Her Secret Spy - Cindy Dees (HRS #1889 - Mar 2016)

Series: Code: Warrior SEALs (Book 2)

Lover. Trickster. Villain. Hero. Which of these is undercover spy Max Kuznetsov? Despite her psychic gifts, Lissa Clearmont isn't sure. All she knows is the gorgeous guy saved her life outside her New Orleans curio shop. And now they're fighting brutal Russian mobsters…and feeling extrasensual passion.

Although he's protecting her, Lissa knows Max keeps his darkest self -- and true mission -- hidden. It pains her when Max doubts the powers that have already cost her a normal life. But when Lissa foretells inescapable danger, Max and his team of SEALs must believe in her…or the dead people she sees will be all of them.

Good book with a heroine who is a bit different than the usual. Lissa has come to New Orleans after inheriting her aunt's curio shop. Both Lissa and her aunt were known for their psychic abilities, but Lissa wants nothing more than to escape hers. One evening as she is leaving the shop, Lissa is attacked and Max comes to her rescue. 

Max is a CIA agent who has been on an extended leave of absence in order to pursue an investigation of his own. He has been undercover for two years, infiltrating the local Russian mob. Convinced that the curio shop and its owner have a big part in it, Max has been keeping watch over it for the last two weeks. He can't stand by as Lissa is attacked, even if it might blow his cover.

I liked both Max and Lissa. They are two very different people. Max was raised by a man who was determined to train Max to be just like him, but Max had different plans. However, he learned his lessons well and they have contributed to the man he is today. He is very pragmatic and logical, and doesn't believe that psychic abilities are real. Lissa has had her abilities for most of her life. Most of her family doesn't believe either. Unfortunately for Lissa, her gift is attached to violence, and her propensity was locating dead bodies. She worked on and off for the FBI in New England from the time she was nine. But she got tired of the way people looked at her and came to New Orleans determined to ignore her abilities and try to live a "normal" life. Try as she might, she can't ignore what she sees when she gets there.

I liked the development of their relationship. Their initial meeting was intense, as Max rescues her from her attacker. Her abilities tell her that he's on her side, but she senses that there is something he's hiding from her. Max has been watching her place, believing that she is involved somehow with the Russian mob. Once he meets her and finds out who she is, he realizes that she is innocent of that. He is immediately drawn to her and finds himself quite protective of her. Lissa initially tries to hide her visions, especially since Max doesn't believe, but they are too strong to deny. Their process of getting to know each other was unique, as she would see or sense something and then try to get Max to talk about it. At the same time, Max was trying to reconcile his disbelief in her "woo-woo magic" with the truth of what he was witnessing. All Lissa wants is a man who will accept her for who she is, and Max's disbelief hurts as her feelings for him grow. Neither of them can deny their attraction, and when they give in to it the results are explosive. I liked seeing Max realize just how much Lissa has come to mean to him, and his astonishment when he admits he loves her. I loved the ending. His timing on his confession of his feelings was pretty amusing.

The suspense of the story is very good with plenty of action. Max has been trying to find out who the head of the local Russian mob is, because he believes that man is responsible for his mother's death. He has been watching Lissa's shop because he believes it to be an integral part of the setup. Lissa inherited after her aunt's death. Her aunt had called her a few days before, telling her that she was going to die and was getting her affairs in order. Max suspects that Callista was involved and that her death is suspicious. Meanwhile, his "boss" in the mob wants Max to stay close to Lissa and make sure she won't be a problem. Lissa's abilities have her seeing all kinds of things and she is soon the target of multiple attacks. I liked seeing how she trusted Max enough to protect her, and how he started to believe in her visions. It was interesting to see how being around him enhanced her abilities. Lissa and Max teamed up to see if they could get to the truth, and discovered that there may be a link between the head of the mob and Lissa.  A close call had Max calling on his SEAL friends (Undercover with a SEAL) for help. The final confrontation was exciting, with an escape into the swamp and some interesting interactions with the SEAL team. While there was some resolution, there are still several unresolved issues. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Secret Baby Scandal - Joanne Rock (HD #2445 - May 2016)

Series: Bayou Billionaires (Book 4)

His proposition: pretend they're a couple to end a scandal. But she has secrets of her own…

Tatiana Doucet has dealt with sexy, arrogant athletes most of her life. But Jean-Pierre Reynaud is a whole different animal -- in bed and on the field. Unbeknownst to him, their one amazing night produced a son. Now her family's biggest football rival is back, offering a seductive wager she can't refuse.

Jean-Pierre despises the media. When rumors fly, he knows a fake relationship is the perfect diversion for the tabloids -- and Tatiana's unbridled passion is the perfect diversion for Jean-Pierre. But when she drops a baby bombshell, the scandal will rock them both!

Very good book and my favorite of the series. Tatiana and Jean-Pierre were teenage sweethearts when her dad was working for his grandfather's pro football team. Then the two men had a falling out and Tatiana and Jean-Pierre didn't see each other again for ten years. When that happened, they were on opposite sides of the courtroom as Tatiana was prosecuting a friend of his for sexual harassment. Their encounter after the trial was explosive, and ended up with the two of them in bed. Harsh words were spoken the next morning, sending them back in opposite directions.

Fast forward a year and Jean-Pierre is quarterback for her father's football team. A flippant remark by Tatiana has them both scrambling to do damage control. What Jean-Pierre doesn't know is that there is a bigger bombshell waiting for him - the discovery that Tatiana gave birth to his son. Now they need to find a way to work together to minimize the possible scandal and raise their son.

I really liked Jean-Pierre. He's a top notch athlete, but he isn't arrogant about it. He's worked hard to get where he is and doesn't take it for granted. He had been hurt by their separation all those years ago and it still affects the way he approaches relationships. I loved the way he reacted to finding out he was a father. Yes, he was angry that he hadn't been told sooner, but he doesn't threaten Tatiana with anything. Instead, he immediately steps up and wants to be a good father. He also wants to do the right thing and marry her, giving their son a proper family. His biggest problem is that he tends to overthink things, especially when he should be listening to his heart.

I liked Tatiana also. She had been just as heartbroken as Jean-Pierre when they were split as teens, but she was far more heavily influenced by her strong-willed father. By the time she had developed some backbone, it came back to bite her. The legal case that she was involved in became even more vital to her because of her father's attitude against it, and her stubbornness spilled over onto her chance to be with Jean-Pierre again. Though it was wrong of her to keep her pregnancy secret, I completely understood why she did it. 

I loved the revival of their relationship. It starts as a need to come to an agreement over the right way to reveal the baby's existence to their families and the press. However, it quickly becomes obvious that the chemistry between them is still just as strong. I loved seeing Jean-Pierre's determination to get Tatiana to marry him, even though he didn't realize the underlying reason why he was so determined. He had quite a few very romantic moments, as he tried to remind Tatiana of all they had been to each other before. Tatiana knows that she never stopped loving him, but after a lifetime of playing second fiddle to the game of football, she wants to feel as if she is the most important thing in his life. I loved seeing her stand up for her own needs as well as those of the baby. Jean-Pierre's big moment at the end was really romantic. There was an interesting twist at the end involving the case that had caused all the trouble between Jean-Pierre and Tatiana.

His Secretary's Surprise Fiance - Joanne Rock (HD #2436 - Mar 2016)

Series: Bayou Billionaires (Book 2)

Her boss wants her in his office -- and as his bride!

Adelaide Thibodeaux grew up with Dempsey Reynaud, and she's worked for him for years. But when the billionaire football coach springs a surprise engagement to keep her from resigning, it's a low blow. Just as she's ready to strike out on her own, she's stuck in a fake relationship with her boss, biding her time…

But soon Adelaide faces a second blow: she's actually falling for the man! Can a relationship founded on a lie become the real deal? Or will they fumble before the end zone -- and stay in the friend zone?

Good friends to lovers story. Dempsey and Addy have known each other since they were kids growing up in a poor part of New Orleans. Dempsey protected Addy from bullies and she helped him deal with the results of an addicted mother. Then when he was thirteen, his billionaire biological father found him and took him to live with his family. Though Dempsey tried to keep in touch with Addy, it was difficult, until he became an adult. Then he offered her a job as his assistant until she was ready to branch out on her own.

As the illegitimate brother, Dempsey has always felt that he had to work extra hard to earn his place in the family. After years working his way up, he is now the head coach of his family's pro football team. A big part of his success he attributes to the work Addy has done for him. So when she announces that she is quitting and finally going on to pursue her own dreams, he panics. He can't convince her to stay until the end of the season, so he announces their "engagement" during a press conference - without her consent. Unless she wants to create a scandal, she's stuck for the near future. 

Addy has long had a dream of using her art degree and ability to create a line of sports accessories for women. She has been working on her business plan and is ready to go for it. She has been telling Dempsey her plans for weeks, but he has been completely ignoring her. She stunned when he once again ignores her and instead uses a fake engagement to keep her tied to him. Because she has spent her life trying to make him happy, she agrees to go along for a short time, but insists that she will end it in one month.

Addy has always had feelings for Dempsey, but knows nothing will come of them. Dempsey, on the other hand is pretty clueless. He dates empty headed women for short periods, with definite requirements of what he will and will not allow. While they had a great friendship when they were younger, after separating he became driven to succeed. Even after he hired Addy, his focus was on business and he didn't really treat her as the friend she was. Her plans to leave make him realize how much he depends on her, but he doesn't see how much deeper his feelings really are.

The development of the romance was interesting. Dempsey's reasons for his actions were totally selfish. It was fun to see him suddenly realize that Addy is a beautiful woman and that he is attracted to her. Still in his "all about me" mode, he decides that his next step is to get her into his bed. I thought that Addy had a lot more going for her. She has worked hard to get where she is, refusing to even consider letting Dempsey give her what she needs to start her business. She's always wanted him, but seeing the way he treats his women, prefers to keep their friendship intact. I loved seeing her call him out on his selfishness and how he slowly begins to see things from her point of view. The attraction between them is strong, and Addy has to decide if she wants to take what she can get from their fake relationship, knowing that she's likely to have her heart broken in the end. Meanwhile, Dempsey discovers that Addy is far different than the women that he's usually with, and he doesn't quite know how to deal with the way that makes him feel. By the time he figures it out, he's nearly destroyed their friendship. It was pretty sweet to see him find and embrace his inner romantic, as he tries to convince her to stay with him. I loved the ending and seeing him finally open his heart to her.

I liked seeing more of the other brothers also. They have a good, respectful relationship with each other, even if it isn't the touchy-feely sort. I liked seeing the changes in the oldest brother, Gervaise, since he fell in love in the first book, His Pregnant Princess Bride. Thanks to those changes, he is able to give Dempsey some much needed advice, though not without some good brotherly ridicule. I also liked their concern for their grandfather and his increasing memory problems.

Reunited with the Rebel Billionaire - Catherine Mann (HD #2441 - Apr 2016)

Series: Bayou Billionaires (Book 3)

Is it a real reunion, or one for the cameras?

Football star Henri Reynaud won't let his career go down without a fight. If the only way to win is to reconcile with his estranged wife, he'll do what it takes. But spending time with Fiona Harper-Reynaud isn't just some ruse. The sultry beauty belongs in his bed.

Fiona doesn't know where her sexy husband's public act ends and his real feelings begin. Can she afford to fall a second time for the man every female wants? One thing is undeniable -- their attraction has never flared hotter!

Okay book, which is something I never expected to say about a Catherine Mann book, but in this case I spent most of the book wanting to shake Fiona. Henri and Fiona met and married quickly. Their chemistry had been explosive, and when she got pregnant they married immediately. Unfortunately, she lost the baby, and they spent the next several years trying to get pregnant. In the course of fertility testing, they discovered that she carried the gene for both breast and ovarian cancer, diseases that her mother, grandmother and aunt died of. She made the decision to have preventative surgery, but ever since then she's been pulling away from Henri.

Henri doesn't know what is going on with the woman he loves. The distraction of his marital problems is messing with success on the football field and he wants to get both of them back on track. It seems that no matter what he does, Fiona keeps pushing him away and telling him that their marriage is over. Wanting more time to win her back, he uses the need to keep their troubles out of the press as a way to delay the final split.

I like Henri most of the time. He had a few issues that kept him from being great, the biggest being the fallout from his mother's abandonment of him and his brothers and his father's infidelities. This has made him wary of being "all in" in a relationship. This keeps him from telling Fiona the true depth of his feelings, though he certainly shows her often enough. I liked the way that he never blamed her for their inability to have kids, and he supported her throughout her medical issues. He treated her gently while she was recovering, and gave her the space she wanted. His frustration with her is obvious and reasonable, as she won't explain why she wants to end their marriage. 

I can't say that I hated Fiona, but I had trouble liking her too. She has a wonderful husband who wants to be there for her and all she does is push him away. She admits to herself that she loves him, but she doesn't believe that he really loves her, that he is only there because he feels obligated because of her health. She watched her father suffer through her mother's illness and death, and his devastation afterwards, and doesn't want to put Henri through that if she ends up with cancer after all. So she is determined to end their marriage and free him to find someone else. I got so mad at her because she was pushing him away because of what might happen, instead of celebrating what they have now. She told herself that she was protecting him from later misery.

The attraction between them was still strong. I could understand Fiona's worries about her body for awhile, but not after Henri made it plain that he wanted her just as she is. It made me mad when she would give in to the desire between them, but still insist that their marriage had to end. It was really sweet to see how Henri tried romancing her. Their "tourist day" in their hometown of New Orleans was terrific and showed just how much was still between them. Henri doesn't want to lose her, but he begins to lose hope that their marriage can be saved. I really wanted to lock them in a room and tell them to just TALK to each other.

I loved the support they both got from his family. Though his brothers can sometimes be a pain, they try to help him with his problem. I also liked the way that their ladies tried to help Fiona. It was hard to believe that with all the love that was there, Henri and Fiona kept her medical problems secret, cutting off the support they could have had all along. It was great to see that their love started to break through Fiona's wall, but it was a letter from one of the charity fundraiser attendees that finally opened Fiona's eyes. I loved her big moment, and hope the next book gives us a glimpse of a happier future for them.

His Pregnant Princess Bride - Catherine Mann (HD #2427 - Feb 2016)

Series: Bayou Billionaires (Book 1)

A princess and a Southern billionaire are expecting twins!

His focus is on his family's football dynasty. Louisiana billionaire Gervais Reynaud has no time for romance. But he can't say no to a tryst with Erika Mitras. True, she's a princess, but in no way prim…or proper. Their time together is unbelievable…and all too short.

When Erika said goodbye, she meant it. But now she must tell Gervais the truth. He's about to be a father…to royal twins. After leaving her overbearing family, Erika wants nothing from Gervais. But the tempting tycoon just may charm her into a future she desires all too much.

Good book. Gervais and Erika met at a soccer match in England and had a passionate weekend together. But Erika has plans for her life that don't include an affair with a hot American, so she ignores his attempts to contact her afterward. Then  she discovers she is pregnant and has no choice but to let him know.

The first meeting between Erika and Gervaise gives a good feel for what their personalities are like. Erika is there representing her family. She's not happy about it and it shows. Her mind is on her own plans for her future. She is about to leave her career in her country's military, something she did against her family's wishes. Thanks to their interference she wasn't allowed to do the job she wanted to do, so she is preparing to follow her dreams on her own. Her plans are to become a nurse practitioner and she is set to begin. Gervaise is there checking out the stadium because his football team will be playing there. His family has their reputation but he's determined to make his own place in the world. The team that he owns is his and all his efforts are placed on achieving his goals. That isn't to say he isn't interested in a brief fling with Erika, because he is. Her independence intrigues him, as does her lack of interest in the sport that runs his life. 

Two months later Erika shows up in New Orleans to tell Gervaise that she's pregnant and find out if he wants to be part of the baby's life. Her intent is to tell him her news, then continue with her plans, expecting nothing of him. But that isn't Gervaise's way of doing things. He immediately proposes marriage, which she refuses just as quickly. He's not going to give up, and talks her into staying two weeks so they can get to know each other, and he has a chance to change her mind.

I liked Erika, but she also frustrated me. She developed her independence and stubbornness because of her family's tendency to try to run her life. I loved seeing her go after what she wanted in spite of their meddling. However, with her pregnancy, especially after they found out it was twins, I felt like she should have been a little more open to options. Every time Gervaise made a suggestion she would shoot it down immediately. She was so determined to hang on to her independence that she wasn't thinking about her pregnancy's effect on Gervaise and his life at all.

I really liked Gervaise. He's ready to step up the minute he hears that Erika is pregnant. He has experience with the kind of man who doesn't, as his father has quite the philanderer's reputation and he doesn't want that for himself. He understands her goals and he doesn't ask her to give them up, just alter their timing a little bit. I loved his protectiveness and how he tried to do everything he could think of to get her to stay. I really liked that he tries not to push her to give in, but gives her the space she says she needs.

As the visit goes on and they get to know each other, the passion grows into more. Erika slowly realizes that she doesn't want to be wanted just because she's pregnant and it's the right thing, she wants to be loved for herself. She's afraid of risking her heart so she doesn't tell Gervaise how she feels. Meanwhile, Gervaise doesn't want to drive her away by confessing feelings that he thinks she doesn't want to hear about. It doesn't help when her entire family shows up, adding their own special brand of pressure. I have to say that I didn't like them much, except for one surprising conversation with her oldest sister, Astrid. I loved the ending and seeing them finally opening up to each other.

I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series and seeing what happens with Gervaise's brothers.