The Unexpected Bride

The Unexpected Bride By Joanne Walsh

Widower Laurent Fletcher is still in love with his late wife.  Unfortunately, while he has been holding on to a ghost for two years, life has continued on without him.  Now his children and dog are completely out of control and his father is convinced that hiring a British Nanny is the family's last hope.  Yet this nanny is nothing like he expected and suddenly he finds himself guilty of a huge offense in his mind...betraying the memory of his wife.

Emma Peabody is looking for a fresh start.  Leaving behind a heartbreaking situation in London, she arrives at Copper Creek full of wonder and hope.  She immediately falls in love with her charges and her new home, but trying to break down her new boss' defenses in proving to be a challenge, especially since she finds her self falling for him.  Can she stay and do what she was hired to do without losing her heart in the process?

The premise behind this story is a common, and highly workable, subject:  widower falls for new nanny and feels guilty about it.  Hello!  Sound of Music anyone?  I don't mind a retelling of stories.  Really, this was actually a great story.  He had a hard time letting go.  She puts his life in order, but is wary of repeating her past.  The story unfolds with little to no problems for it to be delightful.

My issue with this story is actually the writing style.  There are some books that are simply harder to read than others.  I want to be captivated by the story, not distracted by the sentence structure.  I simply had a hard time working around that.

The only other thing I had a hard time with was Laurent's sporadic spirals into chauvinism.  It left a sour taste in my mouth.  Luckily those scenes are few and far between.

Overall, it was a good story.  If you aren't distracted by sentence structure then you should definitely give this book a try.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 2

Sex – 3 

Language – 4 

Storyline – 4

Overall – 3

One Final Step

One Final Step By Stephanie Doyle

Michael Langdon did not have the most auspicious start in life.  Growing up on Detroit's infamous 8 Mile, Michael used cars to escape the reality around him.  After serving time for theft, he once again used cars to escape reality, and forget the horrors behind him.  From car thief to racing legend didn't seem too far of a jump, but now he needs another image make-over:  to mechanical innovator and corporate poster boy.  An old friend sends him the best publicist in the business, now all Michael has to do is convince her to take a chance on him...and not let her get too close to the truth.

Madeline Kane is a King Maker.  Once a highly respected member of the political scene, she let one moment of weakness get the better of her judgement, and it destroyed everything.  Now, seven years later, she has been called back in to service by her employer as a favor to an old friend. but can she work with such a high profile man without getting sucked back into the nightmares of the past?

This story surprised me by how captivating it was.  Both characters suffer from serious PTSD from their experiences, but what really got me was the heart break that occurs when one of them manages to pull out of it and realizes that they can't "fix" the other one.  To love someone so much and not be able to help them hurts, but then to know that they won't even try to help themselves is just killer.

His dark secret was a shocker; her dark secret was not so much a secret but a confession.  Either way, both of these characters are deserving of pity, and neither want it.  He doesn't want people to know about it, and she doesn't want people to even remember she exists.

My favorite part in this book was actually the sub-plot involving Ben and Anna, Madeline's boss and his assistant.  Their issue helps to mellow Madeline out and put her life into perspective, but it also gives us a glimpse at the next book.

Overall, it's surprisingly and fun and sexy read.  The subject matter should keep it from being sexy, but it really doesn't.  In fact, it brings a larger intensity to it all.  Warning on the language, though.  He grew up on 8 Mile and spent time in prison.  Expect cursing.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 5

Sex – 5 

Language – 3 

Storyline – 5

Overall – 5

The Sweetest Sound

The Sweetest Sound By Lilian Darcy

Dr. Charlie Barnett doesn't have time for new commitments.  Between his patient rounds, research project, exams, and his birth mother's sudden reappearance in his life, his life is pretty complicated as it is.  Except he just can't seem to walk away from the beautiful street busker playing her mesmerizing music in front of the hospital every day.  Her music and smile seem to be the only things that can calms his frantic world.  But is it worth adding one more complication to his life?

Ramona Garrido-Lopez wants to go home.  Yet, her parents have stubbornly insisted that she not give up her dreams for them.  They want her to stay in New York and make her star burn bright.  The only problem is that her dreams have changed.  She is just a couple of months away from fulfilling her promise to her parents, now is not the time to fall for the Hot Doc who drops coins in her case and gives her secret smiles.  Is there anyway that she can have her new dream and her dream man at the same time?

After reading, and loving, The Sweetest Thing, I was excited to hear that Ms. Darcy was going to be releasing a novella to explain Charlie's story.  I loved reading the scenes that corresponded with things happening in The Sweetest Thing.  It was like finally hearing the other end of a phone conversation (which in one scene that is exactly what it was).

Charlie is very high octane.  He is driven and fast paced, but is counting the days until he can slow down.  He is concerned about the people around him, but his distraction sometimes makes him come off as a little self-centered and demanding.  He is a complex and enjoyable character.  Focused and highly optimistic, which can be a great combination when grounded in reality.

Ramona is a "recovering dreamer".  I say this with snark because there is nothing wrong with being a dreamer as long as those dreams aren't irresponsible.  Unfortunately, some of hers were.  She is a pessimist who wants to be and optimist, but is afraid of becoming an opportunist.  She is prideful and personifies what happens when you spend too much time grounding yourself in reality.

With most novellas there is not a lot of time to get to know the characters.  Since readers were already introduced to Charlie in The Sweetest Thing, less time seems to have been devoted to his character than Ramona.  I actually didn't find this a problem, as I really enjoyed both.  However, I really wanted to slap Ramona toward the end because of her inability to make up her mind.  She changed it so many times, there was even one scene that she changed her mind mid sentence.  It was impressive, but still annoying.

Overall, this book was a fun, quick read.  I recommend reading the first two River Bend novels first.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Language – 4 

Storyline – 4

Overall – 4

Marry Me, Cowboy

Marry Me, Cowboy By Lilian Darcy

Teagan Ashe had always dreamed of taking over the family ranch one day.  Unfortunately, during her time in America becoming a champion barrel racer, her father did the unthinkable:  he sold the ranch and retired.  Now, feeling cut adrift, she has no desire to go back to Australia.  However, that might be just what she has to do.  Her visa is about to expire and her green card wedding has just been called off.  Enter the groom's best friend...

Jamie MacCreadie has spent his life chasing something.  Scratching the proverbial itch before planning to settle down and help with his family's cattle ranch in Montana.  Now, after his best friend has dumped Teagan at the alter, he is faced with a tough choice:  step in and marry a woman he doesn't even like, or step away and make her mend her own fences while he mends his at home.

This is the second book in the Copper Mountain Rodeo series and the first book to feature the MacCreadie family (Jamie's parents, Rob and Melinda, are featured in Rodeo Sweethearts; his aunt, Kate, is featured in Late Last Night).

Teagan is fairly straight forward and "salt of the earth".  She not only doesn't shy away from hard work, she expects to carry her own load.  Her anger at her father and resentment of her step-mother come out in some fairly ugly ways, but she is smart enough to keep those feelings under wraps, all things considered.  She misses Australia, but feels that there is nothing for her to go back to.

Jamie is partially estranged from his own family.  He has never understood his parents' relationship; his mother is upbeat and scatter-brained (not ideal for a rancher's wife), while his father is hard working and quiet.  He also has a strained relationship with his older brother, RJ, who seems to resent his life style.

I have to say this was not one of my favorite stories by Lilian Darcy.  She has a way of making chemistry come out of extraordinary circumstances.  It just didn't seem to work in this case.  I didn't really connect with Teagan, and I didn't find Jamie very heroic.

That being said, I did enjoy the end of the book, which definitely made up for the lack of emotional response in the rest of the book.  The characters finally lived up to their promise at this point and made this book worth reading in the end.

Overall, I would say buy the book, hang in there to the end, and you shouldn't be disappointed.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 3 

Language – 4 

Storyline – 3

Overall – 3

  

The Sum of All Kisses

The Sum of All Kisses By Julia Quinn

Hugh Prentice can’t abide drama.  His logical brain just can’t calculate the need for high emotions and complications.  This outlook both explains and is complicated by his relationship with his family.  It also explains why he absolutely cannot stand Lady Sarah Pleinsworth.

Lady Sarah, for her part, hates Hugh right back.  She simply can’t bring herself to forgive him for ruining her family and compromising her happiness, even if the rest of her family seems to be ready to let bygones be bygones.  Now she is stuck with him for two weeks worth of weddings and celebrations.

While not my favorite of the series, this book did precisely what I had hoped it would.  It showed the complexities of Hugh's personality beyond his proficiency for numbers and his ability as a crack shot.

I did find some of the drama far reaching, and I could not for the life of me understand why Daniel got so angry at Hugh after Sarah learned of the agreement.  That aside, the romance between them was well laid, and I liked that there was finally an explanation beyond drink as to why Hugh shot Daniel when he hadn't intended to.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Language – 4

Storyline – 4

Historical Accuracy – 5

Overall – 4

Promise Me, Cowboy

Promise Me, Cowboy By CJ Carmichael

Sage Carrigan is in a good place.  Running a very successful gourmet chocolate shop in her hometown of Marietta, Montana takes up nearly all of her time.  Thanks to this she has finally been able to put her painful history as a barrel racer behind her and move on to a quieter and safer future.  So why is Dawson O'Dell standing in her store drudging up the past?  And since when does he have a daughter?

Dawson O'Dell is trying to make things right.  Five years ago he betrayed a woman he had come to care deeply for, and that betrayal led to something much worse.  Now he is in Sage's hometown for the 75th Annual Copper Mountain Rodeo.  Can he finally set his life on the right course for his sake and his daughter's?  And can he ever convince Sage to trust him again?

This is the third novella in the Copper Mountain Rodeo series and the first story in the Carrigans of Circle C series.

For someone who has never competed in a rodeo, I can't imagine what goes through the heads of the cowboys and cowgirls that ride the circuit.  To get a glimpse of that and know that some of them are terrified of it, but do it anyway, really messes with my logic.  I know that this happens.  There are people everyday who hate their jobs, but still go to work because that is what is needed and expected.  But the reality of someone being afraid to do something that could kill them, and they still do it willingly is beyond me.  Mind blown.

Sage as a character is pretty straight forward.  Her fears, hesitations, dreams, desires, and relationships are all understandable and well explained.  That is pretty rare in a romantic heroine, and very refreshing.

Dawson on the other hand is a meat-head!  I guess someone had to balance out Sage's uncomplicated character because this guy is a knot of complexities and contradictions.

Now for the important stuff:  CHOCOLATE!  There is actually quite a bit of detail about Sage's obsession with single-source chocolate, and how she turned it into a business.  I dare you not to drool.

Overall, I enjoyed this story.  It introduced the Carrigan Family, which is way more complicated than Sage, and hinted about mystery to come.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 4 

Language – 4 

Storyline – 4

Overall – 4

Beauty's Kiss

Beauty's Kiss By Jane Porter

Taylor Harris loves her job as Marietta's new librarian.  While not everyone in town has been supportive, she has some great ideas.  And just when she thinks she can finally focus on her life and doing what is best for her brother, in walks distraction in the form of Marietta's Most Eligible Bachelor...Troy Sheenan.

Troy has sunk everything into the Graff Hotel renovation.  It's not only part of the town's history, it is part of his as well.  He needs it to be successful.  That means he will accept his friend Jane's idea of setting him up with her best friend as a date to the Great Wedding Giveaway 100th Anniversary Ball.  But when he finds out that Taylor doesn't want anything to do with him, he is intrigued.  He is used to being chased, not doing the chasing.  Yet that is exactly what he finds himself doing with this pretty little Book Girl.

Taylor is every "book girl" personified.  She is what we all want to be:  someone who turned her love for books into a profession.  Her life is not perfect, however.  Her brother is extremely needy and misunderstood.  Her ideas are constantly shot down by closed-minded citizens who don't welcome "outsiders".  And she has been told that she looks too young to be taken seriously.  I think every smart girl on the planet can relate to the frustration of not being taken seriously.

Troy has more ghosts than a grave yard.  And he gains another one during this book.  The poor guy is shouldering a lot by himself, despite having a large family.  Yet, he remains optimistic, charming and, overall, a genuinely nice guy.  By the end it's nice to see him get some support.  He is also a computer nerd.  REALLY!  He is a genuine, HUNKY computer nerd!

Ok, I'll put my rants first.  I would like to have learned more about Taylor's past.  It is mentioned, but never really delved into.  Also, the end seemed a bit too rushed.  While I am not a huge fan of excessive sex scenes, I would not have complained about a bit more sex in this book.

Now for the raves.  I loved the way Porter dealt with Doug, Taylor's brother.  His issues (mood disorder) are common, yet too often seen as cop-outs instead of genuine struggles.  It was so refreshing to see them dealt with compassionately, but also recognizing that not everyone will be as understanding.

Overall, this was a thoughtful story that will have you falling in love with the characters and wanting to see them succeed.

Ratings:

(1=unacceptable, 2=poor, 3=acceptable, 4=good, 5=excellent)

Continuity/Flow – 4

Sex – 2 

Language – 5 

Storyline – 5

Overall – 4