Not Without Her Family (Beth Andrews)

Title: Not Without Her Family
Author: Beth Andrews
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 243 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-71496-4
Series: Super Romance #1496
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Jack Marin: Serenity Springs’ police chief. A fair and honorable man. Suspects that Dillon Ward may be the murderer, as the initial evidence suggests, but the feeling he’s missing something important makes him hesitant to make an arrest — in spite of the pressure to do so. An error in judgment nearly ruined his career and he’s not going to let that happen again. Jack’s also a widower with six-year-old daughter named Emma.

Kelsey Reagan: Dillon Ward’s younger half-sister. Arrives in Serenity Springs before the murder takes place. She’s there to reconnect with her brother. The pair of them had a rough childhood. With their mother having recently passed on, all they have is each other and Kelsey is tired of being alone. However, Dillon isn’t interested in reconnecting with Kelsey. Antagonizes Jack Martin within minutes of meeting him. Has no idea how to cope with the cute, and somewhat talkative, Emma.

Roadblocks to Romance: Besides the fact he’s the police chief, she’s the prime suspect’s sister? Kelsey keeps people at arm’s length and doesn’t let people get close enough to hurt her. She was a rebellious teenager, always getting into trouble with the law. Kelsey’s deeply held belief that her behavior eventually resulted in Dillon being sent to prison has affected her self-worth. She believes herself unworthy of someone as decent as Jack Martin. And to top it all off, Kelsey’s abusive step-father was a cop, so she has a hard time trusting them.

Comments: I had a hard time warming up to Kelsey. She was almost too prickly for me. Oddly enough, it was her uneasiness around Emma that help sooth the edges for me. She didn’t develop maternal feelings for Emma five seconds after meeting her. It takes time, and some of her internal commentary is funny. Speaking of the little chatterbox, I liked the fact that Emma was a well-adjusted, normal six-year-old. I also liked the fact the Jack’s doing just fine raising Emma by himself, regardless of his ability to make cookies. He’s not out looking for a mother for his daughter.

I enjoyed the story and I really was shocked to learn who the murderer was. I didn’t guess beforehand, which is always a plus. I have two more books by this author, Wade’s story and Allie’s story. Hopefully I’ll get to them this year.

Start: 16 January 2011
Finished: 24 January 2011

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

The Wallflower

Title: The Wallflower
Author: Jan Freed
Copyright: 1999 (Harlequin); 296 pgs.
ISBN: 0-373-70790-8
Series: Harlequin Superromance #790
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Sarah Davidson and Jack Morgan
Where: Houston, Texas

From the back: Sarah Davidson is the lone witness to a brutal murder. After the killer makes an attempt on her life, she’s put under police protection. But one of the cops turns on her, she’s forced to hide in a place no one would ever think to look. Sarah’s solution? Roosevelt High. She’ll masquerade as a high school senior and try to blend in. But no one can ignore the “cool girl from California”. Especially not Jack Morgan, her English teacher. Under ordinary circumstances, he would be the perfect man for her. But he’ll never look at her as a woman unless she reveals her true identity — and if she does that she just might end up dead. What’s a girl to do?

Comments: The best way to describe this book is that it is a cross between Hiding Out and Never Been Kissed. The title refers to Sarah when she originally went through high school. She’d been overweight and shy. Her college roommate, Donna Kaiser, helped her overcome her problems and Sarah is now an image consultant in a public relations firm. Donna is an assistant principle and it is her idea to hide Sarah as a high school senior in her school.

Sarina Davis, as Sarah is now known as, is nothing like the eighteen-year-old, Sarah. Used to speaking her mind and being taking seriously by adults, “Sarina” gets off on the wrong foot with Jack Morgan, her English teacher. He’s strict and Sarah thinks he’s uptight. However, she’s a hit with many of the students, especially the misfits. Sarah decides to befriend and help several of these students as much as she can while waiting for the trial.

One of the students she befriends happens to be Jack’s much younger sister, Kate. Their father died while Jack was still in high school, leaving behind a pregnant wife. Jack stayed with his mother instead of going off to USC — Jack’s dream is to be a screenwriter. He went to night school and became a teacher. Every chance he gets, he works on his screenplays. He likes teaching, but lately, he’s been unhappy with his life. His sister is at a difficult stage (she’s fifteen) and their mother is always critical of Kate, comparing her to Jack, and not being an effective parent. He’s also waiting to hear from his agent about a script he submitted. And if that wasn’t maddening enough, the new female student is having an alarming effect on him.

At first, Sarah isn’t that interested in him. She calls him Moses (he has a set of personal ten commandments on his class room wall) and  is critical of his boring clothing and his aftershave. She’s more than happy to let Donna have him; she’s been interested in him for years. However, the more Sarah gets to know him, her feelings begin to change. She’s forced to reveal her true identity to him.

I really enjoyed this book. There wasn’t instant attraction, and I’m glad the author chose that route. Instead, Sarah feels guilty about her growing feelings for Jack, due to Donna’s long-standing interest in him. Jack fights against it first, because of the inappropriateness of the situation, and later because of his potential career change. I also liked that Jack discusses with Sarah whether leaving Texas for Hollywood (without his sister and mother) is the right thing to do, and Sarah — heart hurting — tells him that he’d eventually regret it and come to resent those who mean the most to him.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author. And like the previous one, there are secondary romances going on in the background. Kate gets her very own knight in shining armor, and even Donna isn’t left heartbroken.

Started: 18 August 2009
Finished: 31 August 2009

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

The Man Behind the Cop

Author: Janice Kay Johnson
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 243 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-71489-6
Series: Harlequin Superromance #1489
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Karin Jorgenson and Bruce Walker
Where: Seattle, Washington

The Man Behind the Cop is an intense read. The book deals with domestic abuse and kidnapping. Both the main characters are in professions that deal with these issues on a daily basis.

Most of the story is told through the eyes of Bruce Walker, a homicide cop with the Seattle Police Department. Bruce participates in the Big Brother program and he is a mentor to twelve-year-old Trevor DeShon. He is also about to start teaching self-defense classes at a women’s mental health clinic where the heroine, Karin Jorgenson, works.

Karin is a counselor at A Woman’s Hand. Her patients are women who have been abused or have been raped. One of her patients, Lenora, has finally decided to take her children and leave her abusive and controlling husband. Karin has given her specific instructions on what NOT to do when leaving an abusive relationship. Unfortunately, Lenora fails to heed all the advice and she is brutally attacked outside the clinic. Lenora is grievously wounded and it is not known if, or when, she will regain consciousness. Worst of all, her children have been taken and their safety is in question.

Close by when the attack occurred – but not close enough to have seen or stop it — Bruce takes the case. He is the product of an abusive household. His father was controlling and he took his anger out on his sons. Bruce’s mother never did anything to stop it nor had the guts to take her sons and leave. Being a cop and volunteering to mentor Trevor, and teaching self defense to abused women are his way of helping others in similar situations. Bruce’s biggest fear is that he’ll turn into his father. He doesn’t dare risk getting seriously involved with a woman and having kids is even further out of the question. He’s extremely fond of Trevor, but let’s the boy down when he refuses to be his foster father after Trevor’s mother disappears. Disappointing Trevor bothers Bruce and the situation is made worse, as far as Bruce is concerned, when child services informs him that Trevor’s father will be getting custody of the boy. Wade DeShon, a recovering alcoholic, used to hit his wife. Bruce is convinced that Wade hasn’t changed at all.

Bruce and Karin have an instant attraction and Bruce can’t seem to stop thinking about her. While he’s investigating the disappearance of Lenora’s children, he finds himself wondering what her opinion would be on things he learns and what she might be doing at any given moment. As for Karin, she’s fallen in love with him, but she also realizes that she has her work cut for her. She wants to help Bruce understand that he isn’t like his father and that he’s great, loving man. Bruce’s ability to excuse Trevor’s drug addict mother — who’s probably dead — but can’t give Wade the benefit of the doubt, frustrates Karin. He can’t seem to accept that some people can change, especially if there is a strong motivation for the change.

This is definitely Bruce’s book. He’s a great character, even when he’s stubbornly clinging to the belief that he’ll morph into his father if he got too angry or pissed off. Fortunately, Karin is a grounded, quiet person. Normally. The scene where she gets into his face about his issues is my favorite.  It didn’t surprise me when this book was nominated for a RITA.

Started: 19 March 2009
Finished: 23 March 2009

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

What Others Have Said:
All About Romance
The Good, the Bad and the Unread (Wendy’s)
The Good, the Bad, and the Unread (Sandy M.’s)

Snowbound

Author: Janice Kay Johnson
Copyright: 2007 (Harlequin); pgs. 276
Series: Harlequin SuperRomance # 1454
Sensuality: Warm

Who:  Fiona MacPherson and John Fallon
Where:  Cascade Mountains, Oregon

Teacher Fiona MacPherson and eight of her students are returning from an academic competition when they are stranded in the Cascade Mountains by a November snowstorm.  The forecasters misjudged the speed of the storm, and Fiona had expected to be home long before it was supposed to start.  Fortunately, one of the students recognizes a half-buried sign that marks the road leading to Thunder Mountain Lodge.

The lodge doesn’t have a phone or internet service, the shortwave radio hasn’t been repaired after having coffee spilled on it, and cell phone service in the area is terrible even when the weather is nice.  Even so, Fiona is able to make contact with her principal.  With no improvement in the weather forecasted for the near future, she and the students are stuck there until the snowplows come.

The innkeeper, John Fallon, isn’t exactly happy to see them.  A wounded veteran who isn’t coping with his problems as well as he could be, John bought the lodge for the solitude and fresh air.  Since coming back from the war, he doesn’t like being around large crowds.  The lodge isn’t large and it isn’t always full of guests, which gives John the peace and solitude he craves.  Fiona and her charges disrupt one of those periods of solitude.

John has nightmares and flashbacks of the attack that left him wounded and several other dead, including children.  He refuses to talk about the incident and deal with his feelings of guilt.  He’s avoided his parents and sisters, and he’s avoided all other emotional involvement.  His responsibilities as an innkeeper keeps him busy and physically active, but it’s not enough.  On one hand, John’s not addicted to medication or alcohol, or engaging in other self-destructive behavior; but on the other, he’s also not addressing the main issue.

The arrival of Fiona changes everything.  Her caring, optimistic personality has John both attracted to, and frightened by, her.  He finds himself falling for her, wanting her.  John’s amazed to learn that Fiona’s attracted to him, too — but she won’t act on it because of the students.  They share a passionate kiss in the laundry room that puts that restraint to the test, but the arrival of snowplows brings them back to reality.  For the first time, John is not looking forward to being alone.

Using the computer at the library in the nearby town, John and Fiona keep in touch via email.  He eventually asks her to come for Christmas, and she jumps at the chance.  Even so, he’s still surprised to see her when she arrives.  Fiona has come to find out if they have a future together, because she has fallen in love with him.  But something that started out so promising, ends in disaster.  John avoids telling her anything meaningful about himself, and won’t tell her about what happen in Iraq.  He’s afraid to open up to her — he fears she’d be horrified and reject him.   Fiona cares about him, but if he won’t admit to a problem, how can she help him?

I loved this book.  It’s emotional, especially the last third of the book.  I thought the story unfolded believably, and the characters were likable (the hero is a reader).  The story isn’t holiday themed, despite the big red bow on the cover.  The book also won the 2008 RITA for Best Contemporary Series Romance.

Started: 12 November 2008
Finished: 19 November 2008

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

My Fair Gentleman

Author: Jan Freed
Copyright: 1996 (Harlequin); pgs. 296
Series: Harlequin Superromance #713
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Catherine Eliza Hamilton and Joe Tucker
Where: Texas

Psychologist Catherine Hamilton makes a bet with her fiancé, Carl, that she can pull off a Dr. Henry Higgins (My Fair Lady): coach an ordinary guy and pass him off as a member of a prominent East Coast family.  If she wins, Carl will finance her private counseling practice.  If she doesn’t, she’ll put aside her career to be a society wife, like Carl’s mother.  The ultimate test to prove who wins:  introduce the impostor to Catherine’s snobby father, Dr. Lawrence Hamilton, a man from a sociably — if not financially — prominent Connecticut family.

Joe Tucker, recently released from the Houston Astros as their catcher, can’t seem to find a job that doesn’t involve modeling underwear.  He has a 12-year-old daughter, Allie, to think about.  If he doesn’t find a job soon, he’ll be reduced to working in his hometown’s refinery.  If he goes along with Catherine’s bet, her tutoring will give him the polish he needs to land a job as a sports broadcaster.

Catherine is anxious to succeed.  Having lived her whole life with her critical father, who rarely felt she was good enough and continually reminded her that she was like her working-class mother, she needs this victory to prove a point.  Though victory will mean she’ll have her private practice, and no longer her father’s research assistant, she’s not adverse to starting a family. Catherine, who has grown up without a mother, bonds with Joe’s equally motherless daughter Allie.

For his part, Joe isn’t particularly fond of psychologists.  Catherine turns out to be very perceptive, and he doesn’t want her to start digging too deeply into his issues.  Like the fact he’s a lot smarter than he lets on, and why he’s squashed that particular aspect of himself.  Joe is also pretty observant.  He picks up on the fact that Catherine, good at making people feel better about themselves, seems to be starved for affection.  He doesn’t understand how the men in her life can’t see how special she is, though Carl seems to be noticing a difference in Catherine.  Even knowing that she’s engaged to another man, Joe can’t stop himself from falling in love with her.

There are two other romances in the book.  The first is Allie and her crush on the dreamboat at baseball camp who’s dating Ms. Stuck-Up and Popular.  It’s a cute side-story of a tomboy finally catching the eye of the good-looking boy in class.  The other involves an older woman who fell in love, only to be badly burned, and now is getting a second chance at happiness.

I picked up this book based on the review on All About Romance.  I’m happy to say that I agree with the reviewer.  I liked watching Joe and Catherine fall in love.  I can see myself re-reading this book.  After I finished it, I went on-line to find other books by this author.

Started: 9 August 2008
Finished: 18 August 2008

Rating:

LOVED IT !!