She's saving him from…the kids?
Lucas Finlay is used to calling the shots. But looking after his two
nephews and niece in New Orleans, he's entirely out of his league.
Luckily help is next door. With almost no effort Addy Toussant manages
to make order from the kid chaos. Lucas is beyond grateful…he's also
very attracted to her. Images of an adults-only playdate are soon
dancing in his head.
Yet something in Addy's golden-brown eyes tells him not to rush her. If
this romance is to go anywhere, he needs to let her take the lead. Given
the sizzling potential of what they have together, Lucas is okay with
that.
Good book with both fun and emotional depth. It was a little slow to start for me, but really picked up steam by the middle. Lucas is in New Orleans looking after his niece and two nephews. He had been estranged from his brother and sister-in-law for thirteen years, but when his brother was injured in Afghanistan and his sister-in-law needed to be in Virginia with him, he went. The kids don't know him at all and Lucas has no experience with kids so he is floundering. When one of the boys drives his motorbike through Addy's greenhouse she takes pity on Lucas and offers to help him with the kids. There is an attraction between them, but Lucas sees a great deal of wariness in Addy's eyes, so he is determined to take his time.
Addy is a woman who lives looking over her shoulder. As a teenager she was attacked and nearly raped by a man who is currently in prison. She frequently gets things in the mail that she knows are from him but it can't be proved. He is due up for parole and she fears what will happen when he gets out. She still participates in support groups and feels like she is doing well. She is still very cautious around men, especially large ones and Lucas's sudden appearance makes her nervous at first. Strangely enough for her that nervousness doesn't last and her sympathy for his distress takes over. I really loved seeing her step outside her comfort zone and spend time with Lucas and the kids. His obvious attraction to her, coupled with his patience, went a long way toward making her think that she had a chance at a normal life. But when the threats against her escalated she pulled away, not wanting her problems to create danger for Lucas and his family. Addy's strength really impressed me. In spite of her fears she was living a relatively normal life. She was cautious but had friends and activities that she participated in. I also really enjoyed her willingness to help Lucas. There were some pretty emotional parts where she was able to comfort one of his nephews and also where she was able to give Lucas a different way to look at things. I loved her strength of purpose at the end as she was determined to protect little Charlotte and her aunt.
Lucas had cut off all contact with his brother and sister-in-law years ago. Courtney had been his girlfriend while he was going to school, until she met and fell in love with his brother. He felt betrayed and couldn't forgive them. As a result he didn't know the kids at all when he suddenly showed up to care for them. He is used to living alone and having everything quiet and well ordered. His oldest nephew knows there is something going on with his parents that he hasn't been told about and is taking his anger and resentment out on Lucas. The other two kids just seem to be scared of him most of the time. His sister-in-law left very few instructions for him and he is totally lost about how to deal with all of it. When he met Addy he was instantly attracted to her. As much as he was interested in pursuing that attraction he sensed that it would not be easy to get close to her. He was, however, very appreciative of her offer to help him with the kids. I loved seeing him at the beginning trying to cope with doing Charlotte's hair, keeping Chris from destroying everything, and dealing with Michael's anger. Once Addy joined him he started having a better chance at keeping his sanity. His Saturday trip with Addy and the kids to show them places he and their father had liked as kids was a brilliant idea and marked a turning point with the children. I also liked seeing him start to realize that he didn't want his problems with his brother to continue and to try to figure out how to fix them. He was also trying to deal with his growing feelings for Addy and fighting the idea that it was love, and emotion he'd tried to convince himself didn't exist for him. I did have a problem with the way that he blew off her fears at the end, even though she hadn't told him everything.
The secondary characters were very well done. All three kids acted just like kids of that age would, especially under the stress they were under. I really enjoyed Michael and his teenage attitudes toward his little brother, especially when that little brother was so good at tormenting him. I also loved Addy's Aunt Flora. Her struggles with coping with the beginnings of her Alzheimer's were just heartbreaking. On the other hand her joy in experiencing so much of life was wonderful to see. I especially liked her coming to the rescue at the end - she was a hoot! The conflict with his brother and the possible resolution was believable, as was his brother's attitude when they talked.
Life doesn't follow rules
Jazz pianist Dez Batiste knows this all too well. It's taken him years
to return to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina swept away what
mattered most. His musician's soul is still lost in the wreckage, but
he's after a brand-new future by opening an Uptown jazz club. Too bad
the distractingly sexy Eleanor Theriot is getting in his way. Sure, she
may be protecting her community, but there's passion underneath that
upper-class exterior of hers.
With a little seduction from Dez, that passion sizzles to life and soon
they're enjoying an exclusive friends-with-benefits arrangement. The
intensity between them reawakens his music and Dez knows they're more
than temporary. Now to convince Eleanor to bend those rules she lives
by...
Very good book. There have been a bunch of "younger man" stories lately, not usually my favorite reads, but I really liked this one. Dez has finally returned to New Orleans after Katrina, following his dream to open a jazz club. Across the street is Eleanor who is one of the locals who isn't sure that she wants a nightclub in their neighborhood. Dez is determined to change her mind, and soon finds that there is unexpected passion between them.
I really liked Dez. Before Katrina he had been a rising star in the music world. Afterward he couldn't get it back. So he tried living a "normal" life, but that was killing his soul even faster. He's finding happiness in starting up his club, though the local opposition is frustrating. When he meets Eleanor there is something about her that he connects with. He doesn't care that she is older than he is, the chemistry is intense. I loved the confidence he had in himself and how he was sure he could convince Eleanor. I really liked the way that he was persistent about getting her to go out with him. He could see the passion behind her walls and once that passion was unleashed he found the inspiration he needed. Though they had started out as a no-strings arrangement, Dez finds that his feelings are changing. He wants more with Eleanor but he doesn't know if he can convince her that it's time for her to live her own life. One of the things I really liked about Dez was his passion for life. He had stopped sitting back and letting life come to him, he was ready to go after what he wanted - both his club and Eleanor.
Eleanor was an interesting character. She had married young, her husband was local upper class destined for politics and she had remodeled herself into the kind of wife she was expected to be. She went into a depression after Katrina and the destruction of her business. During that time her husband cheated on her and was killed by his mistress, plunging the family into scandal. Now she's dealing with a mother-in-law who hates and belittles her, a daughter who is being influenced by that mother-in-law, and an unwelcome attraction to a younger man. When she starts to accept that attraction and decides that dating Dez is just what she needs she gets a boatload of grief from that mother-in-law and her daughter (who actually wanted Dez for herself). Her daughter accused her of being old enough to be Dez's mother One of my favorite parts in the book is when she says this "First of all, unless I ovulated a seven years old, it's highly improbable I could have given birth to Dez. Second, I've spent my life taking care of you and your father, worrying about what everyone else wanted. I'm tired of being just a mother. I'm tired of being just Skeeter Theriot's poor cuckolded widow. And I'm really tired of trying to please everyone else and not myself. So, honestly, honey, I love you, but I couldn't give a rat's ass if you approve of who I date." That was the beginning of Eleanor finally going after what she wanted. I loved seeing the changes that Dez brought to her life. Her happiness was fantastic. Even when her family went after her again she had the growing confidence to stand up to them. She had a moment of backsliding when she panicked over Dez's feelings, but in the end she had the courage to go after what she wanted. One of the things that I really liked about Eleanor was that Dez's ethnic background was not an issue for her at all.
Besides the story of Dez and Eleanor, which was a beautiful rendition of the diversity of New Orleans, there were other characters that were just as vivid. Tre and Blakely showed the two sides of the city. Tre was on the "have not" side, trying to take care of his brother and cousin while avoiding getting into trouble. He had had so much bad happen in his life that he had trouble letting anyone get close to him or help him. I loved the way he met Alicia and the positive impact she had on him. I liked seeing him finally let Eleanor and Dez in and how it opened him up to music again. Blakely was on the other side of the coin. Through most of the book I really didn't like her. She really came across as a spoiled brat. And to side with her snotty grandmother against Eleanor really made me mad. I was glad to see a little growing up in her by the end.
Series:
LaBlanc Sisters (Book 2)
Waking up in a stranger's bed is not how socialite Lorelei LaBlanc planned on spending the morning after the night before.
From now on...
A) No more secret hookups with Donovan St. James-he's the last man on
earth she'd want to share a room with, never mind a king-size bed.
B) Maintain a professional persona at all times. After all, he's a
hard-hitting journalist who's always on the lookout for the latest
scoop...and she's perfect tabloid fodder.
C) Keep friends close but enemies closer. Donovan may look like the
ultimate poster boy but his intentions are anything but PG rated....
Very good book. I really liked both Lorelei and Donovan. The story starts as she wakes up in bed with him but can't remember how she got there or what they did. She just knows that it was a bad idea. They start out wanting to just pretend it never happened, but their attraction is too strong and they can't do it. So they start a very quiet, very private fling, keeping their relationship secret. They soon find that not only are they attracted they actually like each other and like spending time together. There are reasons they don't appear together in public and those reasons could tear them apart before they find a way to overcome them.
Lorelei is beginning to overcome her reputation as the wild LaBlanc sister. With Vivi (The Downfall of a Good Girl) off on her honeymoon, Lorelei is filling in for her at all of Vivi's social and charity obligations. She is working very hard to keep up appearances and the last thing she needs is to be caught in Donovan's bed. He didn't endear himself to New Orleans society when his investigation caused the ruin of two of the families of that society. So she tries to stay away but she wants that experience again so that she can remember it. It is just as explosive this time and they decide that they are just going to go with it. She wants to keep it quiet so they start sneaking around to have their fun. Lorelei worries about what will happen to her hard won improved reputation if they are discovered. I liked the way that she had decided that it was time she stopped trying to live down to her reputation, but the way she went about it wasn't the best. She had a rather snobby attitude toward him that didn't really mesh with the way she felt when she was with him. I loved the way that she really started to enjoy her activities and how good it was for her self esteem when people appreciated her efforts. I did not like the way she didn't stand up for herself against her mother's matchmaking efforts. She was horrified when she got caught with him by one of the society snots and the confrontation she had with Donovan later was not pretty. They both said some pretty horrible things to each other that brought out some of their deep seated issues. Lorelei had some pretty hard self examination to do, and I loved the way that she came out of it at the end.
Donovan had started life poor and until his father made a bunch of money had been on the outside looking in on New Orleans society. Even after the finances improved he still had a chip on his shoulder. He went into investigative journalism and made a name for himself when he exposed the corruption in two local society families. This made them dislike him even more but it didn't seem to bother him. He was surprised by his attraction to Lorelei, but enjoyed being with her. She had a sense of humor and wittiness that really appealed to him. He wasn't thrilled at the secretiveness of their relationship but since neither was looking for anything permanent he figured he could live with it. I really liked the way that he seemed to understand her and listened to her when she talked about her efforts to change. He was hurt by her attitude when they were seen by the daughter of one of the men he ruined and he turned that into anger when he confronted her later that day. He called her on her attitude but was surprised by some of the things she said back. It turned out that he too was guilty of some snobbery of his own. His actions at the end weren't the best but he was trying to salvage his pride. I really liked the way he came through in the end.
I really liked the message of being true to yourself rather than trying to live your life according to someone else's rules. Both Lorelei and Donovan had lessons to learn and the author showed those lessons in a very real way. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.
Her lies thrust them together. His suspicions keep them apart.
For Clare Fuller, the stakes are rising. Her sister has been framed for
murder and a mysterious amulet is the only ransom for her acquittal.
Clare must retrieve it at any cost, even if it means stealing it from a
sexy, wounded war hero.
Lieutenant Mark Griggs doesn't trust the alluring schoolteacher who's
stolen his lucky pendant. All he knows is that the only woman who's ever
broken down his defenses needs his help. Now, to find the truth and
elude a killer, Mark and Clare will have to work together-and risk being
burned by the growing heat consuming them both.
Very good book. Clare was desperate to help her sister when she agreed to steal Mark's amulet. When she gets caught she fully expects to be arrested not that Mark would offer to help her find the proof she needed to clear her sister. She also didn't expect how much the good looking ranger would attract her. When they find that someone is still after Mark's amulet and has already killed twice they decide that their best bet is to stick together.
I really liked both Clare and Mark. Clare is very close to her sister and knows that Terry did not kill her husband. When she and Mark discover that the man who had wanted and Mark's amulet has been murdered for a similar piece they try going to the police. They get no satisfaction there and decide to investigate on their own. I really liked seeing the way that Clare's mind worked and how she reasoned out some possible scenarios. I also really enjoyed the way that she was so proud of New Orleans and was constantly telling Mark little things about the city and its history. One thing that Clare tried very hard to do was resist her attraction to Mark. She found everything about him appealing, from his looks to his protectiveness, but she had been engaged to a soldier who died in the war and didn't want to go through that again. I liked the way that in spite of trying to talk herself out of it she just couldn't help the feelings that just kept getting stronger.
Mark was pretty amazing. He had been attracted to Clare from the minute he saw her which is how he ended up in the predicament of getting robbed. I thought it was pretty sweet of him to actually listen to Clare's story and want to help. It didn't hurt that he was really bored on his medical leave and this was a challenge he could get into. He started out not wanting to trust Clare too much but soon learned that she had been telling the truth. I really liked his protectiveness and how determined he was that Clare would be safe. He was also trying to resist the attraction he felt for her. He could tell that she was a woman who didn't do casual relationships and didn't feel he could offer anything else. The army was his life as well as his career and he knew how hard it was on those left behind. He also didn't think he was able to have that kind of relationship because of how bad his parents had been.
I loved the culmination of the mystery and how intense the suspense of it was. I also really liked the way that Mark was able to work out a way for them to have the happy ending they both wanted.
Series:
LaBlanc Sisters (Book 1)
"Why would you decide to seduce me? And why now after all these years?"
Southern debutante Vivienne LaBlanc can't believe bad-boy rock star
Connor Mansfield is back in town for the New Orleans annual Saints and
Sinners pageant. He has a reputation as wicked as his devilish smile,
and Vivi has no intention of becoming one of his latest groupies!
He once crushed her high school heart, so playing the saint to Connor's
sinner should be easy. But how can Vivi get those less than angelic
thoughts out of her head -- especially when Connor's so good at tempting
her to be bad?
Good book. Vivienne is a former beauty queen who now owns an art gallery and spends her time working with a lot of charities doing good all around New Orleans. She is always very conscious of her actions and how they could be perceived. She is very proud of the fact that she has been asked to participate in the annual Saints and Sinners pageant. She is not at all happy to find that Connor has also been asked to participate. She and Connor have known each other all their lives and have disliked each other the entire time - except for one brief period in high school. Now they are going to have to work together to raise money for charity.
It took me awhile to warm up to Vivi. She came across at the beginning as very snooty and as feeling that she's better than everyone else. Her attitude when Connor made his appearance was rude and definitely not in the spirit of the competition. And while competitiveness can be a good thing I felt like she was losing sight of the reason for it. I also felt it was rather childish of her to have held her grudge against Connor for so long. I had to laugh when she realized she was attracted to a man she didn't even like. It was pretty obvious that all that heat between them had to come from somewhere and the passion of their dislike easily morphed into something very different. I did like the way that once they decided to call a truce Vivi actually started to see the real Connor. Besides the physical attraction that they gave in to, I loved seeing how Vivi finally realized how much they had in common. I also liked the fact that she didn't pull back when she found out that being seen together in public in a personal way was going to change her life. While there were parts of it she didn't like I found that he ability to deal with it all went a long way to redeeming her in my book. She did have a relapse when she allowed his publicist to undermine her confidence in what she and Connor had together.
I liked Connor better. He came home to New Orleans to recover from a rough tour and some undeserved scandal. He started out thinking that the Saints and Sinners gig would be good publicity and hanging with Vivi, even though he found her a sanctimonious prig, would go a long way to repairing his reputation. He couldn't figure out why he was attracted to someone he couldn't stand to be around. When he found out why she still held a grudge against him after all this time he couldn't believe it. I liked the way he did the big thing and apologized for being an idiot as a teenager and suggested that they try to move on like adults. I liked the way that he was honest about his intentions that they just have some fun together. I also liked the ideas he had for spending more time in New Orleans, bringing some business back to the city and also helping out some young people. Thanks to his celebrity status he had some issues with being able to trust peoples' motives, and his publicist used this to try to drive a wedge between him and Vivi. There was a big blowup between the two that saw them both saying some pretty nasty things to each other. Seeing them recover from this was very emotional and made the story more satisfying than I thought it would be at the beginning. I'm looking forward to reading Vivi's sister's story.
