A Laramie, Texas Christmas - Cathy Gillen Thacker (HAR #1141 - Dec 2006)

Series: McCabes: The Next Generation (Book 5)

All Kevin McCabe wants for Christmas is to get closer to Noelle Kringle. A party planner from Houston, she and her young son are in Laramie to help out a friend. Kevin can't stop thinking about her, and he can tell the feeling is mutual. But as quickly as he's falling for her, Kevin can't help but think she's hiding something.

All Noelle Kringle wants for Christmas is a distraction from the very sexy Deputy McCabe. She hasn't felt anything like this since the death of her husband several years ago. And she sees her son, Mikey, responding to him like a father figure. However, despite what her heart tells her, Noelle knows it can never go anywhere. She has secrets in her past that make it impossible for her to be with a lawman like Kevin.

Then again, you can never underestimate the power of a Laramie, Texas Christmas....

Sweet romance with just a hint of mystery to it. Kevin is on his way home from a fishing trip when he sees what appears to be someone robbing the home of one of Larmie's leading citizens. As a deputy with the local sheriff's department he stops to check it out. Noelle is a friend of Miss Sadie's and has stopped at the house to pick up some things for the old lady to have with her while she recovers from some broken bones. Noelle sees a dirty, scruffy man who looks like he's casing the place for a future robbery. Noelle is protective of her friend's property and Kevin is amused by her actions. After an intervention by one of Kevin's fellow deputies, both admit to their mistakes.

Kevin is attracted to and intrigued by the feisty young woman. He is determined to get to know her better and see where the attraction goes. There is a small obstacle though, in that she could be a suspect in a case of identity theft involving Miss Sadie and others. He should keep his distance until the investigation is over, especially since he gets the feeling that she is hiding something from him.

Noelle is getting her life back together after the death of her husband. She's determined to give her son the best life she can. Spending time in the small town of Laramie is giving her a chance that she doesn't have in her regular city life. Kevin is a distraction that she doesn't need, but one that is increasingly hard to resist.

It was fun to see this romance develop. Kevin is interested in Noelle and isn't going to let anything get in his way, neither the investigation nor the fact that another man has made his interest in her plain. Kevin is basically a really nice guy and enjoys doing things for Noelle. I loved seeing how he and Mikey took to each other. He can also tell that his interest is returned, but that there is something holding Noelle back. Having been burned once in the past by a woman who wasn't what she appeared to be, Kevin digs deeper into Noelle's past, but really wants her to trust him with the truth. Noelle finds herself drawn more and more to Kevin. He's wonderful with her son, fun to be with, and brings an unexpected passion to her life. But she's got some trouble in her past that could change the way he looks at her. She has to decide if she can trust that their feelings can overcome her fears. I loved their big moment at the end as love and trust win out over fear and loneliness. 

I enjoyed the bit of mystery about the identity theft. I liked Kevin's determination to find the mastermind behind it. I especially liked his dealings with Scooter and how he was able to get the truth. Scooter's parents were a real piece of work and I hurt for him over their treatment of him. I loved Noelle's comments and how they reflected her own experiences. The ending was realistic and satisfying. 

Lone Star Twins - Cathy Gillen Thacker (HAR #1569 - Nov 2015)

Series: McCabe Multiples (Book 6)

BEST FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS

For two people who aren't in love -- and don't plan to be -- Poppy McCabe and Air Force Captain Trace Caulder have pretty amazing chemistry. And now the longtime buddies and sometime lovers are about to get their most passionate wish: becoming the adoptive parents of twin babies! The catch? They have to get married.

For two people who prize their independence above all else, a pre-Christmas wedding with all the trimmings could be a major game changer. Suddenly, Trace wants to be there for Poppy 24/7. Except he's stationed overseas. So he only has a thirty-day leave to convince the woman who shares his complicated past that they can have it all: family and forever!

Good book. Poppy and Trace have been friends since they were in high school and occasional lovers since they were in college. Though she never plans to marry, Poppy really wants to be a mother, and Trace has been more than happy to help her fulfill that wish. Unable to get pregnant, they have been selected to be the parents of twin babies. But the birth mother and the adoption agency would prefer that they are married.

Both Poppy and Trace are very independent people. As the oldest in her family, and the only single born one, Poppy grew up depending on herself rather than trying to fight for attention from her parents. She sees marriage as another dependent relationship and wants nothing to do with it. Trace's parents have been married multiple times so he figures he's a bad bet for a marriage of his own. Their relationship is one of friendship and mutual respect. Trace will do whatever he can to help Poppy achieve her dream, and if that means marriage, he'll do it.

The relationship between them is very interesting. Though they think they are friends with benefits who will also be co-parenting, neither has been in a relationship with anyone else in years. The sudden requirement to be married has them both looking at their relationship through new eyes, but neither is sharing what they feel. I loved Trace's reaction to a proxy marriage and the idea of someone else standing in his place while they exchange vows. The surprise he pulled off was pretty sweet, and a good indication of what his feelings really were, even if he wasn't ready to admit it yet. Poppy looks at Trace and realizes that she wants more from their relationship, but has spent so long denying her feelings that now she doesn't know how to tell him the truth. She's afraid of making him feel trapped, and he doesn't want her to think that she has to give everything up for him.

I liked seeing how the home visits and interviews with the social worker are used to get Poppy and Trace talking about the things that have made them who they are. Poppy's exposure to other military wives has her thinking about what the future could hold for them if she stops holding so tight to her own desires. Meanwhile, Trace starts to realize that his own dreams are changing and that he has some decisions of his own to make. I loved the solution he came up with, though it wasn't really a surprise given his activities while he was on leave. There was also an interesting twist at the end that took both of them by surprise. I loved seeing them both accept what everyone around them had always seen - that they belonged together.

My only real quibble with the book as a whole was that the back of the book called Trace a captain, while he was referred to as a lieutenant in the book itself. Captain made much more sense, as at the age of thirty-five, he was too old to still be a lieutenant. Overall, it is a small gripe and likely an editing slipup.