heroine’s name does start with a T (Tally) and she is described as a “plain little thing” multiple times. And the hero is definitely a jerk.
In book two of the series, Hide and Seek, the couple are exes and the heroine is from California but he doesn’t call her that. Plus, it’s set in a jungle.
OP, is it possible you’re conflating two different books? I’ve definitely done that before.
If the answer is Into Deep by Cherry Adair, than this is the 3rd time it has been a HABO (as far as I can tell after some quick googling). That deserves some kind of prize. Most memorable while being still being forgettable. . . 😉 I don’t know, I’m bad at titles!
@Jill Q. Highly Memorable Scenes, Forgettable Titles?
There are some books that are just like that – unforgettable scenes don’t necessarily tell you anything else about the book. There’s one book I briefly thought about submitting for a HaBO, because of one truly wackadoodle scene I can remember about it. Buuuut that same scene (and the other vague elements I can remember) mean I don’t actually want to reread the thing.