Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Comfort (Midnight Duet) delivers a riveting blend of passion and intellect in this sultry enemies-to-lovers rom-com. Staid professor Teddy Ferguson and high school dropout Maxine Hart, who has ADHD, go head to head on the Jeopardy!-style quiz show Answers!--but what viewers at home don't know is that the night before taping, the duo shared a heated kiss. Maxine wins, and Teddy becomes convinced that she only made out with him to throw him off his game. A year later, they both sign on to compete in an Answers! all-stars special--and the only way to take down the reigning champ is to work together. With bragging rights and a $2 million prize on the line, Maxine sets aside her animosity for the man who, in her view, left her hanging, teaching Teddy to embrace spontaneity (which will improve his buzzer time) and take risks (not just make safe bets). Meanwhile Teddy devises innovative teaching methods for Maxine's unique learning style. It soon becomes clear that their contrasting personalities complement each other perfectly. Their chemistry is palpable and the sex scenes, when they inevitably arrive, are wonderfully informed by the characters' challenging and competitive dynamic. Sensual, funny, and heartwarming, this brings the goods. Agent: Eva Scalzo, Speilburg Literary. (Feb.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Maxine Hart left the pride and heart of starchy and snobby Teddy Ferguson in the same hotel pool in which she seduced him, ate his lucky powdered chocolate donut, and ended his 76-game Answers! winning streak. Not too bad for a self-educated high school dropout with ADHD who has a special interest in trivia. Years later, Max and Teddy's rivalry is given new life when they both sign on to compete in an Answers! tournament of champions. Before they can best each other, Teddy and Max realize they'll need to combine their strengths to prepare for the tournament if they hope to have a chance to top the undefeated reigning champion. They spend an intensive five weeks training together. Teddy's unlimited knowledge and study techniques and the "to the Max" strategy employed by Maxine are the perfect combination, for game-show play and, perhaps, for romance as well. VERDICT Comfort (Midnight Duet) goes "to the Max" with her plot choices, bold and hilarious banter, and full-on smoldering sexual tension, featuring two completely opposite yet perfect for each other trivia nerds. Patrons will want to buzz in early to get their hands on this wonderfully campy rom-com.--Elizabeth Gabriel
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Two record-setting trivia nerds combine forces to dethrone a game-show champion. Although Maxine Hart dropped out of high school in Brooklyn, she has a lust for information that she chalks up to ADHD. Knowing a little about a lot is what earns her a spot on the trivia game show Answers!, where she beats stuffy Theodore Ferguson III, a Princeton professor and holder of the show's record for longest winning streak. Maxine isn't sure whether Teddy was dazzled by her natural genius or distracted by the fact that they'd shared a steamy kiss the night before the taping. Regardless, both players are eager to face one another again, and their only hope is to make it onto the Answers! tournament of champions. Once there, though, they're both up against the undefeated Hercules McKnight, who Maxine thinks is a "fake-tanned douchebag." Neither she nor Teddy wants to see Hercules win, so they vow to help each other strengthen their weak categories. Through clandestine meetings ripe with sexual tension, Maxine and Teddy hone their skills. The quiz show setting makes a compelling pressure-cooker of an environment; unfortunately, it overstays its welcome, beginning to feel like a gimmick for increasing Maxine and Teddy's forced proximity. The characters' opposite natures are what keep the momentum of their romance going. They play well off one another, slinging cutting barbs and sexy flirtations faster than their speed on the buzzer. Teddy, buttoned up and Oxford educated, often clashes against Maxine's bold, brash, and affable nature. Her goal for being on Answers! is to show that intelligence isn't tied to degrees and that one's desire to learn can be cultivated in a more personal way. This is a romance for readers who love "smart is sexy" main characters or prefer banter as part of their foreplay. A sizzling and smart rivals-to-lovers romance with a half-baked setting. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
