The Playboy    by Carly Phillips Order:  USA  Can Warner, 2003 (2003) Paperback Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Martina Bexte Deputy Rick Chandler is trying to escape not only the marriage machinations of his well-meaning mother (who's determined to see her three boys settled and producing grandchildren) but also the hungry eye of every single woman in town. Rick has absolutely no plans of saying 'I do' ever again, since his first marriage went sour. It's just too bad that his mother and the single woman of Yorkshire Falls won't listen. When a fake 911 call lands Chandler in the greedy clutches of Lisa Burton, Yorkshire Falls' most determined spinster, he welcomes a second call for help that takes him in the opposite direction, and down a lonely stretch of road, to help a lady in real distress. No one is more surprised than Rick when he discovers a lovely bride running from her own wedding. Kendall Sutton is even more commitment-shy than Rick and as she sits in her broken down car still wearing her full wedding regalia, she wonders what ever possessed her to almost utter 'I do'. She's too independent to settle down. But when Officer Rick Chandler rides to Kendall's rescue, the attraction is instantaneous and searing. Rick hatches a wild scheme when he learns that Kendall's stay in Yorkshire Falls is only temporary. Why not announce that the two of them they are an item? But when their fake relationship turns into the real thing, and when the entire town embraces the woman who's finally snagged the middle Chandler son, Kendall and Rick must ask themselves if a parting of the ways is really what they want after all. The Playboy is a pleasant and heart-warming second instalment to Carly Phillips' Chandler series. Rick and Kendall are both delightful characters. So are the secondaries (most of which we've already met in The Bachelor), including Raina Chandler, everybody's favourite 'interfering mother'. The plot is pretty conventional so don't look for many surprises, but the characters more than make up for it. The Playboy makes for a breezy and enjoyable read to curl up with on a chilly January evening. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews