To Tame a Cowboy - Jules Bennett (HD #2264 - Nov 2013)

Series: Texas Cattleman's Club: The Missing Mogul (Book 5)

Royal, Texas, is the perfect place for rodeo star Ryan Grant to slow down and finally show Piper Kindred she's the woman for him. When an accident sends Piper rushing to take care of him, her sexy bedside manner suggests to Ryan that seducing his best friend will be easier than he'd expected. 

But Piper knows the lure of the rodeo circuit--and the risk of a broken heart, when Ryan realizes he's not ready to hang up his saddle for good. She can't let herself fall for a cowboy. If only her heart would listen.

This is a terrific friends to lovers story.   Piper and Ryan have been best friends since she punched him in the nose in third grade.  Ryan has had a great career as a rodeo star but now he's ready to move on.  He is planning to open a rodeo school there in Royal.  He's also ready to show Piper that he wants to be more than just friends.  When he gets a concussion in an accident Piper rushes to take care of him.  She feels the same attraction but doesn't want to risk a broken heart if he changes his mind about settling down.

Piper has been friends with Ryan for a long time.  She's also been feeling a bit more than friendship for him lately but she doesn't want to risk losing that friendship if something goes wrong.  When he lets her know that he's feeling the attraction too, she tries to fight it.  One of her biggest worries is what will happen if she falls for him and he decides to go back to the rodeo circuit.  Her father was a rodeo rider and had never been able to stay in one place for long.  He had completely deserted her and her mother when she was still young, leaving her mother heartbroken.  Piper fears the same thing happening to her.  I really enjoyed seeing Piper's independence and her determination not to be dependent.  She does her best to stand up to Ryan when he tries to push her into accepting his help.  I love the banter between them and the way that she teases him about his "guyness".  I also loved the building heat between them.  They were already friends and knew each other well, but the chemistry took things to a new level.  I loved seeing Piper relax and begin to accept that just maybe Ryan was serious when he talked about staying.  Her fears come back when he leaves to help a friend and it takes a reunion with her father to open her eyes to the differences between the two men.

I really liked Ryan.  He didn't hide the fact that he was interested in stepping things up with Piper.  I loved his honesty with her when she was taking care of him after his accident.  She caught him checking her out and laughed at him because of it, not believing he was serious.  He had to work at it a little to convince her.  Then he had to exert some patience to keep from rushing her.  I really enjoyed seeing him work on her house with her, overcoming her objections by reminding her that friends help each other out.  I also loved seeing him slowly overcome her fears and remind her that he was not her father.  He was really worried about telling her he was going to go help his old partner for awhile.  His worries were justified and his missing her while on the road was causing him some real problems.  I loved the conversation with his partner that helped him make some decisions.

The mystery of their missing friend has taken a step toward being solved.  Alex turned up at the site of a traffic accident, but with a case of amnesia.  His fiancee is with him trying to help but the stress is wearing on them both.  There is an interesting scene with Cara's father and Alex's best friend that may have bearing on the mystery, but we'll have to wait and see.

Killer's Prey - Rachel Lee (HRS #1771 - Oct 2013)

Series: Conard County: The Next Generation (Book 16)

After escaping an attacker who wanted her dead, Nora Loftis is forced to return to Conard County. She needs to heal; she just didn't expect to do it on Jake Madison's Wyoming ranch. The full-time cowboy and part-time police chief was her first love, her only love. And now, with her attacker on the loose, he's her only hope of survival.

Like a vigilant sentry, Jake vows to protect her. Like a tender lover, his arms provide a haven, his kisses a promise. But Nora is a psychologist, and she knows the mind of her attacker. She knows he's coming for her…to finish what he started. 

Good story about surviving and second chances.  Nora was raped, beaten and left for dead by a man who has now jumped bail and is coming after her to finish the job.  In order to heal she has returned to Conard County.  She had left twelve years earlier intending never to return.  Her father's house is just as bad a place as it was when she left.  He had been abusive and judgmental  then and was even worse now.  Jake offered to let her stay at his ranch where she would be safe.  Jake had been the only person in town who had treated her well when they were growing up and she had loved him with all her innocent heart.  Then one thing drove a wedge between them and cemented her decision to leave.  Now that she's back she has to move past those feelings, which she finds pretty easy to do.  Jake has grown into a wonderful man with a kind heart.  Nora finds it very easy to rely on his strength as she heals and waits for her attacker to show up.  I really liked the inner strength that she showed through her amazing survival and now her determination to stay strong through this ordeal.   She started with having the spine to stand up to her father and do what was best for her.  She was also determined to learn how to defend herself if she were to be caught again.  Nora also worked very hard to overcome the terror she feels at the thought of her attacker coming after her.  She is helped in this by Jake's kindness and patience with her and his ability to sooth her fears.  She also finds that she is falling for him all over again.  Because of her upbringing she still has trouble feeling that she is worth caring about.  Jake's care of her is something she has never experienced before and she finds herself fighting her own fears to accept it.  I loved seeing her overcome those fears and accept herself as the woman that Jake sees.  

Jake has felt guilty for years over the way he treated Nora the last time he had seen her.  Seeing her again brings those feelings to the front and he looks forward to the chance to apologize.  He is stunned by the effects that the attack had on her and wants to do anything he can to help her heal.  When he finds out her attacker has escaped he is determined to keep her safe.  He doesn't expect the desire he feels for her and tries to keep it under control.  He doesn't want to put any more stress on her by having her worry about what he might do.  I really liked the way that he was constantly thinking of how various actions might affect her and trying to do the right thing.  He also came to respect her strength of will and how she used her brain and training to try to anticipate her attacker's moves.  I also enjoyed his introspection and the way he tried to understand his own actions and reactions.  One of my favorite parts in the book is when he talks to Nora about her scars and then demonstrates that they don't bother him.  Jake comes to realize that he's in love with Nora but fears that when everything is over she won't want to stay in Conard County.  

I really liked the suspense part of the story.  The killer is shown and his thought processes are clear.  I liked seeing the way that Nora thought about his motivations and tried to predict his actions.  I also enjoyed seeing the way that Jake and Gage worked together to try to keep Nora safe.  The suspense built in a believable manner all the way to the climax and conclusion.

Three Little Words - Susan Mallery (HQN - Aug 2013)

Series: Fool's Gold (Book 12)

Isabel Beebe thinks she's cursed in the romance department. Her teenage crush, Ford Hendrix, ignored all her letters. Her husband left her for another…man. So Isabel has come home to dust off her passion for fashion and run the family bridal shop until her parents are ready to sell it. Then she'll pursue her real dreams. At least, that's the plan, until sexy, charming Ford returns and leaves her feeling fourteen all over again…..

Seeing Isabel all grown-up hits bodyguard trainer Ford like a sucker punch. Back when heartbreak made him join the military, her sweet letters kept him sane. Now he can't take his eyes -- or his lips -- off her. The man who gave up on love has a reason to stay in Fool's Gold forever -- if three little words can convince Isabel to do the same.

I have been looking forward to Ford's story and it was definitely worth the wait.  Ford has returned to Fool's Gold to run his security business with his friends.  After ten years in the military it is a bit of an adjustment.  One of the changes he has encountered is his ex-fiancee's little sister - who isn't so little anymore.  Isabel used to write to him when he was deployed and even though he never wrote back those letters had been important to him.  If anyone can make him believe he can love it's Isabel.

I loved Isabel. In spite of the troubles she has had she is basically an upbeat person.

Her husband left her for another man.  Their marriage hadn't been all that great, but she hadn't seen that one coming.  It has left her with some real hangups when it comes to intimacy.

Her teenage crush on Ford resulted in her writing letters to him for many years, even though he never wrote back.  Those letters ended up being like a diary, and now that she's an adult and living in the same town with him, she is a bit embarrassed about them.  Seeing him again brings back those feelings.  When he asks her to help him out by being his fake girlfriend she can't say no.  I loved the way that they started out as friends.  She teases him about his attitude that it's his patriotic duty to make sure women are happy with him even though he will never settle down.  She can also see past the charming, sexy surface to the pain that he still feels from some of the things he saw in the service.  She has a great way of subtly coming to his rescue when situations, especially with his family, start to overwhelm him.  I loved the way that their fake relationship started to become real, even though neither one would admit it.  Isabel is able to trust Ford with the whole story of her marriage.  That opens the door to a new closeness between them.  Eventually Isabel has to admit to herself that she wants it to be real.

She is back in Fool's Gold to help out her parents who are on an around the world cruise.  She is running the family bridal shop until they get back and put it up for sale.  Her plans are to leave Fool's Gold and start a new fashion business with a friend in New York.  The more time she spends doing this, the more she enjoys it.  Isabel is very good at helping brides find just the right dress and also dealing with the crises that come with the job.  She has various ideas on things to do to improve the stores, but reminds herself that she is leaving.  I loved seeing the way that her goals changed.

Isabel has been reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.  I love her relationships with those friends.  They all support each other and help out wherever needed.  I really enjoyed the conversations they had, especially about relationships.  They are also there for Isabel when she hits a rocky spot with Ford.

Ford is a really nice guy at heart.  He's a badass former SEAL and a bodyguard trainer now, but underneath he's sweet.  Being back home has put him too close to his family at times.  His mother is determined to get him married, to the point where she took applications for the "job" at one of the festivals.  Ford feels that he's a bad bet relationship wise because he has never been able to commit to any woman for very long.  He doesn't want to hurt his mother's feelings by telling her that, so he talks Isabel into being his fake girlfriend.

Ford left Fool's Gold when his fiancee (Isabel's older sister) broke off their engagement.  He has spent the next ten years as a SEAL and avoiding coming home whenever possible.  He remembers Isabel as Maeve's little sister and is stunned when he gets back home to see her all grown up.  Even though he never answered Isabel's letters getting them is all that kept him grounded during some of his roughest times.  Getting her to pose as his fake girlfriend has another benefit.  He can try to get Isabel in bed with him.  He really puts some effort into showing her his charming sexy persona and is a little put out when she just laughs at him.  I loved the way that his boyfriend act starts to become more than just acting though he keeps insisting that's all it is.  I really enjoyed his patience with Isabel when he found out what a number her ex-husband had done on her view of herself as a woman.  Besides the superhot chemistry between them, Ford really takes to being her "boyfriend".  I loved all the nice little things he does for her.  I also enjoyed his whining about the estate she dragged him to and the way he ended up enjoying it after all.  He also gets to know her well enough that he can see when something is troubling her and tries to fix it.  I loved his panic when she was crying about her New York plans and how he called in reinforcements.

Most of the time Ford is really well adjusted at being back in civilian life.  Sometimes, though, in social situations he starts to feel overwhelmed by everything going on around him.  He finds that being around Isabel still grounds him.  She notices when he starts to get tense and has a way of distracting him or the people around him until he get get himself back together.

I loved seeing Ford's relationships with his coworkers.  His level of competition with Angel is so much fun to watch, especially when Consuelo threatens to hurt them both.  He is also rebuilding his relationships with his brothers in the typically non-emotional way they do.  I also enjoyed the way he and his former best friend, who married his ex-fiancee, cleared the air between them.  He then helped Leonard set up a workout plan because Leonard wanted to look better for his wife (a little jealousy of Ford going on there).  I loved the way that Leonard returned the favor by pointing out to Ford just what he really felt about Isabel, because Ford was just too dense to see it.

There is also a great secondary romance between Ford's coworker Consuelo and his brother Kent.  Consuelo had trouble believing that Kent was interested in her.  In her view she is nowhere near good enough for him because of her lack of education and the things she has had to do for her job.  Kent thinks that he's way too boring for someone as capable and fascinating as Consuelo is.  She is really interested in him but has no idea how to relate to him, and frequently runs away as soon as things start to go well between them.  I loved the way that they finally started to communicate with each other and realized that they wanted to be together.

Torrid Nights - Beth Brookes/Lindsay McKenna (Jove - Mar 1984)

Mackenna Scott has built roads and bridges throughout wild, lush Indonesia, proving unquestionably her ability as an engineer. But when her new project lags, her boss, Brock Hampton, dares to challenge her as a professional--and as a woman.

They clash inevitably and repeatedly. Yet Brock's raw power inflames Mackenna's senses. His work-roughened hands sear her flesh. As they forge a tempestuous union in teeming Asian jungles and, later, on dazzling Australian beaches, Mackenna strives to tame this tiger of a man. Then, abruptly, Brock vanishes from her life, leaving her angry and bereft. Is his departure the betrayal it seems ... or a final proof of his love?

I really liked this book.   One of my favorite things about Lindsay McKenna's books is the way that the women usually have unusual jobs.  In this book the heroine is a construction engineer in Java Indonesia, a job that very few women do.  She and her crew run into problems just as the company they work for is sold to someone else.  When Brock, the new owner, shows up sparks fly right away.  He doesn't trust women at all and has no experience with a woman in her position.  Mackenna has to convince him that she can do the job while fighting the attraction she feels for him.  I loved the intensity that showed in their relationship from the beginning.

I loved Mackenna.  She has put everything she has into doing her job and doing it well.  She has had to work hard to earn the respect of her crew and has done so.  The job she is on right now has fallen behind through no fault of her own.  When Brock arrives his attitude makes Mackenna angry, with his opinion that women can't do the job and are only good for bedwarmers.  I loved the way that she stands up to him with logic and facts.  She also feels an attraction to him that she hasn't felt for anyone since the death of her husband a year earlier.  She has buried her grief in work and the reawakening of her emotions is painful.  Just as she and Brock are beginning to work together she comes down with malaria.  The resulting delirium burns away the rest of her grief and depression and she come out the other side with a new outlook on her life.  I also enjoyed the way that she can see past Brock's walls and begins to change his attitudes.  Things are looking up for the two of them when Brock is called away.  The longer he is gone with no contact the more Mackenna feels the loss of something that could have been wonderful.  It takes a near tragedy to bring them back together and open them both up to a future together.

Brock has changed from the man he used to be.  Thanks to marriage to a woman who was only interested in his name and his money and her actions during their divorce, Brock has become an angry and bitter man.  He is not happy to find a woman in charge of this project and is pretty obnoxious in his attitude toward her.  He now looks at all women as if they are like his ex-wife.  He is surprised by Mackenna's refusal to back down from his attacks.  He is also disturbed by her ability to see his pain and his reactions to her.  The more time he spends with her the more he feels her breaking down his walls.  Giving in to their passion is something he never planned. When he is called away to deal with a crisis it gives him the chance to try to rebuild his walls.  But the longer he is away the more he realizes he needs Mackenna in his life.  His return to Java is nearly too late and he has to convince her that he's worth taking a risk on.  I loved the way that by the end he had come to fully accept and appreciate her abilities on the job.

I loved the setting of this book.  The descriptions of the jungle are so good that I could feel the humidity and hear the sounds as I read.  I also loved seeing the way that Mackenna's work is described and the rapport she has with the men who work for her.  I loved the care shown her by Sully and the respect she has earned from the rest of her crew.

Knit the Season - Kate Jacobs (Berkley - Nov 2010)

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.

Lost and Found Husband - Sheri Whitefeather (HSE #2292 - Oct 2013)

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.

One Night with the Doctor - Cindy Kirk (HSE #2291 - Oct 2013)

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.