A Love to Call Her Own - Marilyn Pappano (Forever - Sept 2014)

Series: Tallgrass (Book 3)

A LOVE TO CALL HER OWN

It's been two years since Jessy Lawrence lost her husband in Afghanistan, and she's never fully recovered. Drowning her sorrows didn't help, and neither did the job she'd hoped would give her a sense of purpose. Now trying to rebuild her life, she finds solace in her best friends, fellow military wives who understand what it's like to love-and lose-a man in uniform . . . and the memory of one stolen night that makes her dream of a second chance at love.

Dalton Smith has known more than his fair share of grief. Since his wife's death, he revels in the solitude of his cattle ranch. But try as he might, he can't stop thinking about the stunning redhead and the reckless, passionate night they shared. He wasn't ready before, but Dalton sees now that Jessy is the only woman who can mend his broken heart. So how will he convince her to take a chance on him?

Good story of second chances and new beginnings. We saw a lot of Jessy in the previous book, A Man to Hold on To, where she is struggling to deal with death of her husband, mostly by drinking away the pain and sleeping with strange men. One of those encounters still haunts her. She got fired from her job at the bank, and knows she has to do something to pull herself out of the pit her life has become.

Dalton has been dealing with his own losses. Most notably was the death of his wife in the war. Everyone believes she died a hero, but he's haunted by the fact that she chose to die rather than come back to him. He's also still bitter about the way his twin brother had left years ago. So he copes by focusing on his ranch and avoiding people. However, he can't forget the night he spent with Jessy. The revival of feelings he'd forgotten makes him believe he's ready to start living again.

I really liked Jessy. Once she hit rock bottom, she knew she had to make changes and she was determined to do so. The first thing was to quit drinking. I loved the realism of seeing what a struggle it was for her, hour by hour and day by day. I did wish that she had confided in her margarita sisters sooner, as their support would have helped. But she has some pretty bad self-esteem issues, and she was really afraid that they would judge her. She's also embarrassed every time she sees Dalton, remembering her actions of that night. As many problems as she has, she is a really nice person with a soft heart. I loved seeing her step in to help Patricia, a new widow, when she could just as easily have looked away. She's always there when her friends need her. I also really liked seeing her get so involved with the animal shelter. It was sweet to see how she bonded with Oliver. 

I also really liked Dalton. He has a hard road dealing with his grief over Sandra, especially considering the secret he is keeping about her death. He is fully eligible to join the Tuesday Night Margarita Club as a spouse of a deceased veteran, but as a guy doesn't really feel comfortable with it. In a previous book, A Hero to Come Home To, he had connected with Dane, which helped some. Their developing friendship has begun the process of bringing him back into contact with people. 

I liked seeing Dalton and Jessy get together. Things were a little awkward at first, with the memory of that one night between them. I liked that they both owned up to their own parts in it, without blaming the other. Once they got past that initial awkwardness, they agreed that they wanted to see what might be there between them. I loved seeing them take the time to get to know each other, resisting the urge to give in to the heat that was still there. Once they did, I loved seeing the rapid progression of their feelings. Jessy began to feel that maybe she really did deserve to be happy, that she wasn't as big a screwup as she had thought. Dalton allowed himself to trust again. There are still some challenges to their relationship, including his mother's reaction and the unexpected arrival of Dalton's twin brother. I loved the ending, as Jessy stood up to her worst fears and refused to give in to them. I loved Dalton's reaction, and what he said in return.

There was also a secondary story going on with another one of the margarita sisters. Lucy dealt with her issues by eating, which created a whole new set of problems for her. She is a neighbor of Patricia's and is there to help her through the stress of dealing with her husband's death. Lucy also takes it upon herself to contact Patricia's estranged son, and guilts him into coming to Tallgrass to help his mother. Ben isn't happy about it at first, but the longer he's there, the closer he and Patricia get to mending their relationship. Lucy is interested in Ben from the beginning, which motivates her to make some changes in her life. Ben becomes more intrigued by Lucy as the days go on. I enjoyed their interactions and am looking forward to seeing what comes of it.

A Man to Hold On To - Marilyn Pappano (Forever - Feb 2014)

Series: Tallgrass (Book 2)

A MAN TO HOLD ON TO

Therese Matheson doesn't know if she'll ever get over losing her husband in Afghanistan. Surviving Paul's death has been hard, but raising his sullen son and his thirteen-going-on-thirty daughter alone has been even harder. All they need is a fresh start, and Tallgrass, Oklahoma, could be the perfect new beginning . . . especially when Therese meets Sergeant Keegan Logan. The sexy combat medic and single dad soon awakens a desire she'd thought long buried.

Keegan always wanted to be a father . . . someday. So when his ex-girlfriend disappears, leaving her daughter in his care, Keegan's hands are tied. He has to find the girl's father. His search leads him to Tallgrass and to a beautiful brunette widow who has no idea her husband was ever unfaithful. What begins as a friendship soon ignites into something far more and gives him the courage to be the kind of man-and father-he always dreamt he could be. But his secret still stands between them. Can Keegan reveal the truth and convince Therese they share something too special to lose-a love that can bring two families together?

Good book with a very realistic feel to it. Therese is a member of the Tuesday Night Margarita Club, also known as the Fort Murphy Widows Club. Like her friends, her husband was killed in Afghanistan, and she is left to pick up the pieces. In her case, she also has custody of his two children, a sullen eleven year old boy and a bratty thirteen year old girl. In the first book, A Hero to Come Home To, there were glimpses of what she has been going through with them. At the beginning of this book, Therese wonders if it would be better to give up custody and give the kids back to their mother or into foster care. She feels like she has failed them and her husband, and they might be better off with someone else. When the kids return from a week with their mother, her stress goes even higher.

Keegan is caught in a dilemma. His ex-girlfriend has disappeared, leaving her three year old little girl behind. Keegan is listed as little Mariah's father on her birth certificate, but he isn't. Sabrina had had an affair with a visiting army officer, and the child is his. Keegan isn't ready to be a father, especially to someone else's child, so he goes hunting for her real father. He arrives in Tallgrass, only to discover that the man is dead and his widow has no clue about Mariah's existence. He isn't sure whether he should tell her and leave Mariah with her or find something else to do with the child. But there's something about Therese that draws him in and he decides to stick around for awhile. 

Though there is attraction between them from the very beginning, the relationship between Keegan and Therese begins as friendship. Keegan is at a complete loss as to how to deal with Mariah, and Therese steps in to help him. I loved the scene when Keegan shows up at her house with a screaming Mariah and a desperate plea for help. He has kept an emotional distance from the child and that has had the expected result on their relationship. It was sweet to see Keegan grow into the role of father to Mariah. There were several really adorable scenes between the two of them. Though Keegan had briefly considered making up to Therese as a prelude to dumping Mariah on her, that idea doesn't last long.  He's far too interested in Therese herself, even though he has no interest in a relationship. Therese is surprised to find herself attracted to Keegan. It raises a bit of conflict in her since she feels slightly disloyal to her husband because of it, but she also likes feeling alive again. She's not interested in a relationship with another military man, but a fling might be enjoyable. She doesn't expect to start feeling something more for him. I liked seeing them move from friendship and mutual support to exploring what is growing between them. Their dates were pretty sweet, and the increasing heat was terrific. As they grew closer, Keegan felt guilty about keeping the truth about Mariah from Therese, but didn't know how to tell her without risking their new relationship. When she does find out, she is hurt and angry. I loved seeing how she worked through her feelings and her attitude when she did. I felt that it was realistic, without making her husband out to be scum, but not letting him completely off the hook either. I felt that the relationship between she and Keegan became stronger because of it. 

Therese's two stepchildren were really interesting. In the previous book both came across as total brats and I wanted her to toughen up on them. When they arrived back from their visit to their mother, there were some positive changes in Jacob. He seemed to be coming out of his funk a little bit, treating Therese with a little more respect. I liked seeing the little things he started to do and their effect on his relationship with Therese. Abby, on the other hand, came back with even more attitude than when she left. I really understood Therese's horror at her appearance, and loved how she dealt with it. It was great to see Therese stand up to the little tyrant. I was completely amazed at the difference in her attitude when little Mariah was around, and began to hope that maybe things would get better. As the book went on, I liked seeing the improvement in the relationships between the kids and Therese, and the hope it gave Therese that things would work out with them. The surprise arrival of the kids' mother, and what she wanted threw everything into upheaval. I ached for Jacob and was happy to see that Keegan was able to help him. Abby had mixed reactions, and I wondered how things were going to go. I also ached for Therese, who was kind of getting what she had wanted but who realized that maybe she didn't want it after all. The kids' mother was a real piece of work, and I completely enjoyed seeing Therese stand up to her. That final confrontation was very emotional. In the end, Therese realized that she was partly to blame for the tension between her and the kids, as she understood what had been driving them. I hurt for the kids as they had to deal with the truth about their mother, but was happy to see that they began to appreciate what they had in Therese.

I also enjoyed seeing more of the ladies from the club. All of them are dealing with their losses in their own ways. I liked seeing more of Carly and Dane from the first book, and how their relationship is progressing. There are also sections that dealt with several of the other women, including Jessy. She is headed down a slippery path and I am looking forward to seeing how she gets through her challenges.

*copy of the book received in exchange for honest review.

A Chance of a Lifetime - Marilyn Pappano (Forever - Dec 2015)

Series: Tallgrass (Book 5)

Sometimes love finds you when you least expect it . . .

To Benita Ford, Tallgrass, Oklahoma, will always be home. It's where her beloved grandmother raised her and where she rode bikes with her two best friends-the man who became her husband and Calvin. And Tallgrass is where she stayed, even after her husband died while serving his country. Now Calvin is home from that same war, and the sensitive, mischievous boy she once knew is today a man scarred by wounds no one else can see. Falling in love with him is something Bennie never imagined.

Tallgrass still haunts Captain Calvin Sweet. Yet it's where he must go to see Bennie-the one woman he always loved but could never have. Calvin regrets so much about what happened years ago. Still he can't deny being with Bennie makes his future feel bright, like anything is possible. But the demons of his past won't be quieted that easily. As old hurts linger, threatening to pull them apart, Calvin and Bennie must take the ultimate risk for the love of a lifetime . . .

This was a terrific romance with a deeply emotional side to it. Benita, J'Myel, and Calvin grew up together in Tallgrass, three friends who went through the good and the bad together. J'Myel and Calvin enlisted in the Army together, promising to always have each other's backs. But multiple deployments brought changes to them both, including J'Myel's marriage to Benita. Then J'Myel and Calvin grew apart, destroying the link among the three, ending in J'Myel's death. Now Calvin is back in Tallgrass, lost and hurting.

How I ached for Calvin. The things that he saw and did, then the loss of his two best friends, left him feeling alone and hopeless. Combined with his PTSD, he attempted to take the only way out that he could see. Fortunately for him, he was stopped by a teenaged thief, which then got him the help he needed. But now Calvin has to face the loss of his army career and the feelings of shame over what he tried to do. Being back home in Tallgrass is both good and bad. Good because his family and friends are there to give him the support he needs, but bad because the good memories only emphasize what he feels that he has lost.

Bennie has spent her entire life in Tallgrass. It is home and she has no desire to leave. She has moved on pretty well from the death of her husband, though she still feels the loss of the life they could have had. She doesn't know what happened between him and Calvin, but she regrets that it ended her lifelong friendship with him. She knows he's coming back, and with the close relationships between their families, she knows that she will be seeing him again. She hopes to finally find out what went wrong.

I really loved seeing the relationship develop between Bennie and Calvin. She has become stronger and more independent since J'Myel's death. I liked seeing her ask Calvin straight out what had caused the rift, and that she was able to deal with the answer. I loved that she knows Calvin well enough to see that he has changed, even if she doesn't know what has caused the changes. I really liked seeing her try to draw him back into life in Tallgrass without making light of the pain that she can see in his eyes. For Calvin, it is a very slow process. He knows that his family is aware of what he did, and facing them is hard. Being around Bennie starts to bring a little light back into his life. He's always had feelings for her, but she was J'Myel's girl, then wife. Just because he's gone, doesn't mean that it would be right to move on those feelings, but how can he not.

I enjoyed Bennie's slow awakening to the way that her feelings for Calvin are changing from friendship to something more. Once she accepted those feelings she was ready to move forward with them, but found that there was something that was still holding Calvin back. I loved her patience and understanding as she told him that she would wait until he was ready. But her own nature also was evident when she told him that she'd only wait for so long before she would start pushing him. I really liked the way that Calvin was able to talk to one of the guys about what had happened with him. The way that he was listened to and not judged made it easier for Calvin to believe that he could move past it. I also liked the advice he got, that if he wanted a relationship with Bennie he was going to have to tell her everything.

The most moving and realistic part of the book was when he did just that. His nervousness and vulnerability were real and believable, as he opened up to Bennie and confessed all. I also liked her reaction of guilt that she hadn't recognized just how much he was hurting. It was something that was very realistic to me, as was her need to process what she had learned. Her talk with the hospital chaplain was an eye opener for her. I loved her big scene at the end as she showed Calvin just how deep her feelings were.

There was also a secondary romance running with Joe and Lucy. I liked seeing his patience finally pay off as Lucy reached the point of being able to accept his attentions. It was really sweet to see the way he took care of her, especially after what happened to her. Lucy had some self-esteem issues because of her weight. I liked that Joe didn't ignore them, but helped her deal with them.

I really enjoyed the importance of family and friends in this book. Calvin has come home to his family, who want to help and support him but are unsure how to do it. I loved his grandmother and Bennie's, who were best friends and pretty feisty old ladies. Neither had any trouble speaking their minds and frequently provided some excellent guidance. I also enjoyed seeing the arrival of Diez, the boy who had stopped Calvin's suicide attempt. It was really sweet to see the way that Calvin's family took him in and gave him something he'd never had - a real sense of love and family. It will be interesting to see more of him in later books. I also loved the Margarita Ladies group and how they were always there for each other.