Blow Me Down

All work and no play make Amy a dull girl, or so Amy's precocious daughter tells her as she convinces Amy to try a new virtual-reality game, Buckling Swashes. Amy agrees in the hope of humoring her child, but instead she winds up in the middle of an amazingly detailed world and right in the path of Corbin, one hot pirate captain who turns out to be one of the game's creators. What they also discover is that they're caught inside the game--in a trap set by a disgruntled employee--and must work together to save the game and themselves. Combining a light sci-fi feel with contemporary characters and the game's historical setting, MacAlister's latest novel is a great "try it" book for readers who say they don't read romances with a sci-fi twist. If that doesn't hook them, most likely the charming humor of an almost-midlife--crisis mom and a not-so-alpha hero falling head over buckles for each other will do the trick. Nina Davis Copyright (c) American Library Association. All rights reserved