A Gift for All Seasons - Karen Templeton (HSE #2223 - Nov 2012)

Series: Summer Sisters (Book 2)

CHRISTMAS PRESENT

Hiring Patrick Shaughnessy to landscape her new inn was strictly a business arrangement. Until April Ross got to know the war-scarred single father...and his irrepressible little girl. Patrick made it clear he wasn't looking for romance. Neither was April. But could she make him see that some risks were worth taking?

The lively, widowed blonde might be the most tempting woman Patrick had ever known, but the returning vet knew a happy ending wasn't in the cards. Still, that was before April started working her magic on his daughter...and on him. Maybe this Christmas was a time for new beginnings-if Patrick had the courage to go with the powerful feelings April had awakened in him.... 

Fantastic book, definitely my favorite of the three.  April is just about ready to open the inn, but it desperately needs to be landscaped first.  Patrick's family business is recommended to her as being the best.  She is startled at first by his scars, but immediately apologizes for her reaction.  There is an immediate connection between the two, but both have things they need to overcome before they can reach their happy ending.

I really liked both April and Patrick.  April had had a challenging childhood with parents who were always reaching for the next big thing.  As a result she found herself working as a teenager and young adult to help the family.  The best part of her childhood were her summers with her cousins at her grandmother's house.  The three of them inherited the house when their grandmother died.  April decided to buy the others out and turn the house back into an inn, with her cousins helping out.  With the death of her husband, April has plenty of capital to make her dream come true.  Her strong reaction to Patrick is unexpected, but once they over come their initial meeting both admit the connection.  She's not looking for anything permanent right now but is interested in pursuing what they feel. I loved April's open giving nature.  She sees past Patrick's scars to the man beneath, who is trying to be the father his daughter needs.  There are some fun parts as April works with her cousins and gets to know Patrick's family.  There are some incredibly emotional parts where she shares her secrets with her cousins and with Patrick.  I loved seeing the way she has gotten to the point where she isn't afraid to go after what she wants, but is also willing to give it up if she thinks it's best for the other person.  

Patrick was dealing with a lot in his life.  He had been badly wounded overseas, with months of physical and emotional rehab after that.  The love of his family and his daughter is what kept him going.  After his wife left them because she was unable to deal with it he had pretty well accepted that it would be just him and Lili.  He was surprised by his attraction to April, but had no intention of getting involved.  His wife's desertion had done a real number on their daughter and he wasn't going to allow anyone to get close enough to do it again.  However, the attraction between them was too strong and April was too determined, so they started spending what time they could together.  But Patrick insisted on keeping Lili out of it.  This caused a deepening stress in their relationship until April finally called a halt, seeing what Patrick couldn't - that his fears were making things worse.  I loved the way that everyone tried to explain things to him, but that it was Lili that finally broke through his walls.

There was so much love apparent in this book as well as the ways it was shown.  There was the support that April and her cousins gave each other and the ways they cut through the crap to make their points.  There was the love that Patrick's family had for each other and the way they all pulled together to help him.  The love that Patrick and April had for each other that made it possible for them to provide the healing that the other needed was incredibly emotional.

The Marriage Campaign - Karen Templeton (HSE #2242 - Feb 2013)

Series: Summer Sisters (Book 3)

HE'S THE MAN WITH A PLAN

Maid of honor at her cousins' double wedding is as close as Blythe Broussard plans to get to tying the knot again. But Wes Phillips refuses to take "I won't" for an answer. The widowed Maryland congressman is passionately campaigning for a date with the once-burned D.C. designer. And Wes's eleven-year-old son just joined the race.

Getting reelected isn't as important as winning Blythe's trust and convincing the guarded beauty to take a shot at love...even if her scandalous past threatens to derail Wes's political future. His future with Blythe comes first-if they're both willing to risk their hearts for a second chance that's worth fighting for. 

Excellent book.  I really liked both Blythe and Wes and was rooting for them to get their happy ending.  Blythe is helping her cousins plan their weddings and spending time with her youngest cousin, who is best friends with Wes's son Jack.  Therefore, Wes and Blythe find themselves together fairly often.  Wes doesn't see himself wanting to remarry any time soon as he and Jack are still grieving for his late wife.  So he is surprised by his sudden attraction to Blythe, but that attraction grows stronger very quickly.  Blythe was married once and it didn't turn out well.  She has convinced herself that she will be quite happy as the "aunt" to her cousins' children, but realizes that it also means she is going to be rather lonely.  Blythe also recognizes that Jack is having some serious issues because his dad's work as a congressman keeps him away from home a lot.  She had problems of a similar kind when she was Jack's age and knows what kind of trouble it can lead to so she tries to help.  But Jack also is resisting the idea that his father might be interested in a woman other than his mother and makes his unhappiness known.  Wes is a terrific guy and really nice on top of that.  He recognizes that he is falling hard for Blythe, but she is also resisting.  She doesn't want to cause more problems for Jack, plus her problems as a teen could create problems for Wes's political career.  I could see how she was sacrificing her happiness for what she saw was the greater good of Wes and Jack's lives, because she just didn't see herself as worth the hassle.  I loved his persistence and how hard he worked to show Blythe that it was possible for them to be happy together.  I loved the friendship between Quinn and Jack.  She was understanding of his problems but also had no trouble telling him when he was being an idiot.  They both seemed like pretty typical eleven year olds.  I also liked the continuing story of the relationship between the three cousins and how they were always available for each other.  I thought that the way that Wes finally convinced Blythe was great, especially how he figured out how to deal with her past.  The epilogue was the perfect wrap-up.