Expecting the Rancher's Child - Sara Orwig (HD #2456 - July 2016)

Series: Callahan's Clan (Book 1)

The rich rancher's irresistible offer…

From the moment they met, their intense attraction has been off the charts. It's rendered Blake Callahan's judgment inoperative. Because the billionaire rancher has offered millions to lure Sierra Benson away from her charity organization to work for him. The offer's just too good for the former designer to refuse.

Working together at Blake's ranch, there's no escaping the powerful desire that draws them closer. But Blake's driven by his need for revenge against his father, while Sierra is all about helping those in need. So how will they bridge their differences when Sierra discovers she's pregnant?

Good story of opposites attracting. Sierra is a former interior designer who has left that career behind to run a non-profit charity. She's much happier doing that work and can't conceive of going back to her former life. Blake is a billionaire rancher and real estate developer. He's building a new wing on his ranch house and wants only the best to decorate it. For him, that is Sierra, and he refuses to let anything get in the way of what he wants.

I really enjoyed their first meeting. From the moment he walked into her office, the sparks flew between them. Blake is determined that she will decorate his place, and she is equally adamant that what she does now is more important. Not only does Blake want her decorating expertise, but as attracted as he is to her, he also wants to spend time with her. Throwing caution to the wind, he writes a large check to her for the job, and an equal amount to her charity, if she will do it. He also promises the same amount to the charity for the next three years. Unable to turn away a donation of that magnitude, Sierra gives in. The negotiations between them were very interesting. Blake can't understand why she gave up such a lucrative profession to run a charity. His opinion is that people are only out for what they can get, and that she's naive for thinking that she's really going to make a difference. Blake is extremely cynical about people, starting from when he was a child. His father divorced his mother, married again and had more children, and paid no attention to any of them. He also cheated on his wives. Blake has harbored a great deal of anger toward his father and has spent the last several years taking quiet revenge by trying to put his father's hotels out of business.

Once Sierra arrives at the ranch and begins work, every time she and Blake are near each other the fire between them burns hot. Sierra doesn't want to get involved, as she doesn't see it turning out well, but she's helpless to resist. It's interesting to see that when they avoid his need for revenge and her charity work, they have a lot in common. They don't have a lot of time together, as both have to travel, but when they are apart they miss each other. Neither is willing to consider that they are falling in love because they are just too different.

I liked seeing Sierra try to convince Blake that his quest for revenge isn't worth what it is doing to him. She even invites him to go with her to a charity picnic, where he can see some of the good his donation is already doing. It becomes obvious to Sierra that he's not quite as hard as he thinks he is, which softens her heart toward him a little bit. I liked seeing Blake around her family, as he fit in better than I thought he would. But in spite of it all, he insists that she isn't going to change him.

Their differences become a much bigger stumbling block when Sierra discovers she is pregnant. Blake is all for getting married, even though they aren't in love, because he wants to be a full time dad to his child. He thinks that their passion and how well they get along is enough for a successful marriage. Sierra grew up with parents who loved each other and their children, and she refuses to settle for anything less. I really liked seeing her stand up to him and not be guilted into settling for less. By standing firm, Sierra forces Blake to actually think about what it is that's keeping them apart. I loved seeing the steps he took, and the difference it made to his outlook. It wasn't a warm and fuzzy experience, but it felt realistic. There was an interesting twist to the conversation that opened Blake's eyes to what was truly important in his life. It also brought an unexpected windfall into Sierra's life. I liked Blake's big moment at the end. The epilogue was a nice lead in to the next book.

A Pregnancy Scandal - Kat Cantrell (HD #2451 - June 2016)

Series: Love and Lipstick (Book 2)

They married for the sake of the baby. Will they stay together for love?

Widowed power player Phillip Edgewood's political ambitions demand he have a wife -- they don't demand he love her. It's a good thing, too, because his heart belongs to the perfect wife he lost. But finding a woman who will say "I do" to his deal proves difficult. Until he meets Alexandra Meer -- the sexy CFO he can't resist. She doesn't believe in happily-ever-after, even after their amazing night together. And now she's pregnant with his child! A marriage of convenience should end the scandal and solve all their problems…as long as they don't fall in love…

Very good book. Phillip and Alex have been working together on a project for her cosmetics company. They are attracted to each other, and finally give in to that attraction for one night. A month later Alex discovers that she's pregnant and goes to Phillip with the news. Phillip has been looking for a wife that can meet his political requirements without expecting more than he can give. Marrying for the sake of the baby may be just what he needs.

Phillip lost his wife in an accident two years earlier. She had been the love of his life and he believes that it was a once in a lifetime love. He knows he needs a wife if he's going to go further with his political ambitions, but he can't offer a woman his heart. Alex doesn't believe that love lasts. She still carries the scars of her parents' divorce and its effect on her. Because of it, Alex has avoided relationships.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship, even though there were times I wanted to smack them both. Phillip and Alex had become friends while working on their project. There was also an intense attraction that neither one could deny. The night that Alex attended one of Phillip's parties, she stepped out of her comfort zone and dressed to seduce. She was charmingly awkward, but Phillip wasn't difficult to convince, and their coming together was explosive. But the connection that he felt to Alex freaked Phillip out, as it ran up against his self-imposed commitment to his dead wife. He ran back to Washington and buried himself in his work. Alex also felt the connection, but unfamiliar with feelings that deep, attributed it to the great sex. When she turned up pregnant, she knew she had to tell Phillip. She hopes that he will want to be involved as she knows what it's like to grow up without a father and she doesn't want that for her child.

Phillip is stunned by the news and immediately thinks about the effect of an illegitimate child on his plans. I was a bit bugged by his rather calculated solution and his determination to keep his feelings out of their marriage. Because she doesn't believe in lasting love, Phillip's logical approach appeals to Alex's fears. But neither one really thought about what the effect of living together would have on their intentions. Phillip really fights hard against what is happening to him. He tries insisting to himself that it is just the memory of the sex added to the prospect of the coming baby. He makes a few boneheaded mistakes in his treatment of Alex. She accepts the rules of their marriage, as rules are how she keeps her life in order. But she isn't a meek woman content just to support her husband, and there are some clashes between she and Phillip over their expectations. I liked seeing her stand up for her own career and life as she wants it to be. Alex's feelings toward Phillip start to grow and she realizes that she wants more than the convenient marriage that they had agreed on. She sees a change in his treatment of her and believes that he feels the same way. I ached for her when things didn't go how she thought they would. Phillip's blind adherence to his belief in only one love nearly cost him everything. I liked the fact that he had to work at it to convince Alex that his feelings were real.

There is a continuing thread involving a problem with one of their products at the company. Someone is causing trouble and they don't know who or why.

The Royal Spy's Redemption - Addison Fox (HRS #1893 - Apr 2016)

Series: Dangerous in Dallas (Book 4)

All is Dangerous in Dallas -- with crime, mystery and passion!

Possessing priceless rubies gifted to the British royal family, MI5 agent Knox St. Germain stumbles into Gabby Sanchez's store, bleeding from a gunshot wound. The stunning caterer has seen the danger to friends who discovered the jewels, but now she faces an even greater threat -- the lethally sexy agent with a hidden motive!

Both hiding troubled pasts and feeling wary of relationships, fiery Gabby and roguish Knox develop a powerful attraction as they go on the run. Their adversary: someone who'll murder -- and worse -- to get the rubies. And when the killer does, Knox must choose between saving the gems and his gem of a woman!

The fourth and final book in the series is a fantastic read. At the end of the previous book, The Professional, the bad guy had been caught and the jewels were about to be returned to the British operative who had come to claim them. But something went wrong and in the melee the operative and the jewels disappeared.

When Knox showed up at the end of the previous book, nobody was quite sure about his intentions. He had a definite air of danger about him (think James Bond), but also had the apparent authority to take custody of the gems and return them to England. This book begins immediately following the confrontation at the park, as Knox appears at Gabby's catering shop, barely conscious from a gunshot wound. She immediately takes him in and treats his wound, unknowingly placing herself in danger. The interaction between the two of them was fantastic, as Knox tries to play down his injury and Gabby overrules him. The bad guy isn't far behind, and in a tense standoff he ends up with the jewels, and Knox determined to get them back. But just having them isn't enough, he has to eliminate Gabby and Knox because they know who he is.

Because helping him has put her in danger, Knox is determined to protect Gabby, and to do that they have to stay together. This is something of a challenge for Knox, who is extremely attracted to her. It was her beauty that first got his attention, but it was her intelligence and determination that hooked him. Gabby is a woman from a large Hispanic family, who has five older brothers. She is accustomed to dealing with stubborn men, and Knox is no exception. She is equally, if not more stubborn, as demonstrated by the way she stood up to her family to start and build her catering business. She is just as attracted to Knox.

I loved seeing the development of their relationship. Knox has avoided getting close to anyone as actions in his past have him convinced that he does not deserve a family of his own. That doesn't stop him from being somewhat envious of Gabby's large and close family, or drifting into daydreams of having Gabby in his life permanently. Gabby has not found anyone that can compete with her business for her attention, not for lack of trying by her family. Knox has roused feelings in her that she has never felt before, but she can't see anything coming of it. One of the things I loved about their interactions was how sensitive they are to each other. Gabby sees the shadows in Knox's eyes, and lets him know that she's there when he's ready to talk to her. And when he does, she doesn't judge, and he doesn't know how to deal with that kind of caring. On Gabby's side, the biggest thing that draws her to him is that he actually listens to her, unlike her family. I also enjoyed seeing just how much Gabby confuses Knox with her insistence on helping him. There were quite a few times that had me grinning at the way she outsmarts or outtalks him.

The bad guy, who we learn early on is Knox's boss at MI5, isn't going to give up, and they have to go on the run to avoid him. The man is tenacious and they barely escape with their lives. With the help of Gabby's friends from the previous books, she and Knox come up with a plan to go to London and draw him out. I really enjoyed seeing Gabby overcome each objection Knox had to her involvement. The action kept intensifying as they arrived in London and were attacked again almost immediately. Because of his boss's stellar reputation, and the corruption that lay beneath it, there are only a few people that Knox feels he can trust. The final confrontation was really intense, with some nerve wracking moments. I loved how it all went down, and Knox's surprise at the backup he got.

The epilogue was a pretty sweet wrap up, with the group together in London. Knox's big moment was romantic and sweet. I especially loved the way he included her family.