Matched to Her Rival - Kat Cantrell (HD #2327 - Sept 2014)

Series: Happily Ever After Inc. (Book 3)

She was supposed to match him with someone else…

Elise Arundel won't let anyone compromise her high-profile matchmaking business -- certainly not Dax Wakefield, the doubting tycoon determined to prove she's a sham. She'll find the sexy bachelor a perfect mate. But when her foolproof program matches him with her, what's a woman to do but give in to unbridled passion?

Dax can't believe how the former-duckling-turned-swan is making him question his playboy status…and his vow to bring down her company. Could sultry Elise -- his enemy! -- be the one to change his life from one night only to happily ever after?

This was a really fun series. There's something really satisfying about seeing a fairy godmother come through for some deserving Cinderellas. And it's even more fun when the fairy godmother gets a happy ending of her own, though she certainly didn't have an easy time of it. 

Elise was doing an television interview about her business when it was hijacked by Dax Wakefield. He has had it in for her ever since he accused his friend Leo (Matched to a Billionaire) of falling for one of  Elise's trained golddiggers and lost their friendship because of it. She refuses to accept his maligning of her business and challenges him to become one of her clients. If she finds him a soulmate, he will advertise her business, if she fails he can attempt to ruin her business.

The sparks between Dax and Elise were incredible from the very beginning. Both of them were absolutely confident in their own positions, and their ability to prove it. Dax is a man who doesn't believe that love exists, and that any relationship based on emotion is doomed to crash and burn. Elise knows that there is a soulmate out there for everyone, even Dax. She just has to get him to cooperate in answering the profile questions, which is an experience in itself. I loved seeing just how much alike the two of them were, in spite of their differing views. Both have psychology degrees and are adept at reading each other and pushing their buttons. When Elise finally gets all of the questions answered and entered into her program, she is stunned to find that it selects her as Dax's perfect match. She refuses to believe it and selects someone else to match him up with. That doesn't go so well, largely because Dax can't get Elise off his mind. Because of it, Dax starts pursuing Elise with more intent, and taking advantage of the attraction he knows she feels too. I loved the give and take between them, and seeing Elise try to resist him. I liked the fact that she actually succeeded for longer than Dax expected.

Both of them discover, to their surprise, that they actually like each other and want to spend time together. By doing so, they learn more about each other and themselves, including their biggest fears. It turns out that each have some serious self-esteem and trust issues. Elise has never really gotten over her body issues from when she was heavy, and doesn't trust that anyone can see the person she really is under the figure she works so hard to maintain. Dax worries that he's like his mother, who deserted him when he was young, and is afraid to trust that he has anything substantial to offer a woman. Just as he's beginning to believe that he and Elise could have something together he learns of her lie about who he was matched with, destroying the fragile trust he had started to feel.

I felt so terrible for both of them, as each of them had really fallen for the other, but neither could let go of their fears. It isn't until they face their own demons that they can allow themselves to trust the other one. For a change it's the woman who has the biggest screwup to fix and Elise does so in a spectacular way.

I liked seeing Leo, Danni and Juliet have parts to play. Leo showed a lot of class in not saying "I told you so" to Dax. And I loved the way that Danni and Juliet showed up to give Elise moral support when she was so unhappy. 

The Texan's Twins - Pamela Britton (HAR #1514 - Sept 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 4)

Definitely Not Daddy Material!

Jasmine Marks is focused and hardworking, and when she took a job as engineer for Baron Energies, she left behind her support network. Now, the burden of caring for her twin girls is all on her, and she doesn't have time for a dilettante playboy like Jet Baron. Besides, she needs her job, and she can't blow it by getting involved with the boss's son.

On the surface, Jet Barron is a dabbler, dropping into work one day and riding rodeo the next. But when he makes his mind up, he goes for it, full-out. He knows a lot more than anyone suspects, about the oil business, about women. And this woman needs someone to count on -- which will be Jet, if he gets his way.

Wonderful story. Jasmine is a hardworking oil engineer, a woman in a man's field. It has taken her awhile to find a job and now that she has it she doesn't want to mess it up. She is also the single mother of twin girls, which adds another layer of stress to her life. Things are going well until she's assigned to work with Jet.

Jet isn't known for commitment to anything. He has a job at the company, but is rarely at the office. He's more known for his rodeo activities and the number of women he has dated. But he's getting more involved with the company, as he's going to have to step up while his sister, who really runs things, is out on maternity leave. On his first day as the new Jet, he is scheduled to meet the new engineer at a prospective site. When he gets there, he sees a beautiful woman that he assumes is a stripper that his friends have sent to prank him. Open mouth, insert foot. The woman is the new engineer and she has no trouble setting him straight. I loved seeing the way that he shows he's much more knowledgeable than she expected, but that he also has some balance in his life. 

From the beginning Jet is drawn to Jasmine in a way he's never been drawn to a woman before, He's always avoided women with kids, but Jasmine and her girls get under his skin and into his heart. While he is definitely attracted to her, Jet realizes that what Jasmine needs more than anything else right now is a friend. I loved seeing him be there as a shoulder for her to lean on or to cry on. It was great to watch as he overcame the confusion of his feelings to realize exactly what he felt for Jasmine and her girls. It was fun seeing him getting into being with the girls, playing with them, but also worrying so hard when Brooke got sick. I loved seeing the changes in him, from the carefree and sometimes careless guy at the beginning to the loving and responsible man at the end.

Jasmine's life has made her very independent and self reliant. She is used to doing everything on her own. She isn't quite sure what to make of Jet when she discovers that he's not the careless and clueless guy she thought he was. His help and support are hard to resist and she finds herself falling for him. But Jasmine is reluctant to believe that anything between them can last as she's had far too much experience with good things coming to an end. She pushes him away, telling herself she's doing it to protect her girls, but in reality she's afraid to believe that that kind of happiness is possible for her. I loved the ending and seeing how Jet's patience and understanding of her fears enabled her to overcome it all and reach for the happiness she wanted.

The Texan's Little Secret - Barbara White Daille (HAR #1510 - Aug 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 3)

Hiding The Truth

Coming home might be the worst decision Carly Baron has ever made. Each minute on her family's busy ranch is one minute closer to seeing him -- her first love -- the man who broke her heart seven years ago. While coming face-to-face with Luke Nobel again brings back painful memories, Carly quickly realizes there are other strong feelings just under the surface….

Luke would be a lot better off if Carly had stayed away. Being a single dad to an adorable two-year-old girl and managing the Roughneck is tough enough, but resisting the sparks that fly whenever he and Carly are together is near impossible. But first she must tell him her secret. The truth could heal their past…or forever destroy their chances of becoming a family.

Good story of second chances and the importance of family. Carly has come home to help take care of her dad, but she's also going to have to face Luke again. Years earlier they had parted ways when she accused him of using her to get a job on her father's ranch. Seeing him now brings back painful memories, but also the knowledge that her feelings for him never really went away.

Carly was known as the wild child in her family. Everyone saw the way she was trying new and different things, but never really settling for any one thing. What they didn't see was that it was her way of trying to figure out where she fit in her world. Being with Luke had given her that sense until it all went wrong. Now that she's back she's putting on a great show of being the tough and independent wild child, but it's still hiding a world of insecurity. She's tempted to see if there is still a chance for them, but the secret that she is hiding could ruin it all. Her fears are such that she is afraid to be around Luke's daughter.

Luke grew up on the poor side of town and worked hard for everything he got. He couldn't believe that Carly was really interested in him, especially when she wanted to keep their relationship secret. He wanted a job on her family's ranch so he could be closer to her and because it was a better job than working on cars. He was hurt when she accused him of using her, and rather than defend himself he just walked away. Years later he's got the job he wanted and is raising his little girl with the help of his mother. Having Carly back on the ranch shows him that he's never forgotten her. He really wants to see if they have a chance to get it right this time, but she keeps pushing him away. He's determined to break through her barriers and show her that they can have it all.

The search for Carly's mother is ongoing, though Carly and Savannah are the only family members who are doing it. A few more leads have come to light, and they are pursuing them as best they can. Carly's determination has her confronting her father about what he knows, and getting frustrated by his unwillingness to talk. It will be interesting to see what the other books reveal.

The Texan's Cowgirl Bride - Trish Milburn (HAR #1506 - July 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 2)

SHE WASN'T LOOKING FOR LOVE

Savannah Baron is determined to turn The Peach Pit from a simple roadside stand on her family's Texas ranch into a bustling country store. She's too busy with her business to even enter many rodeos anymore, let alone date. But when a health scare prompts her to search for her long-estranged mother, she discovers more than a helping hand in an old friend.

Soldier-turned-private investigator Travis Shepard never thought he'd move on after his wife's tragic death, yet with Savannah, the walls he built around his heart begin to crumble away. But Savannah still faces a medical crisis and Travis can't bear the idea of losing anyone else. Can he find the strength to love again?

Good book. I really liked both Savannah and Travis. Savannah has taken over the family store as her contribution to the family business. She loves what she does and has great plans for expanding the business, if she can just get her father to agree. About once a month she takes some time for herself and competes in a barrel racing event at a rodeo. At the latest rodeo she runs into Travis, an old friend from high school. He is a widower and has a private investigations business. Savannah suddenly notices him as more than just a friend. Travis is there when she takes a spill and is the one to drive her to the hospital.

Travis is trying to get his life back together. While he was serving overseas with the army his wife was shot and killed during a robbery attempt. He has guilty feelings because he wasn't there when it happened. He's also filled with a lot of anger toward the young man who did it. He never expected to be attracted to another woman, but he's having a hard time forgetting about Savannah after seeing her again. He had a big crush on her in school but never had the courage to go after her. 

Savannah has been thinking a lot about her mother who left them years ago. When she has a need to find out more about her medical history she turns to Travis for help in finding her. While working together they also discover a chemistry that they can't deny. I loved seeing Travis do things with Savannah that were fun. He could see that she is so focused on business that she doesn't do much for herself. Then the stress of her health concerns adds another layer to it and he wants to see her laugh and smile. But he also worries about getting too close to her. He's put up some pretty high walls to protect his heart and the thought of losing her is something that scares him. He doesn't know if he can open himself up again. 

Savannah has her own issues that she is dealing with. She has been keeping her health concerns to herself so that she doesn't worry her family. She also feels that she can't tell them about her search for their mother. Savannah is the one in the family who tries to avoid confrontations, but things are rapidly building for her. Her feelings for Travis are growing, but she's wary of telling him because of fears of rejection. She's also been dealing with her father over the future of the store. Ever since his rodeo accident has kept him home from work he has been interfering more and more. She knows what she wants and how to get there but convincing him has been impossible. I loved seeing how her feelings for Travis give her the confidence she needs to stand up to her father and fight for what she wants. 

In the end Travis had to face his fears and decide whether loving Savannah was worth the risks. I really enjoyed the way the story finished up with a couple of really neat twists.

The Texan's Baby - Donna Alward (HAR #1502 - June 2014)

Series: Texas Rodeo Barons (Book 1)

Unexpected Consequences

As a powerful Dallas oil executive, planning is what Lizzie Baron does best. But she certainly didn't plan on getting pregnant following one memorable night after a rodeo in Fort Worth. Now she needs to figure out how she's going to raise a baby with a man she barely knows.

Aspiring bronc rider Chris Miller always hoped he'd see Lizzie again, though not quite like this. The pregnancy is a surprise -- and so is finding out she's a member of the powerful Baron clan -- but the more Chris gets to know Lizzie, the more he realizes he wants to be with her. When Lizzie learns Chris works for a rival company, she feels betrayed. Can two perfect strangers trust each other enough to become the perfect family?

Very good book. Lizzie is the oldest in her family, and the one who plans everything in her life. She has one night when she wants to cut loose a little and ends up with Chris for one memorable night. A few weeks later she discovers she's pregnant and goes looking for him. She's independent and quite capable of raising the baby on her own, but figures he has the right to know. Chris hadn't forgotten her, and had hoped he would get a chance to see her again. He is stunned by the news, but adjusts rapidly. 

I loved the way that Lizzie and Chris handled the news. Lizzie knew he had to be told, so she did what she had to in order to find him. Chris was surprised at the news, but after a few minutes accepted it readily. There were no accusations of  entrapment or lives ruined or anything like that. That's not to say that both of them don't realize that there are going to be big changes in their lives. I loved the way that Chris made sure that Lizzie knew he planned to be involved in the baby's life. 

Just as Lizzie and Chris are settling in to talk about the baby and their future, she gets word that her father has been in an accident. Now, on top of a pregnancy she's not ready to tell her family about yet, she has to take over the running of the family oil business. She's always felt she's had to work extra hard to prove herself to her father and she doesn't want to mess it up. Being pregnant adds another level of stress. Having Chris's care and support means a lot to her. I loved seeing a strong friendship develop between them, and her love for him grows quickly out of that friendship. But Lizzie also has some issues from her past that have her attempting to keep some control of her emotions. Her mother abandoned them when Lizzie was younger and Lizzie fears that her own mothering skills are not up to the job. She also had a relationship in college go bad because the man was more interested in who she was that in Lizzie herself. 

Chris had taken leave from his job to spend some time on the rodeo circuit. He's not particularly happy in his work and is taking the time to try to figure out what he wants to do with his life. Lizzie's pregnancy is a huge surprise and he realizes that if he's going to be a good father he needs to get his life together. He goes back to his job, but takes a promotion that moves him closer to Lizzie. He's determined to be there for her every step of the way. I loved his sensitivity to her needs and how he seemed to be able to anticipate things. He occasionally feels like he isn't good enough for her because of their differences. I loved seeing how quickly he took to the idea of being a father and how happy he seemed to be about it. I really enjoyed watching he and Lizzie get closer together. The chemistry is definitely there, but there is so much more.

There is some trouble at the end when their insecurities create quite a misunderstanding. Lizzie gets a bit out of control there and says some terrible things to Chris. Both of them end up with some decisions to make and some soul searching to do. I loved the way it ended.

As the first in a series of six, there was a good introduction to the other members of the family. I loved their closeness and the way they support each other. They aren't too good to be true, though, and there are hints of issues yet to come. I'm looking forward to the rest.

Matched to a Billionaire - Kat Cantrell (HD #2315 - July 2014)

Series: Happily Ever After Inc. (Book 1)

Wanted: one convenient wife

Venture capitalist Leo Reynolds is married to his work, but now he needs a wife. Someone to run his home, host his parties--and accept a marriage that's strictly business. His one rule: love will play no part in their union. At least that's the lie he tells himself, until he meets his match....

Enter Daniella White--handpicked by the matchmaker as the perfect wife. Marriage to Leo means security, and she's willing to give up passion for friendship. But the moment they meet, sparks fly. And now temptation--and Leo's own heart--have the billionaire ready to change all the rules.

Good book. Leo is a workaholic but needs a wife to help him with the social aspects of his job. He doesn't have the time or inclination to date, so goes to a matchmaker to help him find the right woman. He wants a wife who is willing to have a strictly business relationship. Daniella matches all the requirements. She is looking for security so that she can take care of her sick mother. She had dreams of the perfect marriage but was willing to give them up for a friendly partnership instead.

Neither of them expected the intense attraction that flared as soon as they met. Leo especially fights it as hard as he can. Long ago he realized that he has a rather obsessive personality. He fears getting so lost in his feelings for Daniella that he would ignore his business and lose everything. He had grown up poor and has worked hard for the success that he has achieved so far, even though he feels it still isn't enough. Leo has some deep seated insecurities that cause him to feel that he isn't good enough. It doesn't take long for Daniella to work her way under his walls and it scares him to realize just how much he wants her. He's convinced that he can't have a successful company and a real marriage at the same time. 

Daniella accepts the terms of the marriage because she needs to take care of her mother. She also grew up poor. Signing up with the matchmaker seemed to be her best option after losing several jobs because of frequent absences. Leo has made his preferences clear - she isn't to expect any romance from him, his focus is on work. Her job is to take care of the other parts of his life. Her first sight of him blows her belief in that possibility away. She wants him in all ways in her life, but she knows that it won't be easy to convince him. She had worked hard to become the kind of person she thought he wanted, but found that her real self kept popping out. She can see that Leo has the potential to be a marvelous husband if she can just convince him of it. 

I really loved seeing the two of them as they tried to reconcile their intentions with what was really happening. I loved Daniella's determination to show Leo that he could have it all. She had all kinds of little things that she would do to try to get her point across. She had quickly discovered that she wanted more than he was offering and she wasn't going to give up.  Meanwhile, Leo was doing his best to block her from his mind and wasn't succeeding at all. This conversation said it best:

"You're driving me bananas. No. Worse than that." He squeezed the top of his head but his brain still felt as though she twirled it with a spaghetti fork. "What's worse than bananas?"

"Pomegranates," she said decisively. "They're harder to eat and don't taste as good."

He bit back a laugh. Yes, exactly. His incredibly perceptive wife drove him pomegranates. "That about covers it."

As the book progressed, Daniella started to gain confidence in herself and her abilities. I loved seeing her work with the matchmaker to help others the way that she had been helped. It also made her realize that she deserved more than she had been getting. Leo also had some changes to go through. From the rather cold, aloof man, determined to keep Daniella at a distance to the relaxed and happy husband was not an easy journey for him. He got a less than pleasant look at himself when his friend Dax made some obnoxious comments about Daniella. He also had to learn about how to have balance in his life. That was a lesson learned from a young man that Leo was mentoring, and was another fun scene in his transformation. Leo's fears were easy to understand as more was learned about him, and I loved seeing the way that Daniella loved and supported him.

Trumped Up Charges - Joanna Wayne (HI #1426 - June 2013)

Series: Big D Dads: The Daltons (Book 1)

When a mother's love meets a father's instinct…

Ex-Marine Adam Dalton once dreamed of a life with Hadley O'Sullivan, but war and a near-fatal injury cost him dearly. Now he returns to Dallas to discover the unthinkable -- Hadley is the prime suspect in the disappearance of her twin baby girls…the daughters he never knew he had.

Beyond Hadley's terror of having her children kidnapped is the shock of seeing Adam. Yes, she had kept him from his daughters, but now, when he insists they work together as a united front, she knows she is still in love with him. Despite their past, finding their children is their only hope to finally becoming a family -- if time doesn't run out first.

Good book with excellent suspense.  Hadley is going through the nightmare of kidnapped daughters when Adam reappears in her life.  He has come to offer whatever assistance she needs, just because he has never forgotten her and the love he had for her.  He's shocked to discover that he's their father, but it only makes him more determined to find them.  

I liked Adam a lot.  He's in Dallas for the reading of his father's will, only to discover that he's not dead but has used the ruse to get all his children together.  While there, Adam hears about the kidnapping and rushes to Hadley's side to offer her what support he can.  He is stunned when Hadley reveals that he's their father.  As they work together to find the girls, Adam realizes he still loves her.  I loved the way he so fully supports her while the whole thing is going on.  He also finally opens up to her about what has happened to him and why he took the actions he did.  

Hadley is terrified over the loss of her daughters.  When Adam appeared at her door she was shocked, but she found herself leaning on him right away.  His strength was about all that was keeping her together.  She felt guilty about not telling him that the girls were his, so she finally let him know.  Having him there helping her made her realize that she had never stopped loving him.  I really liked the way that she got him to open up to her and that she didn't let his injuries bother her.  

The romance took second place to the suspense itself.  I was hooked from the very beginning.  It was easy to relate to Hadley's fear and her frustration with the lack of progress that the police were making.  There were glimpses of the kidnapper, but not enough early on to get a good sense of who it was.  There were several possibilities and I was kept guessing until nearly the end.  I could see how furious Adam and Hadley were over the detective's apparent focus on her as a suspect.  I really didn't like his focus on Hadley as it made him look like he wasn't really looking at other possibilities.  Things got really intense as it got closer to ransom time.  There were a couple interesting twists at the end.  

I enjoyed the character of Adam's dad RJ.  He's made a lot of mistakes in his life and is now trying to make up for them.  As this is the first book in the series, there is a little bit of his backstory at the beginning.  I liked his attitude while Adam and Hadley are at his ranch, and how he was helping them.  It goes a long way toward helping heal his relationship with Adam.  I am looking forward to the rest of the series.  

Only issue with the book is Harlequin's continued unwillingness to properly capitalize Marine in its books.  

The Marine's Last Defense - Angi Morgan (HI #1471 - Jan 2014)

"To the rest of the world, Sabrina Watkins doesn't exist. But to this cop, she is very much alive

After escaping a killer, playing dead was the only way Sabrina Watkins could get out of Amarillo alive. Now she's living in Dallas, where no one knows her true identity. Until homicide cop Jake Craig shows up.

A half-frozen pup he finds at a crime scene brings Jake to Sabrina's doorstep. Suddenly, the former Marine is playing hero to a desperate woman on the run. Sworn to clear her name, Jake's already falling for the stunning brunette with the amethyst eyes. Can he keep her safe and turn a rescue mission into a last chance at love?

Good story with plenty of action.  Sabrina returns to her place of business early one day only to hear her partner plotting to kill her and blame her for missing funds.  As she escapes she grabs a briefcase that contains a couple million dollars.  She runs to Dallas, where she lives off the grid, working as a pet and house sitter, until she gets caught in the middle of a murder.  The murder victim's dog brings Jake to her as they discover that she was the intended victim.  As he learns more of her story, Jake ends up on the run with her, as they try to clear her name and stop a killer.

I liked Sabrina.  I completely understood her fears and why she ran rather than contact the police.  She's spent six months trying to figure out what her partner had been up to and who the other man is.  When she gets nabbed by Jake as a person of interest in the murder she knows she has to stay out of police hands until she finds out what is happening.  Her activities get Jake in hot water with his boss when she gets away from him.  Over the next two days, together they have to evade the men following her, cope with a blizzard, retrieve the missing money and rescue her family.  Sabrina wants to trust him, but she's leery of trusting anyone right now.  She finds his willingness to help her reassuring, and her attraction to him gets stronger.  I found her tendency to ignore his orders frustrating because it always seemed to make things worse.  I did like the ending.

Jake was recently promoted to detective ahead of some others because of his military experience.  It has made his work more difficult because of their attitudes and actions toward him.  When he stumbles onto the murder victim and her dog it leads him to Sabrina.  He senses that she's hiding something, and when it becomes clear that she had been the intended victim he swears to help her.  As they run ahead of the killer's men and toward recovery of the missing money, he finds himself needing to use his the training he had as a Marine.  He came back from war with some memories he'd like to forget, and this problem of Sabrina's isn't helping him do that.  Being around Sabrina is bringing a different kind of peace to his life, if he can just keep her alive.  

The mystery itself wasn't too complicated, but it sure kept the action moving.  I liked seeing the strength  of will that Sabrina had that enabled her to escape and stay safe for as long as she did.  I also enjoyed the way that she was smart enough to hide the bulk of the money and how that fact was the impetus for the story.  The frequent danger kept me turning the pages until I could see how everything turned out.

I loved the character of the Labrador puppy, Dallas.  Besides being what brought Jake and Sabrina together, she was also used to show the effects dogs can have on stress.  I also liked the way she highlighted how it can be difficult for handicapped dogs to get adopted.

The only thing that kept this from being a five star book had nothing to do with the story itself.  As frequently happens, the folks at Harlequin have a difficult time accepting that when you are writing about a member of the United States Marine Corps, Marine is always capitalized.  As is Marine Corps, and when used alone to speak of the Marine Corps, as in "when he was in the Corps".  It's something that pulls me out of the story when I see it, and as Jake had been a Marine, it happened a lot.