Thigh High

Written by Christina Dodd

Narrated by Natalie Ross

Nessa Dahl always had the good sense to steer clear of trouble. Then Jeremiah MacNaught showed up in New Orleans, determined to get to the bottom of a string of bank robberies by two women wearing Mardi Gras masks. Little does Nessa realize that the handsome investigator is convinced she's involved with the crimes-or that he's willing to do anything to get the truth. Even if it means taking the beautiful woman he's convinced is a liar and a thief straight to bed...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Oct 6, 2010
• ISBN: 9781441825728

Christina Dodd

New York Times bestselling author CHRISTINA DODD builds worlds filled with suspense, romance, and adventure, and creates the most distinctive characters in fiction today. Her fifty novels have been translated into twenty-five languages, featured by Doubleday Book Club, recorded on Books on Tape for the Blind, won Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart and RITA Awards, and been called the year's best by Library Journal. Dodd herself has been a clue in the Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle.

Reviews for Thigh High

[azacia · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The only thing crazier than New Orleans during Mardi Gras is this novel. I'm usually a huge fan of Christina Dodd, but this book fell flat.

Jeremiah MacNaught is an ex-gigolo turned billionaire northern bank owner who will stop at nothing to catch the beaded bandits robbing his New Orlean's banks. Every Mardi Gras they strike once and no one can seem to catch them. They leave notes with dating advice with the bank tellers they rob and steal less money per heist than McNaught probably pays for cable each month. However, McNaught is determined to fly down to New Orleans first hand and catch these criminals. His main suspect: the pretty little bank teller, Nessa Dahl.

Nessa Dahl is a grown woman who has been working at the same job forever without a raise and still lives at home with her two old aunts and a bunch of odd boarders. She is constantly beat down at work by an evil boss who is so bad it's comical, and never seems to stand up for herself. At least she doesn't have six cats.

Once he arrives in New Orleans, McNaught will do whatever it takes to bring the culprits to justice and to make Nessa his. This scarred hero can take a bullet in the afternoon and then lead an all-night dancing event with old ladies; he can convince a cop to borrow their gun and then sneak into a bank in the middle of a bank robbery; he can believe the worst in people including his own mother; but he can't seem to make Nessa want to be his girl even with a billion dollar ring.

What should be a romance, is a hot and steamy mess. McNaught knows no limits in his desire to claim what he wants. His arrogance and pushy behavior are difficult to digest. He results to threats against Nessa and her family to make her agree to do his bidding. With his rough childhood, Nessa is inclined to overlook the fact that he grew up to be a cruel jerk. The characters are flat - from the bank director the author calls "Steph-a-beast" to the childhood arch nemesis of McNaught who are both just bad bad bad. Even the bad characters should have a few redeeming qualities and a little depth.

The narration by Natalie Ross was passable. She did an excellent job portraying Nessa, but a little less so with some of the side characters. Her laugh is glass shattering, and not in a positive way.
Overall, I would prefer to have the ten hours I spent listening to this back to do something more worthwhile ... like forming origami swans or reading a dictionary.

[beckymmoe_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those books where the secondary characters are almost as much fun as the main ones--at times, they even nearly eclipse them. A fun read; you won't want to put it down! This book almost made me want to move to New Orleans!

[sunnysd_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For the last few years a pair known as the Beaded Bandits have hit Jeremiah MacNaught's banks during Mardi Gras. They take piddling amounts, and leave behind fashion and lifestyle advice. The FBI isn't too concerned, because frankly they have bigger fish to worry about, but Jeremiah is sure he knows who the ringleader is, and he's got a plan to trap her.Nessa Dahl lives with her aunts in the historic Dahl House. She's working diligently toward the day she gets her next promotion at work and her aunts no longer have to take in boarders. But when the office being readied at the bank turns out to be for a very large, very attractive insurance investigator sent to catch the Beaded Bandits her life suddenly gets very, very complicated.More fun than I thought it was going to be. This one is loosely linked (genetically) to Trouble in High Heels and Tongue in Chic.

[reading_crystal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining book. It jumped around a little bit with the storyline, but the characters held my attention from the beginning. I love Nessa the heroine. Everyone loves her, she's graceful, sweet, beautiful and knows how to handle people and generally likes handling people. Jeremiah isn't easy to love, in fact I'm not sure I like him except for the fact that Nessa likes him. Add in some colorful secondary characters and the wonderful setting of New Orleans - post-Katrina and I am wanting to go feel the magic of New Orleans. Fun book. It had been awhile since I had read the others in the series, but that doesn't matter really. The only mention of the previous books was right at the end.So a fun enjoyable read - some mystery, some romance, lots of great characters and a great setting.

[lanijoy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

fun and hot!

[jjmachshev_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I buy a new book by Christina Dodd, I know it's going to be an enjoyable read. I like her historicals, and when she began contemporaries I was a little leery, but once I read one...I was hooked. Her latest "Thigh High" is an exciting blend of passionate romance, humor, and a light mystery to boot! Nessa is a heroine to enjoy. She's always tried to do the right thing and her soft heart has really only let her down once. Since the death of her parents, she's lived with her eccentric aunts in one of New Orlean's famous Garden District houses. She struggles to help her aunts and try to keep up with the maintenance on the great house by working doggedly at a local bank for a real $itch of a boss all the employees call Stephabeast who hates Nessa.Mac is a miserable, scarred businessman who lives for money and power. He's come to New Orleans to solve the mystery of the Beaded Bandits who rob one of his New Orleans banks for minimal amounts once a year during Mardi Gras. As far as he's concerned, it's not the amounts, it's the fact that it's stealing. No grey area here. He's also sure that Nessa MUST be involved.Seeing these two together is like waiting and watching for the train wreck. You know it's gonna happen, it's just a matter of time. And man...is it sizzling once it does!! They're both lying to each other and each is trying to negotiate their way through a relationship. I enjoyed Nessa and Mac. I loved the Beaded Bandits. The live-in transvestite was a hoot and I could almost feel the electricity of Mardi Gras. The ending left the probability of a follow-on book and I can hardly wait!

[phyllisd_5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Christina Dodd is always great but...The proclamation of love from the heroine seemed a little soon. It wasn't believable. I missed the clue that made him solve the crime that seemed to come out of no where. I also didn't think anyone could brush off his behavior so easily. Too much was left to the end to explain his actions which made the here extremely unlikable for most of the book. Still, I can't say it wasn't a good read.

[lrobe190 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mac MacNaughten is the owner of Premier Banks located in New Orleans, During the last several years, various branches of the banks have been robbed during Mardi Gras a couple of drag queens called the Beaded Bandits.. The amount stolen each time is negligible ad no one has every been hurt, but Mac isn't about to let anyone rob HIS banks. His chief suspect is Nessa Dahl, assistant manager of one of the branches who made a mistake several years ago and let a teller steal $500 from the bank. Mac travels to New Orleans undercover as insurance investigator Jeramiah Mac. He appoints Nessa as his assistant to help bring the bandits to justice. He doesn't count on falling head over heels in love with her. This is the first book I've read by Christina Dodd. The New Orleans setting is very authentic and the characters are funny and endearing. The romance is hot and the plot suspenseful. The ending made me think there might be a series in the making since it is revealed that Mac has 4 brothers.

[ademarie_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Light, easy read. Very enjoyable.