A Match for the Single Dad - Gina Wilkins (HSE #2272 - July 2013)

Series: Bell Family (Book 3)

"Two Little Matchmakers"
Suddenly single dad Garrett McHale is out of his depth With a busy job as a pilot, he's also raising two daughters by himself. Finding love is beyond his control--until his girls decide their daddy needs a wife And they know the perfect woman to fill the position....

Resort manager Maggie Bell thinks the McHale girls are adorable--and sure, she's noticed their sexy single father a time or two. And yes, sparks fly as Maggie and Garrett begin to spend more time together, until Maggie begins to get an up-close-and-personal look at family life--and the realities of parenting two mischievous little girls. Besides, it doesn't seem likely that stubborn Garrett is willing to risk his heart for love again. His daughters, however, have other ideas....

Fun book.  Garrett is pretty much overwhelmed with trying to take care of his daughters now that he's a full time father.  His marriage hadn't worked out and with the death of his ex-wife he is now responsible for the girls.  He doesn't have time for a social life so when the girls decide they need a new mother they take matters into their own hands.

I liked Garrett.  He is doing the best he can.  He loves his daughters and gave up his air force career so that he could give them a stable home life.  His mother and grandmother help as much as they can but they tend to be a little overprotective.  On top of Garrett's own insecurities about keeping them safe the girls are feeling pretty smothered.  They want a mother who will be on their side.  They are frequent visitors to the Bell family resort and they think Maggie will be the perfect mom for them.  As they talk their dad into a week long vacation there, they do their best to throw the two together.  Garrett has always noticed Maggie but is not interested in trying marriage again.  But he is enjoying her company and the chance to have some time away from his family.  He grows to care more for Maggie than he is comfortable with.  He's ten years older than she is and knows she enjoys traveling and going out with her friends and feels that she wouldn't be happy with a life with him.  I really enjoyed watching Garrett as he tried to cope with having a teenage daughter who was really pushing against the restrictions of her life.  The protective dad was in full force but he was also trying to listen to Maggie as she would give him ideas on how to cope.  He had a hard time asking for or accepting help but also knew he needed it.  I loved the final scenes with the sick family and Maggie's rescue of them.

Maggie was pretty cool.  She works at the family resort and has a great way of being able to deal with all sorts of people.  She has been aware of Garrett for some time and is always nice to his two daughters.  She relates well to them, but is very glad that she doesn't have to raise them as she would worry about doing the right things.  While the family is vacationing there she finds herself spending more time with Garrett.  There is a lot about him that appeals to her and the attraction is hard to fight also.  The more time she spent with him the more she came to care even though they had agreed that there was no future for them.  I loved seeing her explain the concept of "me time" to Garrett and how it was necessary in order to avoid getting overly stressed.  I loved seeing her help out with the girls and how well she did without realizing it.  I really liked her take charge attitude at the end and how she finally accepted that she was better at parenting  than she thought she was.

The Texan's Surprise Baby - Gina Wilkins (HSE #2261 - May 2013)

Series: Bell Family (Book 2)

THE PITTER-PATTER OF LITTLE TEXAS FEET?

One night of passion with P.I. Andrew Walker and what does Hannah Bell have to show for it? A baby bump that's about six months along! No longer willing to trust her instincts when it comes to romance, Hannah decides to make a go of being a single mom. With her family rallying around her, Hannah knows her baby will be welcomed with love and joy.

Accidental or not, Andrew wants to be part of his baby's-and Hannah's-life. He prides himself on always doing the right thing...as long as he doesn't get too involved. But the more time he spends with Hannah, the more he likes the idea of a family of three! 

Fun book.  Andrew is the twin brother of Aaron who we met in The Right Twin.  He had assisted the Bell family when Hannah's ex-husband embezzled money from their resort.  At the time Andrew was drawn to Hannah but knew better than to get involved with a client.  When she showed up at his office in December to thank him again they had dinner together and ended up spending the night together.  The next morning she panicked and sent him away not trusting herself and her emotions.  Six months later Andrew finds out that she's pregnant and has to decide what to do.

I really liked both Hannah and Andrew.  Hannah no longer trusts her instincts when it comes to men and relationships.  She was attracted to Andrew while he was helping them but after giving in to her attraction that night she was afraid to trust herself.  She refused to tell anyone who the father of her baby was while she was trying to decide what to do.  She knew she had to tell Andrew, especially since his twin was going to be part of her family. When he showed up she asked him not to say anything until she could find a way to tell the family.  I felt bad for her because she was so worried about being able to trust herself.  She knew that she loved him and that he wasn't anything like her ex, but she just couldn't bring herself to believe that a relationship would last.  She was also determined that she would stand on her own feet and not depend on anyone else to take care of her.  She tended to take that attitude a little too far when Andrew tried to protect her from the attacks on her.  I did like the way that she wanted to be sure that he was involved in the baby's life.  I also liked the way that she refused to allow him to talk her into marriage for what she saw as the wrong reasons.

Andrew was great.  He seemed kind of uptight as Aaron's brother in the first book, but in this one we just see him as a bit of a workaholic.  I loved the way that he immediately jumped to the right conclusion when Aaron mentioned Hannah's pregnancy in passing.  He quickly made the trip to the resort to talk to her in person.  I really liked the way that he let her know he intended to be involved but that he also will let her decide how to tell her family.  I thought that the way that he watched out for her was really sweet especially since he was trying not to give anything away.  While he had not intended to become a father this soon I loved the way that he was so excited about the baby.  The sonogram scene was especially emotional.  He was pretty clueless about his proposal and I loved the way that Shelby called him a dummy - twice - because of it.  I also liked the way his aunt told him to answer three questions and then think about his proposal again.  I loved the closeness of both families even though Andrew got so frustrated with the constant interruptions every time he tried to have a talk with Hannah.  

The Right Twin - Gina Wilkins (HSE #2248 - Mar 2013)

Series: Bell Family (Book 1)

DOUBLE TROUBLE!

It's a beautiful Texas summer, and Shelby Bell's idyllic lakeside resort is tailor-made for romance. So when Shelby suggests that Aaron Walker be her pretend boyfriend to help her catch a resort thief, she is sure it's the perfect plan. Aaron is handsome, smart and understanding-everything a woman could want in a beau. So what if her perfect boyfriend is a fake?

Having grown up in the shadow of his twin brother, Aaron is enjoying being the hero for a change. Shelby looks at him as if he is number one. But the more time Aaron spends with his quirky "sweetheart," the more their charade becomes all too real. Can Aaron convince Shelby that when it comes to romance, he is exactly the right man for the job?

Good book.  I really liked both Aaron and Shelby.  Aaron is tired of being compared to his twin brother and found wanting.  He doesn't want any part of the family investigation business, but still hasn't found the career that he does want.  After yet another lecture from his brother Aaron takes off for the Bell Resort where Andrew had done a job the year before.  Once he's able to convince everyone he's not his brother Aaron settles in to figure out what he really wants to do.  In the meantime Shelby has asked for his help and he's only too happy to give it.  He's really attracted to her so it's no hardship to hang out with her.  He also discovers that he really likes her.  He appreciates her dedication to her family and the resort.  He also likes her enthusiasm.  One of the things I really enjoyed was seeing the way that Aaron fit in with the Bell family.  It was easy to see that as he helped them around the resort that it was the perfect place for him, utilizing his strengths and desires.  I also loved seeing what a really nice guy he is.  I also liked the way that he jumped in to help Shelby with her suspicions about one of the resort guest. Spending that much time together showed him that she was just what he needed though the thought of a serious relationship with her scared him.  

Shelby is the accountant for the resort.  The previous year she had discovered that her brother in law was stealing from the family, which is how Andrew got involved with the resort.  While she initially mistook Aaron for Andrew, she quickly realized that there was something different about him.  She also never felt the things for Andrew that she did for Aaron.  Now she has asked Aaron for his help with a guest that she feels is up to no good.  I really liked the way that she trusted her instincts even when the rest of the family was giving her a hard time about it.  I loved her intensity in everything she did.  She wasn't sure that she could trust her feelings for Aaron after such a short time, but she couldn't resist them either.  I loved her decision at the end that this was one "fish" she was going to keep instead of throwing back. 

I loved the various family relationships.  It was easy to see that Aaron's family and their nagging was driving him away.  Even though Andrew was Aaron's twin he seemed awfully judgmental.  Shelby's family seemed to take for granted that everyone would be happy sticking around and working for the resort.  I liked the way that Aaron and Shelby's brother Steven got along and could relate to each other so easily.  I'm looking forward to Andrew's story - sounds like he's got quite a surprise coming!