A Sweetheart for Jude Fortune - Cindy Kirk (HSE #2312 - Feb 2014)

Series: Fortunes of Texas: Welcome to Horseback Hollow (Book 2)

It's love at first sight for one sexy cowboy--but has this Fortune met the only woman who just might slip through his grasp?

As Valentine's Day approaches, playboy rancher Jude Fortune Jones is convinced he has met the Woman He Is Going to Marry. (Again, his brothers tease.) But it is no joke to Jude. When petite brunette beauty Gabriella Mendoza arrives in Horseback Hollow, Jude knows he will never be the same.

Keep things light, Gabi tells herself. She is in no position to think about settling down, particularly with the hopeless-romantic cowboy. As a heart-transplant recipient, she has plenty of reasons to avoid getting too intimate with Jude--plenty of reasons to feel less than worthy of his love. How can she trust that the flirtatious Fortune is playing for keeps?

Good book.  Gabi has come from Miami to look after her father after he was in an accident.  She doesn't expect to meet someone like Jude.  He's so sweet and sexy, but she's not looking for anything permanent.  Meanwhile, Jude has finally found someone worth giving up his playboy reputation for, but she seems to be resisting.

I liked Gabi most of the time.  She has a great relationship with her father, even though she sometimes gets frustrated by his overprotective attitude.  She has a terrific sense of humor.  The first time she met Jude she was very attracted to him.  But as a heart-transplant recipient doesn't want to let Jude get too close.  She knows there's a chance that something could go wrong and she doesn't want to put him through that kind of pain. She also feels that she can't give him everything he deserves in a wife. So she tells him they can be friends for as long as she's in town, but that's all.  She is surprised by how quickly he comes to mean more to her than friends, but that love is what keeps her pushing him away.  I got really frustrated with the way that she didn't tell him everything about her health, and didn't give him the chance to decide for himself if he wanted to take that chance.  I did like the way that she took to life in Horseback Hollow.  Her enjoyment of the small town life made her long to move there permanently, but her fears sent her running.  

Jude was a sweetheart.  He's been playing the field for a long time, but did his best to make sure he didn't break anyone's heart.  When he met Gabi, he knew she was the one for him.  He doesn't understand her resistance to him, but he's willing to take things slow.  I really loved his persistence.  Slowly but surely he showed her how he felt.  There were so many really sweet and romantic things that he did with and for her.  I loved the way that he was completely accepting of her scar, showing her that it was not the turn-off that she thought it was.  Even when she finally came clean about her heart, he tried to convince her that his love was true.  I felt so terrible for him when she pushed him away, and so proud of him when he refused to stay away.  I'm looking forward to later books and seeing how things go for them.

He's the One - Linda Lael Miller, Jill Shalvis, Lucy Monroe, Kate Angell, Cat Johnson (Kensington - June 2013)

BATTERIES NOT REQUIRED by Linda Lael Miller 
Series: Parable MT (Book .5)
Contrary to popular opinion, Gayle Hayes's love life is out of service. But when she returns to her small Montana hometown, rodeo bad boy Tristan McCullough gives her a whole new lesson in power surge. . .

Good story, though very short.  Gayle had left Parable right after high school, leaving sweetheart Tristan behind.  She didn't think he'd care, since she saw him with his arms around someone else.  When she comes back to town to help her mom sell her bar, she runs in to him right away.  The chemistry between them is even stronger.  I liked seeing them actually talk about what drove them apart although that seemed to be about the only talking they did.  I would have liked it to be a little longer so that there was more to the story.





CAPTIVATED by Jill Shalvis
James Scott warned his investigator ex-wife Ella to be more careful. Now he finds the irate woman nearly naked and handcuffed to the towel rack in his Mexican vacation condo. He should release her. Then again. . .

Pretty good story.  Ella is an insurance investigator who has really bad luck.  She is constantly getting caught by the bad guys and locked in trunks, tied up, etc.  This time she's been caught snooping and handcuffed to a towel bar to keep her out of the way until the bad guys can get away.  She's discovered by her ex, who had come to their cottage to get away for awhile.  James (a cop) still loves her, but his fears for her safety made it impossible for him to live with her.  All he wants is for her to give up the dangerous investigations.  I completely understood Ella's problem with James.  As she told him "I loved you James. Every part of you, but what kills me is that you can't say the same."  She accepts that being a cop is who he is and doesn't try to make him change, but he was constantly after her to change.  The question is, can they find a compromise before Ella gets into more trouble?





SEDUCING TABBY by Lucy Monroe
Everybody always wants Tabby Payton's beautiful sister. But not sexy English spy Calder Maxwell. He wants Tabby, body and soul, and he's willing to take seduction to new levels to prove it. . .

Loved this story.  Tabby is used to people wanting her beautiful sister.  Men will make up to her as a way to learn about Helene.  She doesn't mind - she loves her sister and wants her to be happy.  But when Calder makes it clear he is interested in her, Tabby doesn't know what to do.  Having a sexy Brit courting her is a dream come true.  I adored Calder.  I loved the way that he saw what a wonderful and sexy woman she was.  It was so much fun seeing him do so many things to make her happy.  I loved seeing the care he took to make sure that she was certain about wanting him.





NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, NO SERVICE by Kate Angell
Series: Barefoot William (Book 2.5)
Violet Cates is done with surfing beach bums. She's ready for a new wave, someone with more ambition than a grain of sand. Like Brad Davis. He looks like a beach bum, but looks can be so deceiving. . .

Very good story.  Violet and Brad had been together for six years when he left town to try to make a better life.  Five years later he has returned, apparently not much different.  The love between Violet and him is still there and as strong as ever.  Vi is just happy that he's back.  Together they work at the diner where they worked as teens and get to know each other again.  I loved seeing the way they shared their dreams.  I also enjoyed seeing Vi take care of Brad, even though he tried to tell her that she didn't need to.  I really enjoyed the ending and seeing how they make their dreams come true.





FISH OUT OF WATER by Cat Johnson
Series: Oklahoma Nights (Book 2.5)
Carla Henricks is a cowgirl through and through, but her lasso has never met an English professor like Mark Ross. It's true opposites attract. Staying together is the juicy part. .

Good story.  Carla has been burned in love by cowboys once too often.  She's ready to try something different.  Mark is on a university staff retreat camping trip when he meets Carla.  I loved the way he was so unenthusiastic about the camping and fishing until he met Carla.  Having her show him the ropes is the best part of the weekend.  I really enjoyed seeing how much fun he had catching his first fish, and then doing the cooking.  The attraction the two felt to each other was strong, but I also enjoyed seeing them just get to know each other.

Once a SEAL - Anne Elizabeth (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Nov 2013)

Series: West Coast Navy SEALs (Book 2)

A Hero of Her Own

What woman hasn't dreamed of what it would be like to marry a Navy SEAL? Dan McCullum is everything Aria has ever imagined--sweet, strong, and sexy as hell. She just never expected how tough the SEAL life would be. Dan could be gone at a moment's notice and not allowed to tell her where he's going or when he'll be back.

Dan has never backed down from a challenge in his life. But this one is his hardest yet. How does he balance his duty to his country with a soul-deep love for Aria? It's going to require patience, ingenuity, and some of the hottest homecomings he can dream up. Because for him, this isn't a fling: this is forever...

Good book with the bulk of the story happening after the wedding. Aria and Dan met and married after only four weeks.  Their love was strong but both had some major adjustments to make.  When Dan was nearly late for their wedding because he'd been off on a mission Aria wondered if their whole marriage would be like that.  Dan loves Aria's strength and independence and expects that she'll have no trouble adjusting to life as a military life.  Both have some issues from their pasts that affect the way they live their lives.

I liked both Dan and Aria, but I did have a few issues with them.  Dan is basically a great guy.  He has that whole strong and sexy thing going on.  He adores Aria. He admires her independence. The problem I had with him was that during the time he was dating Aria he never bothered to introduce her to his friends' wives and girlfriends.  This would have made her adjustment to military life easier, as they would have been able to clue her in about some of the challenges.  Instead, he cuts their honeymoon short to take care of the various tasks of getting her set up as his wife, without actually explaining anything to her in the process.  He commits her to a wives' get together and gives her only a few minutes warning.  On the plus side, he supports her completely when she has to take custody of her teenage brother and is an excellent role model for said brother.  He calls on his teammates to help move their furniture while she's sleeping.  And when he has to leave on another mission he asks them to watch over her to protect her from a stalker.  His life as a child had been one of danger because of his father so his life as a SEAL is a comfortable fit.  It had also caused him to leave his family, except for his sister, behind making him long for a real family of his own.  I loved seeing him accept the changes he needed to make and his determination to make their marriage strong.

Aria has had to be strong for most of her life.  Her parents died when she was nine and her brother was a baby.  They were raised by their bachelor uncle, but from the beginning Aria was the one caring for them both.  When she was ready to go away to college she left her brother and uncle to take care of each other, then after graduation moved to California where she met Dan.  Their connection was immediate and she happily said yes to his proposal.  The opening scenes of the book, with his delayed arrival for their wedding, make her realize that she may have been a little unrealistic in her expectations for their life together.  Because of that past with her uncle and brother, she does have some control issues, and we see her start things off by keeping her fears and questions to herself.  I give her great credit for not hitting Dan with a frying pan when he pulled that wives get together fiasco on her.  I have to say that I loved her steel backbone when she was confronted by that group.  I also liked the fact that she quickly realized that the only way to survive her marriage was to make sure that she and Dan actually talked to each other.  She applied the same principle to her brother when he came to live with them and it made a huge difference.  I loved the scene when the wives of Dan's teammates invited her over, and what a huge difference it was from the other group.  It was wonderful to see how quickly they made her welcome and filled her in on the things she needed to know.  That kind of relationship was what she needed to help make her marriage to Dan strong enough to last.

Because the author is a military wife herself, what she has written is very realistic.  She shows the good and the bad of living as a military family.  I loved the glimpses of Dan's missions as they showed what his job is like, though there have been other SEAL books that do that also.  What I really enjoyed was the good look at what it is like for the family back home.  She showed everything from the needing of your ID card for everything, to being the one responsible for everything at home because the military member is gone.  She said it perfectly here: "Being a military spouse isn't for everyone.  It takes a daily dedication to the person you love and a commitment to stick it out and stay the course.  But it is never easy.  Most of us celebrate what we have when it is in our hands and stay the course -- hold the rudder -- when we're going it alone.  Being happy or not being happy -- that's a choice that you make on a moment by moment basis. Decide what you want and go for it, but don't let your fear of being alone take away love.  Remember, we're all here because we want to be."

The stalker storyline added a bit of suspense to the story.  The identity was obvious from the beginning, so I'm not giving anything away by saying that I found Aria's "best friend" Mark creepy from the start.  The more we learned about him the worse it was, especially when it came to her brother.  I give Dan great credit for not killing him!  I'm looking forward to the next book.

Celebration's Family - Nancy Robards Thompson (HSE #2315 - Feb 2014)

Series: Celebrations Inc. (Book 5)

Bachelor dad for sale?

Liam Thayer would do anything for his twin daughters and for his beloved Celebration, Texas, hospital. But a bachelor auction for the new children's wing was out of the question for the dignified doctor. He didn't intend to date till his girls were in college, and besides, he'd already lost the love of his life. Why try again? Until he finally caved, no thanks to a pushy event planner.

Rigging the auction to win his date was a piece of cake for organizer Kate MacIntyre. Resisting the handsome doctor? A problem she hadn't expected.  And as their fake romance slowly turned to real love, no dollar amount could keep Kate from wishing for a happily-ever-after with Liam and his children....

The best books have laughter and tears and this one had both.  I really liked both Liam and Kate.  As head of the MacIntyre Family Foundation Kate has been tasked with heading the fundraising push for the pediatric surgical wing.  With seven eligible doctors a bachelor auction seems like the perfect solution - until one of those doctors balks at the idea.  Liam is a widower who is wrapped up in his family.  Dating isn't on his radar for several years, if ever.  He really hates the idea of the auction, but is given no choice by his boss.  Then Kate comes up with a solution they can both live with.

Kate has pretty much written off any kind of relationship for herself.  She had been engaged years earlier but broke it off when she realized she didn't love him the way he loved her.  Her parents had had that kind of marriage and she never wanted to experience that kind of unhappiness.  She had also had a miscarriage that reinforced her feelings of loss, so now she concentrates on her job and her brother's family (Rob and Pepper from Texas Christmas).  She understands Liam's desire to avoid the auction and comes up with the idea of bidding herself, letting him off the hook for the followup date.  She doesn't expect the attraction she feels for him, or the feeling that it might be returned.  Actually going on that date makes her see that she's ready to risk her heart again, but Liam doesn't seem to be fully there.  I loved her sensitivity to Liam's dilemma and the way she came up with the plan to help him.  She knew she was playing with fire because of her attraction to him.  I loved their date and her actions afterward show what a good heart she has.  I loved her scene with one of his daughters and what she told him afterward.  It was heartbreaking to see her give up on what they might have because she can't see him being able to move on.

Liam has no interest in dating.  After one really bad experience right after his wife's death, he's decided that he'd already found and lost the love of his life and it's unlikely he'd be so lucky again.  He doesn't want to put his girls through what happened before, so he won't date again until they're in college. I enjoyed the obvious love he has for them, though he is pretty clueless about one very important thing about them.  He hates the idea of the bachelor auction and really resists it.  He's getting a lot of pressure from his boss when Kate contacts him with an idea that could work for both of them.  I loved the way that he went along with it, not just because it would save him from a date with a strange woman, but also because he actually wanted to spend some time with Kate.  He's not exactly comfortable with that desire because it makes him feel disloyal to his late wife.  He spends quite a bit of time trying to fight his feelings.  I loved the date that he planned, as it showed just how much he had already come to know and care for Kate.  He nearly wrecked everything at the end by giving in to his fears, before listening to some very good advice.

I loved the part that Maya, the chocolate lady from the previous books, played in this book also.  She definitely has some serious matchmaking abilities.  I also enjoyed her setup for the next book.  I will be very interested in seeing just what her involvement is, as I have a suspicion that I'd like to know if I'm right about.

Once Upon a Valentine - Allison Leigh (HSE #2311 - Feb 2014)

Series: Hunt for Cinderella (Book 11)

Shea Weatherby doesn't believe in fairy-tale endings, especially after watching her mother have so many of them with so many different husbands So when Shea's Prince Charming comes along, she's skeptical. When she gets pregnant after a one-night stand with said Prince Charming, she panics.

Paxton Merrick made millions crafting custom yachts for Seattle's uberwealthy. But now, with Shea, his very own ship has come in. If his futile efforts to get her to be his Valentine are any indication, there are stormy seas ahead. But he'll do anything to get Shea to the altar when he finds out he's going to be a father.

Very good book.  I liked both Shea and Pax.  Shea is a very independent and doesn't want to depend on anyone.  She is very cynical about love having seen her mother go through seven marriages and then being dumped at the altar by her own fiance.  As a journalist she spends a lot of time doing stories about Pax and considers him quite a flirt.  She doesn't understand why he is pursuing her.  When an ice storm strands them together their attraction takes over.  Two months later Shea knows she is pregnant and has to tell Pax.  She doesn't expect his insistence on being completely involved.  The closer Pax gets to her the more nervous she gets.  She's afraid to let him get too close because she has no confidence that any relationship will last and fears getting hurt.  The contrast between her family and his just adds to her feelings that there's no chance of a future between them.  Pax's persistence starts to get to her but she is convinced his attentions are just because of the baby.  Her feelings for him are growing but she has so much trouble trusting him.  Shea has to decide if she can let go of her fears and reach for the happiness she wants.

Pax has had it bad for Shea since he met her.  He has tried so hard to get her to go out with him but she keeps shutting him down.  After the night they spent together during the ice storm he really hasn't been able to get her off his mind.  I loved the way he would go to the office where she worked just to get a cup of coffee and have a chance to talk to her for a few minutes.  He gets very frustrated by her lack of trust.  I loved the way he got her to his grandparents' anniversary party and how much he liked introducing her to his family.  He was stunned but happy when Shea told him about the baby.  I really enjoyed the way he had no problem announcing it to his family.  I also liked the way he had gotten to know Shea well enough that he realized he could not force the issue of marriage.  His protectiveness was so sweet and I loved seeing him get her to move in with him.  He tried so hard to show her how he felt, but is constantly frustrated by her lack of trust.  I loved the fact that he never gave up on her.  

I also enjoyed the secondary story that involved Shea with Fairy Godmothers Inc and the newspaper she works for.  Cornelia shows great confidence in Shea's abilities to help pick the people to help, even though Shea doesn't share that confidence.  Shea does have confidence in her abilities as a reporter, but is frustrated by her boss's insistence on giving her fluff assignments.  When trouble hits the paper I loved the way that Pax is there to support Shea.  I also loved seeing the solution that Cornelia came up with and what it did for Shea's entire outlook.

Bound by a Child - Katherine Garbera (HD #2286 - Feb 2014)

Series: Baby Business (Book 2)

Two polar opposites unite for the sake of a baby...

Cocky businessman Allan McKinney has always gotten on Jessi Chandler's nerves--especially now that he's taking over her family's company. But when tragedy strikes, and they become coguardians of their best friends' child, Allan shows Jessi his sensitive side, going from unbearable to irresistible just like that. 

For Allan, it's getting harder to keep his eye on the bottom line when his head is turned by Jessi. Now a storm is brewing that threatens to blow away their fragile bond. Will Allan and Jessi let their very personal merger slip through their fingers?

Very good book. I loved the intensity between the two.  Jessi and Allan have struck sparks from each other ever since they met, first when their best friends married and now that his family's company has taken over her famly's company.  Due to a long standing family feud there are bad feelings on both sides.  When those friends are killed in a car crash Jessi and Allan are named as coguardians of baby Hannah and must find a way to work together.  As they leave business behind in order to concentrate on the baby things start to change between them and neither knows quite how to deal with it.

Jessi knows her marketing job with the new company is on the line and that the new owners really want to remove all Chandler influence.  As she's in the middle of preparing a new proposal she and Allan learn that their friends have died and named them as guardians for their daughter.  As they head for North Carolina Jessi starts to see a different side to Allan, one that's far more appealing than the cold businessman she is familiar with.  The lowering of some of their barriers also allows the chemistry they've been fighting to get a stronger hold on them.  Jessi has always considered herself the loner of the three sisters and has worked hard to keep her emotions under control.  She is nervous about taking care of Hannah because she's never been comfortable around children.  I loved the way that she jumped right in, in spite of that nervousness.  She usually feels like she doesn't know what she's doing, but she does a great job of figuring things out.  She admits to some envy at the way Allan always seems to know what to do.  I loved her reaction when she found out he was reading baby care books on the sly.  Jessi finds that her feelings about Allan are changing the longer they spend together.  She really opens herself up to him but also fears that she's depending on a man who doesn't believe in love.  I loved the way she stood up to him at the end and called him on his denial of what they had come to mean to each other.  I also loved the way she responded to the business challenge and didn't make things easy on Allan.

Allan prides himself on his iron control of his feelings.  He refuses to allow himself to have strong emotions after seeing the way his father allowed his emotions to control his life.  Jessi has caused all kinds of reactions in him for a long time.  He still hasn't forgotten the one steamy kiss they shared at their friends' wedding, and the sparks they still generate are intense.  Finding out about the deaths of his friends has put him in a very vulnerable place.  He needs to reinforce his walls and challenges Jessi to prove to himself that his control is just as strong as ever.  He discovers that when it comes to Jessi that control just isn't there.  Later on, sharing their grief makes him realize that he actually likes her quite a lot and that worries him even more.  He knows his cousin wants Jessi out of the company and feels that would be best for him also, to get her away from the temptation she is.  Working together to take care of Hannah causes even more conflict within him.  He is beginning to like having her around every day and she's affecting the way he thinks of the direction his life is heading.  The closeness they experience during the hurricane scares him and makes him feel more vulnerable than ever.  Knowing that no one ever stays around in his life, he uses the business as a wedge to push Jessi away.  I loved seeing him realize that Jessi had been right when she called him a coward and how he feared that he had lost her forever.  The boardroom scene at the end was great.

I'm really looking forward to the next book.  Kell and Emma are the ones left and I expect their story is going to be great.  With his attitude the way it is I'll bet that he's going to fight hard and fall hard.

Home to Whiskey Creek - Brenda Novak (Mira - Aug 2013)

Series: Whiskey Creek (Book 4)

Sometimes home is the refuge you need -- and sometimes it isn't

Adelaide Davies, who's been living in Sacramento, returns to Whiskey Creek, the place she once called home. She's there to take care of her aging grandmother and to help with Gran's restaurant, Just Like Mom's. But Adelaide isn't happy to be back. There are too many people here she'd rather avoid, people who were involved in that terrible June night fifteen years ago.

Ever since the graduation party that changed her life, she's wanted to go to the police and make sure the boys responsible -- men now -- are punished. But she can't, not without revealing an even darker secret. So it's better to pretend….

Noah Rackham, popular, attractive, successful, is shocked when Adelaide won't have anything to do with him. He has no idea that his very presence reminds her of something she'd rather forget. He only knows that he's finally met a woman he could love.

This is a wonderful romance that deals with some really tough issues.  When she was a sophomore in high school Addy attended a graduation party that ended horrifically for her.  Addy left Whiskey Creek after graduation, never intending to come back.  But her grandmother needs her help, so here she is, wanting nothing so much as to avoid the boys who raped her.  Two days after arriving in town she is kidnapped and dumped into the very mine where the attack occurred.  She's rescued by Noah, her high school crush, and brother to one of her attackers.  Noah would like to get to know her better, but she wants nothing to do with him.

I really liked Addy.  She had the courage to come back to Whiskey Creek to help her grandmother in spite of the horrible memories.  She admits to herself that she would have loved to have gone to the police at the time, but because she feels responsible for the death of one of the boys she let it go.  Being kidnapped and having her life and that of her grandmother threatened just reinforces that decision.  She doesn't expect to be rescued by Noah, her high school crush and brother to the dead attacker.  The last thing she wants is to get involved with him, but she discovers that her crush is still alive and kicking.  She tries very hard to keep him at a distance, but he isn't cooperating.  She feels that getting close to him is impossible with her secrets between them.  And she can't tell him the truth without destroying his memories of his twin and tearing his family apart.  I really wasn't sure how their relationship was going to work out.  Addy was so conflicted because she really came to love Noah.  She started out not expecting anything from him because of his reputation as a player, that he'd give up on her quickly.  His kindness and care for her starts to break down her barriers, but she still can't tell him the truth.  She feels she has to deny the love she feels for him in order to protect him and others.  When the truth finally comes out I loved the courage she showed in facing everyone with what really happened.

Noah is a man with a reputation as a womanizer.  He certainly has enjoyed the ladies, but lately he's started to feel like there should be more to his life.  Seeing some of his friends find love and settle down makes him wonder if there could be someone out there for him.  When he rescues Addy he discovers that there is something about her that really draws him.  He has vague memories of her from high school, and he would really like to get to know her better.  He is surprised when she doesn't want anything to do with him and wonders if he unknowingly hurt her all those years ago.  He isn't going to give up on her though, and keeps trying.  I really did like his perseverance.  He's never been able to commit to anyone before and he finally realizes that it was because he'd never found someone who reached his heart.  I also liked the way that he listened to his feeling that there was more going on with her abduction than she was admitting to anyone and was determined to protect her.  When the truth came out he was stunned by what he learned and had to decide just who he was going to believe.  

There was also a continuation of the story involving Noah's best friend Baxter.  This too was dealt with in a very realistic manner.  This is something that has been building for awhile and when it all came to a head both of them were left reeling.  I really liked the way that Noah stood up for his friend.  I look forward to seeing more of Baxter in the future.

I have to say that once again Police Chief Stacy has really pissed me off.  His narrow focus on one person as a suspect in Addy's kidnapping was so wrong, especially with Addy's insistence that he had the wrong man.  His actions later in the book are even worse.  I really hope that one of these days soon he gets what is coming to him.  I loved the way it was Dylan Amos, one of the people the chief hates the most, who finds a crucial piece of evidence.