Off Limits

by Michele Albert

A delightful battle of the sexes as a handsome New Orleans cop tries to charm the shirt off of his lady partner, who refuses to be charmed. Emma Frey is a by-the-book cop in New Orleans, and a case... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0380820560
• ISBN13: 9780380820566
• Release Date: August 2003
• Publisher: Avon Books
• Length: 375 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.1" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

A VERY GOOD READ!!!!!

Who picks the covers for these books? I almost didn't buy this one because of the cover. I thought it would be too much fluff for me. NOT SO! This is a great read, my first by Michele Albert, she takes some very serious things and not only makes you understand these people, but care about what they have had to face. There is laughter and tears in this one. Emma Frey is a strong, steady, reliable cop with integrity. She has moved back to New Orleans to try and remake her life after a bad experience with the seedy side of law enforcement. At first Bobby Halloran strikes us as, a lightweight ladykiller,a heavy drinker, and unreliable. Later we see his facade and realize he has reached that dangerous state known as "Burnout". Not only is he a good cop, he has let himself care too much. The captain puts these two opposites together. From the first page to the last they strike sparks off each other. He calls her "Earnest Emma". And she thinks he is a flake. The situations and chemistry between him and Emma are always unpredictable. There is excitement, laughter, and explosive drama on every page of this book. I loved how the story reveals each character to us. These are not perfect people, but they are real. I could not put it down and I am going to buy every one of her books I can find.

Excellent

First of all, I think Avon's decision makers ought to be slapped silly for the cover of this book. I had never read Ms. Albert's work and thought I was gettting something along the lines of a Rachel Gibson book. Not even close! Lucky for me, I loved the book. I could tell that Bobby came from previous stories but this book stands on it's own merits. Well done. I didn't see the almost-end coming. I like that Emma is such a strong person and that she did a hard thing in turning in some bad cops back in LA. And that she weathered the consequences with grace. Even tho that happened before this book begins, we are told how this has affected her and we see how that helps her to help Bobby, who has his own demons. I was surprised to find myself liking Chloe. I hope she gets her own story one of these days. And, even tho he had a small part, I would like to see a story about the intriguing Gary Giacomo, beat cop. So, my advice is to totally ignore the stupid cover and the equally stupid backcover summary. Read this book for pleasure. Not for laughs.

Contemporary with Depth

I read a lot of light-hearted contemporaries, and I enjoy them a great deal. It's nice to have a little laughter and light in life. But rare is the contemporary that gives me both humor and depth. "Off Limits" is one of those rareties.From the cover, "Off Limits" sounds like a typical "clash of the styles" romance. But Albert gives her characters great depth. Emma initially comes off as cold. Nothing new in a romance there. But Albert gives her a reason to be uptight, and allows her to thaw a bit without totally rewriting the character. Bobby seems like a typical light-hearted clown of a contemporary hero, ready to "lighten up" our heroine. But instead he's a deeply troubled man, fighting demons inside himself. Emma and Bobby end up tightly integrated as characters, and their relationship has a lot of believability and depth.Albert also does a good job of developing the "mystery" within the plot. The mystery doesn't serve as a device to develop the relationship between the two, except as a case they're investigating as partners. I always appreciate it when a "romance" author manages to integrate the plot tightly into the romance without making it a device.Not only that, but this book has some great secondary characters, most notably Chloe (who also appears in an earlier book). It would have been easy to draw her as more of a caricature, but she's given a great deal of depth as well.I appreciated that Emma is portrayed as an everyday person, fighting self-esteem issues. And I also appreciated that Chloe and Bobby, both very good-looking characters, took pragmatic views towards their own looks. Bobby is good-looking, but that hasn't helped him find someone to truly love him. I appreciated the detail in his development as a character.Still, the book has some light-hearted moments. It's definitely not a serious romance, although it's more serious than a lot of contemporary romances with similar covers. Honestly, I don't really enjoy "weepie" romances all that much. This wasn't one of those!My only disappointment is that Albert does leave us one unresolved plot line, and it bothered me. Whether it's the result of cuts or just a plot line left hanging, I wish something had happened with it.All in all, this was a smooth read, one I truly enjoyed reading. I enjoyed my time with the characters a great deal, and look forward to reading Chloe's story in the future (hopefully!). Recommended.

Ahhhhhhhhh Bobby

Off Limits is one of Michele Albert's Best. Emma Frey is a no-nonsense, follow the rules kind of cop. She gets paired up on a major case with Bobby Halloran. Bobby has not met a rule he cannot get around or a woman he can get into his bed. Emma presents problems for him on all fronts.Despite what people may say about Bobby and his methods. He cares deeply for those in his life. Emma soon is not only in is face at work, she has worked her way into his heart.Emma and Bobby grow closer as they find out answers on a troubling case. Bobby has always been a favorite of mine and his story is well worth the wait. Emma is the perfect woman for Bobby. This is a wonderful book.

Bobby's story - at last!

If you are wondering what happened to Michelle Jerott wonder no more! Here she is, bigger and better than ever with her second book written as Michele Albert. Some of you may remember Bobby Halloran who was introduced as an important secondary character in Michele's first book (as MJ), "Absolute Trouble" and who made another appearance in Michele's last book, "Getting Her Man". From day one I (and other readers too, I'm sure) have been waiting for Bobby's story. And now, at long last, it has arrived and it was well worth waiting for. An alpha male with hidden depths, Bobby has found his match in steadfast, quiet and serious Emma Frey. Well, maybe she's not so quiet and she definitely has her own hidden depths. This book continues in Michele's trademark style: the story contains not only hot, hot, hot sparks between these two fascinating characters but also a deep and insightful growth of their relationship. In addition there is a fascinating suspense story revolving around another character from the past, Chloe Mitsumi, also from "Absolute Trouble" (and a fascinating character she is too. Chloe needs a book -that's my opinion). I am also a really big fan of Linda Howard and Elizabeth Lowell and, in my opinion, the suspense and romance in this story ranks right up there with their books. If you have never read Michele Albert/Michelle Jerott this is a great place to start. She writes intelligent, sexy, suspenseful stories with fascinating, exciting characters. Grab the book, a glass of wine and/or a box of chocolates and settle in for a great read!