Gracie and the Bad Hat is such an interesting title that I had to see what the book is all about. A novel-sized contemporary romance set between two artists, Gracie and the Bad Hat is an interesting story with very human characters that will keep you turning pages.

Gracie O'Shaughnessy finds herself buck naked in the bed of a man she doesn't know. Now, for some milliners–hat-makers that is–this might be a normal occurrence, but for Ms. O'Shaughnessy it is most certainly not. The worst part is she can't remember a thing about what happened.

Whoever this man is beside her, well, he mustn't be very good at what he does because his apartment is a dismal mess. Oh yeah, he's a photographer. Steven wasn't it? Yes, now it's coming back, but it doesn't matter what his name is he doesn't have the qualities on her list of the perfect man. Those condom boxes - many, many condom boxes - in the bathroom tell her all too plainly the kind of man he is. The kind she doesn't want.

Gracie stood at the altar alone once, so this time her foolish heart is not going to get the best of her, and neither are her hormones. It's just too bad that this incredibly sexy man doesn't have what her list is asking for, because he certainly has what her hormones are begging for.

Steven Levy watches Gracie fight with herself. No, she hadn't had sex with him last night, but yes, she definitely wanted to have sex with him this morning. She was so worked up he could taste her already and he wanted nothing more that to take her back to bed and finish what never got started last night.

Steven finds himself confused. Somehow between last night and this morning Gracie got the idea he slept around a lot. She's worried she's one of the many women he's lured to his bed and she didn't want to be one of the many. True, he isn't ready for anything serious, but perhaps more than just a one night - or morning- stand. Could she overlook her list? Is she really going to walk out his door and never look back?

Ms. Gaia creates an interesting tale in Gracie and the Bad Hat. I enjoyed the characters and I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to see what happened to them. The problem was that I didn’t get enough of what I wanted.

There is something about this story that feels unfinished. The characters interact with one another, but you never truly feel a connection between them or with them. The story seems superficial and forced at times and it lacks depth and detail that would carry it into the realm of a truly wonderful book. 

I found it to be a worthwhile read, but it left me feeling unsatisfied, as if it could have been much more.
 
Reviewed By Sabine Maurier
© October 2007