Series:
The Master Vintners (Book 4)
Protecting his foster parents means everything to
Finn Gallagher. So when stunning Tamsyn Masters appears on his
doorstep, looking for her mother, he does what he has to do -- he lies
to her. It's not as if Tamsyn hasn't done worse. And if a harmless
seduction will keep her where he wants her, why not?
Now Finn has another secret…he's falling for Tamsyn. She's not what he
thought, and time is running out. The choice is clear -- Tamsyn or the
truth. Because he can't have both.
Very good book. Both Tamsyn and Finn have to deal with both finding love that will define their futures and also be able to let go of their pasts. There was so much emotion between the two of them that I went through several tissues while reading it.
Tamsyn has had to deal with too many lies. Between her entire family lying to her about her mother and then her fiance cheating on her, she needs to get away. Tamsyn is now determined to find her mother. Her search has led her to the vineyard of Finn Gallagher. He claims that he doesn't know her mother, but offers to show her around the area while she searches. Their initial meeting had not gone well, but he seems to be more cooperative now. The attraction she feels for him is doing pretty good things for her confidence also. While she occasionally gets the feeling he's hiding something, she's really starting to fall for him. I really liked Tamsyn. While she seemed pretty impulsive, running off to New Zealand like she did, overall she is a smart and independent woman. I liked the way that she wasn't going to give up her search even though she hit a roadblock with Finn. Her determination led her to take a job working with local seniors and finding a place to live. When she discovers his deception she is devastated and even more so when she finds out the truth about her mother. I thought she was terrific all through the final stages of the book and really showed what a great person she was.
Finn's actions at the beginning showed how intent he was on protecting his foster parents. He was so sure that he was doing the right thing by deceiving Tamsyn. Everything he thought he knew about her made him think that she was selfish and spoiled. He was attracted to her, though, and thought that having a fling with her would satisfy him and keep her out of trouble too. But the more he got to know her, the more he realized that she was not the brat he had believed her to be. I felt a little bit bad for Finn because he had messed up so badly. I liked his protectiveness toward Ellen, but he probably should have made greater efforts to convince his foster father of the truth. I enjoyed the way that he got to know Tamsyn and realized that he was falling for her. He really understood her and it was killing him that he couldn't tell her the truth. I really enjoyed seeing the things they did together and how much alike they really were. I loved seeing the decision they made about Tamsyn's legacy from her mother.
Series:
Master Vintners (Book 3)
They'd Had One Night. He Wanted More.
When Ethan Masters learns his family's explosive secret, it sends him
reeling...straight into an uncharacteristic one-night stand. Too bad
he'll never see Isobel Fyfe again....
Until she shows up as his winery's newest hire. Now Ethan's in trouble.
Isobel is everything he's not-a free spirit with no commitments-and she
won't be controlled. How can he trust her to keep his secret? How can he
keep his distance? With his family at stake, Ethan's playing with
fire...but he wants Isobel. And he'll do anything to keep her
quiet...and in his bed.
Very good book. Upon the death of his father, Ethan has become the head of the family business. While going through some paperwork he discovered that the mother he thought was dead is still alive and that his father and other relatives had kept that a secret for twenty-five years. This news has upset his normally calm and well controlled life and when he meets an attractive woman he gives in to his attraction and sleeps with her, never expecting to see her again. When she shows up at the winery as the photographer his sister has hired he is not at all happy and is worried about what she will do.
I liked both Ethan and Isobel. Ethan has always been very responsible and controlled, taking after his father who pretty much shut down his emotions after the loss of his wife. Ethan was determined that no woman would ever have that kind of control of him. He has never been as drawn to a woman like he is to Isobel, and is glad that they'll only have that one night. When she appears at the winery he knows he is in trouble. He is still attracted to her and now he can't get her out of his mind. I liked his sense of responsibility and how hard he worked at making the winery the best it could be. It was obvious that he really liked what he did. His biggest problem was that he always wanted to be in control and Isobel threatened that sense of control. He was willing to have a fling with her but he couldn't see her fitting in to his life as he saw it. He fought his feelings for her so hard, to the point of looking at a friend as the perfect wife because of certain compatibilities rather than the love that is necessary for a good marriage. I loved the way it practically took his sister hitting him with a baseball bat for him to finally admit his feelings. I loved his rescue of Isobel and his demonstration of his love at the end.
Isobel has been traveling since she was a teenager. After the death of her mother her dad didn't stay in one place for long and that was what she got used to. It also gave her the ability to avoid commitments since she didn't want to suffer the way she saw her father suffer. She was surprised at how strongly she and Ethan connected but knew there was no future in it because they were so different. I loved seeing the way that she brightened his life and that she made him happy even though he didn't want to admit it. Because of her photography she also had a way of seeing past the surfaces of people. Although it caused problems at first I loved the way that she made sure Ethan understood that he was not helping his sister by keeping the truth about their mother from her. I also really liked her commitment to using her photography to bring attention to world problems. I admired her determination to return to Africa and finish what she had started before. I also liked the way that she finally confronted her own past and was able to open herself up to the possibility of a future with Ethan.
I also liked Ethan's sister Tamsyn. I will be very interested to see if she gets her own story. I see great possibilities in her search for her mother.
Series: The Master Vintners (Book 4)
