Series:
Friday Night Knitting Club (Book 3)
For college-age Dakota Walker, whipping up butter
tarts and chocolate-orange scones at pastry school has become her
passion, but she'll never give up knitting and gabbing on Friday nights
at Walker and Daughter. The coziest yarn shop on Manhattan's Upper West
Side, Walker and Daughter has also been a haven for Peri, Darwin,
Lucie, KC, Anita, and Catherine - the women who have become Dakota's
dearest friends, her big sisters, and sometimes her surrogate mothers.
With the holidays are just around the corner, the women have even more
reason to celebrate: there's a special wedding planned for New Year's
Day. In the meantime, Dakota is working to finish a sweater her mother
started before Dakota was born. As she takes on her mother's pattern,
she learns from her family and friends that there was much more history
in these stitches than she had anticipated, and that to build on her
mother's legacy, Dakota must allow herself to become the woman she truly
desires to be...
This is a book that deals mostly with change. Dakota is the central character. She is a student in culinary school but also part owner of a knitting shop that used to belong to her mother. Her plans are to create a cafe within the shop once she has graduated. To that end she is trying to get an internship with a hotel chef for over the holidays, only to find out that her father has made plans for the entire family to go visit her grandmother in Scotland. Dakota must decide which is more important to her. She also discovers that her father is dating, something that she hadn't seen coming. I had to remind myself that Dakota is still pretty young - I think around twenty-one - because I kept thinking that she seemed pretty selfish through most of the book. She spends a lot of time thinking about how she doesn't want to give up the internship just to visit her grandmother, even though the woman is pretty old and who knows what could happen. She also gets pretty snippy with her dad about his dating, even though her mom has been gone for eight years, not seeming to care that maybe he's a bit lonely and ready to move on. It takes some straight talking from a couple of the knitting ladies to open her eyes to how she's behaving. One of the things she has been doing is finishing some of her mother's knitting projects. The one she is working on now is a sweater that had been started for her father. As she works on it, and throughout the book, her friends and family share stories about her mother as a child and young woman, giving Dakota new insight into her mother's life. By the end of the book I had seen some good emotional growth out of Dakota.
There are also changes coming for some of the other members of the club. Peri, the co-owner of the shop, has been offered an incredible opportunity in France and has to decide if she has the courage to tackle the unknown. If she does, it will take her away from the shop and her friends. I loved the way that she worked out her dilemma.
Anita is supposed to be getting married on New Year's Day. Her fiance has been most patient with her as the wedding has already been rescheduled several times. One of Anita's grown sons is against the marriage and has managed to derail her plans before. Will she be able to stand up to him this time?
Their friend Catherine has been seeing an Italian widower for a year and isn't sure where the relationship is going. She loves him and is ready to step it up, but she doesn't know his intentions. He and his family will be visiting New York for the holidays. I loved the conversation she had with him and the results were fantastic.
Overall it was a good book, but at times very slow to get through. The beginning was especially slow and I nearly gave up on it. I'm glad I didn't, but it was a close thing.
Series:
Family Renewal (Book 2)
For waitress Dana Peterson, it's now or never.
For a year, she's flirted with her regular diner customer, widower Erik
Reeves. Who cares if he's a little older? He's yummy! So she takes the
plunge and asks him out -- on Valentine's Day, no less.
Against his better judgment, Erik lets this ray of sunshine into his
life. But things quickly spin out of control and now Dana's pregnant.
Erik will do the right thing and marry her. But can he retrieve his
heart from the lost and found to give this feisty beauty the love she
truly deserves?
We first met Erik in Lost and Found Father as the adoptive dad of the daughter that Ryan and Victoria gave up for adoption. He lost his wife to cancer seven years ago and still mourns her loss. With his daughter off at college he eats many of his meals at the diner where Dana works. She is young and pretty and likes to flirt with him when he's there. When she asks him out he is hesitant since he's so much older than she is, but she teases him into it. He doesn't expect the intense attraction that he feels for her, and things get quickly out of control that night. He makes sure she knows that there is no possibility of a relationship and she's okay with that. Neither one expects her to become pregnant from that one night. Now Erik has to face the idea of becoming a father and husband again while trying to protect his heart.
I really liked Dana. She has a great outlook on life, always keeping a cheerful attitude even though her life hasn't been the easiest. She has been interested in Erik for a year, always flirting with him when she waits on him and taking an interest in his life. She knows he's older than she is but it makes no difference to her - she calls him "yummy". She finally works up the courage to ask him out to an art show, figuring that since he's an art teacher it would appeal. I really liked the way that she went after what she wanted and didn't really give him a chance to say no. She made sure he knew what she wanted from him and when that simple kiss spiraled out of control she ran with it. She was upset when she got pregnant because as the daughter and granddaughter of single mothers she hadn't ever intended to go that route herself. When Erik proposes to her in order to do the right thing she knows he doesn't love her and doesn't ever plan to love her but hopes that they can have a good life together. I really loved seeing how her cheerful casual style starts to change Erik's life. She brightens it up, while his steadiness grounds her. I loved the way that she and his daughter became great friends. Dana found that Erik's kindness and care for her quickly changed her feelings from friendship to love, but feared that it would always be one-sided. I really loved the evolution of their romance and how she started to see his actions for what they were rather than just what he said.
Erik had been devastated by his wife's death. He still visits her grave and talks to her on a regular basis. He enjoys his meals at the diner and is amused by Dana and her flirting. There is a certain amount of attraction to her but he considers himself an "old man" compared to her. He is surprised by her invitation to take her to the art show and tries to decline, but she talks him into it. Though he has a good time with her he is disturbed by the attraction he feels for her. When he gives her the promised kiss goodnight at her door that attraction burns out of control and he ends up spending the night. They part ways not expecting to do anything like that again. When she contacts Erik to tell him she is pregnant he is stunned and dismayed. He feels there is no way that he can be a father again. He offers to help her financially but that's all he'll commit to, until his daughter makes him see that that isn't fair to Dana. He goes back and proposes marriage, but lets her know that there is no way he'll ever love her. I loved seeing him fight his feelings. It was obvious he cared but he wasn't going to allow himself to love. He equates love to loss and feels that he can't go through that again. No matter how hard he tries Dana's upbeat personality keeps drawing him closer and closer. I loved the way that they worked together on the garden and also decorating the baby's room. He also got really involved in the pregnancy which was a new experience for him. The ending was so sweet and moving.
Series:
Rx for Love (Book 10)
"Perfect" Poppy Westover has always been a by-the-book kind of girl. But
just this once, she ignores her rules and has a sizzling one-night
stand with the crushingly handsome Dr. Benedict Campbell. It was a
superb night that left Poppy breathless…and pregnant.
Ben Campbell knows the pain of a broken heart -- so he is happy to
settle for a good time. Still, when his unbelievable night with Poppy
means that he will soon be answering to Daddy, he has to put everything
on the line -- for his child, and his child's mother. Because if Ben
gets his way, he will soon be answering to Husband, as well!
Good book where both Poppy and Ben have to learn to trust again. I really enjoyed the slow building of their love. Poppy had come home to Jackson Hole after the end of her marriage to a New York doctor. He had lied to her, cheated on her and looked down on her. Now she is determined to concentrate on her job as a social worker and avoid any kind of relationship with a man. When she shares a brief kiss with Ben at a friend's party she is startled by the intensity of it and avoids him for the rest of the evening. They don't really see each other again until Valentine's Day when she is participating in a fundraiser where she sings. Ben is drawn to her like he hasn't been for anyone else in a long time. When they go out to dinner later Poppy is surprised by how well they get along, but still not interested in pursuing a relationship. She does decide to give in to her wild side a bit and spends the night with him. She is stunned to find herself pregnant since she hadn't gotten pregnant at all while married. Since she wanted children she is thrilled, but not sure how Ben will take the news. She is surprised by his apparent pleasure, but wary when he wants her to move in so they can get to know each other better. Her trust issues won't let her put herself under that kind of control, so she invites him to her place instead. When she ends up moving to his place after all their plans to get to know each other work very well. I really liked the way that Poppy begins to relax with Ben and they start building a relationship. She had some real self worth problems thanks to her ex-husband and Ben's treatment of her goes a long way toward making her feel better. I also liked seeing her open up more with some of the other people. She realizes that she has fallen in love with him, but she doesn't know if she can overcome his resistance to being fully in love.
Ben was hurt badly by the woman he had fallen for in college. While he thought everything was going well for them, she was also seeing someone else. He swore he would never allow himself to fall that deeply for anyone ever again. His initial attraction to Poppy was purely physical, but he soon was just as attracted to her sense of humor and her whole personality. He isn't about to turn her down the night they go out to dinner, but hopes to convince her to make it more than a one time thing. He is surprised by her pregnancy but not upset about it. He lets her know that he plans to be very involved and that they should get to know each other better even before the baby comes. He's not thrilled with moving into her apartment since it's so much smaller than his house, but he's willing to do what it takes. When moving to his house makes more sense for her safety their relationship takes another step. I loved seeing Ben experiencing new things because of being part of a couple. He's starting to feel more for Poppy but still trying convince himself that he can hold part of himself back. I loved the way he finally realized the truth and then what he did to show Poppy just how much he cared.
Series:
Brothers in Arms: Fully Engaged (Book 4)
Beau Slater once enjoyed an unforgettable night
with a woman who matched him in brains, passion and black ops skills.
Three years later he's gone rogue to help the sexy Prospero agent find
top secret weaponry plans--and rescue her kidnapped toddler from a
vengeful arms dealer. What Beau doesn't know is that Deb Sinclair's son
is his.
But for this mission, the freedom-loving bachelor will lay
his life on the line for a child in danger and the woman he's never
forgotten. Yet how can he trust the cunning spy who's already deceived
him?
Very good book and excellent conclusion to this series of Brothers in Arms books. Since having her son Deb has been doing mainly desk work for Prospero. When her son is kidnapped by the arms dealer the team has been trying to capture she has to try to get him back. Zendaris wants the plans that went missing in exchange for her son. When she goes missing and it looks like she is working for Zendaris the Prospero leader sends Beau after her to bring her in. It doesn't take him long to find her, but things aren't always as they seem. Beau remembers their night together very well and is also sure there is an explanation for her actions. When he finds out what it is he offers to help her, not knowing that the missing child is his son. Once he finds out they both have to learn how to trust in order to bring about the right resolution for all of them.
I really liked Deb. She has been an excellent Prospero agent, one of the few women in that position. Her one lapse was that night in Zurich with Beau that resulted in the birth of her son. She never tried to track him down, remembering his statements about not wanting any kind of family to tie him down. When Zendaris kidnaps Bobby, Deb will do anything she has to in order to get her son back safely, including the appearance of betraying Prospero. When Beau catches her and plans to take her in she has to convince him not to interfere so that she can save her son. She is stunned when he offers to help her, and very relieved. She is also very cautious as she is used to standing on her own. She had the kind of childhood and youth that made it very hard for her to trust that anyone would be there for her. She even keeps herself slightly apart from her team members. I loved the way that she and Beau worked together, with each one having particular abilities to bring to the search. Deb also discovered that the attraction she had felt before was even stronger now. She also found that there was a lot more to Beau than she had known before, including the love he has for his family - especially his nieces and nephews. She begins to feel very guilty for not telling him about Bobby. Once she does she has to deal with his feelings of betrayal and hope that he can overcome them.
Beau had never forgotten that night with Deb and thought about her often. When he was asked to track her down he jumped at the chance. As soon as he saw her again he knew that the old attraction was still there. When he found out why she had disappeared he was skeptical at first, but once convinced he had to help her. I really liked the way that he was totally committed to helping her, even before he knew that he was Bobby's father. He sometimes had trouble convincing Deb that he wasn't going to abandon her but he understood her issues so he tried to have patience. I liked the way that Beau didn't just make all the decisions but made sure that they were working together. In spite of having a professional reputation of being cold and ruthless I thought that on a personal level he was a really nice guy. He had never planned on having a relationship or a family of his own, but his love for his relatives was obvious. When he found out that he was Bobby's father he was furious with Deb for not telling him, but overall pretty excited about being a dad. There's a great scene at the end where he's talking to Deb's teammates and tells them that he's Bobby's father.
I really enjoyed the whole progression of the search for the plans and rescue of Deb's son. There is a lot of intensity as Deb has to overcome her fears about Bobby's life in order to do what needs to be done. The trust that she and Beau have to have in order to get things done is hard won at times. They also have to figure out who it is that seems to be intent on stopping her from finding the plans. It really kept me turning the pages from Deb's first task to the final happy ending.
Series:
House of Steele (Book 2)
The House of Steele works for the good guys -- but sometimes it's hard to tell heroes from villains…
The beautiful former thief had never met a lock she couldn't pick.
Although Rowan Steele is now legit, she handles some of the family's
most dangerous assignments. When she agrees to safeguard an ancient
treasure, her heart -- as well as her life -- may be the price.
His outlaw days roaming the streets of London are behind him. Now Finn
Gallagher's expert eyes authenticate the treasures he used to steal.
When a major antiquities cache is threatened, he recruits Rowan to join
him. Together, he figures, they can keep anything safe. Until an old
enemy raises the stakes…
This was an exciting book to read, from the time Rowan and Finn met as teenagers to their reunion and romance as adults. They met as teenagers when both attempted to steal a priceless bracelet from the same house. Rowan never saw Finn's face as he was masked, and was horrified when he was shot during their escape. She never knew what happened to him until they met again. Finn has gone to her for help protecting an Egyptian treasure. When attacks on them escalate Finn and Rowan will have to depend on each other to protect the treasure and themselves.
I really liked Rowan. The book opens with her as a sixteen year old thief. She steals as a way to cope with the loss of her parents, even though she knows it's wrong. This time she is stopped by another thief who is after the same thing. When a third group of thieves shows up, she and the stranger work together to escape. There is something about him that appeals to her. During their escape he is shot and sends her on ahead. The event makes her take a long look at what she's doing and she makes immediate changes. She spends the next twelve years wondering what happened to him and feeling guilty. When Finn hires her company, specifically her, to help him protect the treasures he is to authenticate there is something about him that seems familiar. When she discovers why she is furious with him for never letting her know he was okay. She also discovers that the old attraction is still alive and well and much more intense. I loved seeing them work together as they tried to figure out who was behind the trouble. I also loved the fact that Rowan is very capable on her own, that she's not dependent on Finn for protection. She's had a very successful career that has taken her into some risky situations and she's proud of that fact. At one point she even says "I'm sick to death of reading stories where the man has to swoop in to save the woman. ... All I'm saying is why can't it be both of them? Or why can't the heroine rescue the hero every once in awhile?" Rowan is very quickly falling in love with Finn, but there is one very important difference of opinion that they have that may keep them from a future together.
At nineteen Finn had been very drawn to the beautiful girl he rescued during a mutual robbery attempt. When it was over he discovered who she was, but because of his own background there was no way he was going to make contact with her. Over the next twelve years he took his experiences as a thief and turned them into a very successful business as an authenticator. He also kept track of her and her activities, happy to see that she had turned her life around. When he needed her expertise for the Egyptian job he was looking forward to seeing her again. He didn't expect that hint of attraction to be even stronger for the grown woman. I loved watching him try to fight it in order to keep things strictly business. He is disturbed by the attacks on them and wants to protect Rowan though she fights him on it. When he gives away his identity as that thief he doesn't really understand her fury until he learns just how big an impact it made on her life. In spite of his successful legitimate business he has never quite given up his old ways and discovers that it is a very big drawback in Rowan's eyes. I liked his appreciation of Rowan's abilities and how well their abilities meshed. There were some very intense situations that they got out of because of their teamwork. By the end he had to decide if he was willing to let his past dictate his future.
The progression of the mystery itself was very good. It was interesting to see that one of the bad guys is revealed to the reader from the beginning, showing how various strings are being pulled. The identity of the puppet master isn't shown until the end of course. The author did a great job of stringing me along there, because I didn't suspect at all. There were several intense events that increased the tension all the way to the climax. I could not put it down until it was over.
Series:
Project Justice (Book 8)
Desperate times call for desperate measures…
And Travis Riggs is way past desperate. With time running out to
overturn his brother's wrongful murder conviction and stop his niece's
adoption, Project Justice is Travis's last hope. But when his request
for an interview is denied, he resorts to drastic measures -- kidnapping
the founder's personal assistant, Elena Marquez.
Travis hadn't planned for any of this to happen, least of all the
chemistry between him and Elena. Under different circumstances, they may
have had a chance at a relationship. However, the last thing he wants
is to drag her down with him, which is exactly what will happen if he
accepts her help. Not that Elena is giving him much of a choice….
Good book. Travis is getting desperate to get his brother out of prison in time to stop his niece from being adopted away from the family. He's tried getting Project Justice involved but has run into problems with the online application and getting through by phone has been impossible. Next he shows up at Daniel Logan's home, hoping to see him face to face. Instead he gets Daniel's assistant, Elena, who he promptly tosses in his truck and drives off with, hoping to force Daniel to help him. The kidnapping doesn't last long, with Travis regretting his actions immediately. All Elena wants is a chance to help Travis clear his brother's name.
I really liked Elena. She has been working for Daniel as his personal assistant for awhile and has a good feel for how things are done. She is the one who takes the call when Travis shows up at the mansion and tries to get Daniel to listen, but he's on his way out to an emergency and just tells her to tell Travis to fill out the application. When she goes down to tell him in person his frustration gets the better of him and he kidnaps her. She's frightened at first, but soon learns that Travis isn't dangerous, just desperate. Once the whole kidnapping thing is dealt with, Elena really wants to help Travis get the resolution he needs. I loved the way that she uses her organization and research skills to try to help him. She gets very frustrated with his refusal to accept the help she can give. She is also very attracted to him which is adding a whole other layer to her frustration because he keeps saying he's not good enough for her. I loved her persistence in keeping her eye on the goal of getting Travis's brother cleared and his niece back where she belongs. There are also some great scenes with Elena's mother. The ending was very satisfying and moving.
Travis is a man with a good heart and a problem with making some bad impulsive decisions. One of those impulses got him some jail time, another one saw him married to a real piece of work, and the latest had him kidnapping Elena. All he really wanted was a chance to get his request in front of the Project Justice people. He had some real problems with the online application due to some learning disabilities and a definite aversion to asking for help doing something that should be easy. As soon as he kidnapped Elena he knew he was in trouble but didn't know how to fix it. Once he had convinced her that he really didn't want to hurt her he was surprised at how forgiving she was. He was also surprised by her offer to help him. He has a problem accepting any kind of help for two reasons. First, his ex-wife had considered him a "project" and wasn't happy with him the way he was. She kept trying to "help" him improve himself, so now he sees all offers of help as an indication that he isn't good enough. Second, because of his jail time and background he doesn't think he deserves the kind of happiness that Elena's help could bring. I have to admit that I got pretty frustrated with his constant negative attitude about himself. It was great to see the way that she chipped away at that attitude, then really blasted him when it got to be too much for her. I did like the way he came through at the end.
There was quite a bit of action also. The kidnapping itself and Travis's efforts to evade being caught were pretty intense. The most important action revolved around Travis's niece MacKenzie and his efforts to get her away from the foster family that is trying to adopt her. There is definitely something fishy going on with them. There are also multiple instances of vandalism to the house that Travis is renovating that seem to be tied to MacKenzie and Travis's brother's imprisonment. It certainly kept me turning the pages to see how it was all going to work out.
Series:
Malloren (Book 13)
SEDUCTION IN SILK
Peregrine Perriam, son of
an earl, has no desire to marry, but when he's named heir to Perriam
Manor, he finds he has only a month to persuade a stranger, Claris
Mallow, to the altar or the property will be lost to his family forever,
and his line will be cursed.
Having survived her parents'
tormented marriage, Claris prefers poverty to any husband. When a
high-born stranger demands her hand, she drives him off at pistol point.
Perry finds weapons of his own, however, and soon Claris is
compelled to accept his proposal. But she does so on her own
terms--especially that the marriage be in name only. Once mistress of
Perriam Manor, however, she discovers she isn't immune to Perry's
charms. Perhaps a real marriage might be worth the risk--including a
real marriage bed...
Not my favorite of Jo Beverley's books. There's usually a bit more conflict and suspense in her books that just wasn't there in this one. Perry has been left Perriam Manor by his cousin, under the condition that he marry Claris Mallow. He doesn't want to marry anyone, but he doesn't want to lose the house, so he goes off to convince Claris. Meanwhile, she has no desire to marry either. Her parents had a miserable marriage and upon their deaths she is raising her twin brothers. There isn't much money but they are getting by. When Perry shows up to get her to marry him she doesn't want anything to do with him and chases him away. But she can't deny that marrying him would have benefits that would make life easier for her family so she gives in. She has demands of her own regarding the marriage and Perry is desperate enough to give in. It isn't long before both want more from the marriage that the business arrangement they had agreed on.
I have mixed feelings about Claris. I really liked her independence and the strength she had to have to make a life for herself and her brothers, grandmother and friend. I loved the scene where she used the pistol to chase Perry away. She did end up agreeing to marry him after realizing how the marriage would help her make a better life for her brothers. It bothered me a little that she seemed to give more weight to the goodies Perry provided than the benefits to her brothers. Claris worried that marriage to Perry would see the end of her independence. She was somewhat reassured by his actions as he kept the various promises he made, though she seemed to be constantly expecting him to go back on his promises. She had a tendency to take almost everything he said or did the wrong way and accuse him of breaking his word. Even though she had insisted on a marriage in name only, she decided that she wanted a child of her own and told Perry of her change of mind. I liked the way that she didn't hold back once she made that decision. Claris had been very nervous going into the marriage feeling that she was not up to the task of being a nobleman's wife. She was helped along the way by Genova Ashart (Winter Fire) and began to feel a bit more confident. I really enjoyed seeing her grow into her role as lady of the manor, but she still seemed a bit on the whiny side to me. I enjoyed her trip to London to see Perry and loved the way she stood up to a couple of the snotty ladies.
Perry's inheriting of Perriam Manor was a complete surprise to him. The conditions to do so were unpleasant but he was determined to do it to keep the manor in the family. He was terribly overconfident when he went to Claris the first time and it wasn't really a surprise to see him get shut down fast. I liked his sense of humor about it and loved his conversation with Genova Ashart about how to win Claris. I really liked the way that he was willing to give her complete control over the manor. It was fun to see him realize that he was attracted to her and bemoan the fact that he had agreed to a marriage in name only. I liked the way that he is kind to Claris and her family and does whatever he can to make the transition a smooth one. Perry is an usual hero in that he has no interest
in the managing of the estate and admits that he has no clue as to how
to do it. He insists that he is a Town guy, but he sure seems to like his time in the country with Claris. He has his duties in the city, most of which are tied to positions gotten for him by his father. One thing that bothered me about Perry was how he was under his father's thumb. I didn't like the way he caved in regarding the disposition of the manor. I liked seeing the work he did for Rothgar and thought a little more could have been done with that. When Claris came to visit Perry in London it caused him to think even more about the effect she has had on his life and how important he finds it to do things that make her happy. I liked the way that he finally took control of his life.
Secondary characters were done well within the story. Claris's grandmother was a pretty good foil to show Claris's goodness. Athena was not the most pleasant of people and showed up to be pretty selfish. I liked her friend/companion Ellie and was rooting for good things to happen with her. I loved Claris's brothers. They were a great mixture of good and mischievous. I liked the way they tried to watch out for Claris. They also enabled Claris to see a different side of Perry.
