Enticed by the Operative - Lara Lacombe (HRS #1904 - July 2016)

Series: Doctors in Danger (Book 1)

The lives of a beautiful surgeon and her DEA agent protector are at stake in this thrilling tale!

On a medical mission to South America, Dr. Olivia Sandoval hardly expects to be threatened by a drug cartel. To save lives, Olivia agrees to transport drugs for them. When DEA agent Logan Murray appears as her partner-in-crime and rescuer, Olivia's relieved…and drawn to her knight in shining armor.

Logan jumps at the chance to guard a beautiful woman and bring down a drug ring. After all, neither he nor Olivia are looking for forever love -- just justice. But one kiss changes that as they go on the run. When taken hostage in the jungle, they must not only defeat the enemy -- but also escape with their lives!

Exciting start to the new series. Olivia is a plastic surgeon who spends a month every year in Columbia, providing medical services to those who need it. Her work has caught the attention of some unsavory people, who want her to transport money and drugs for them. She would like nothing better than to refuse, but they have threatened the lives of her two best friends if she doesn't cooperate.

Logan is her next door neighbor and while taking some misdelivered mail to her realizes that there is something very wrong. As a DEA agent, when he hears about what is happening he knows just what needs to be done. He doesn't expect it to become so personal, so quickly.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. As neighbors, they knew each other a little bit, though rarely coming in contact because of their busy career. That doesn't mean they haven't noticed each other in a deeper way, but both have been hurt in the past and are therefore wary. Logan had been betrayed by his fiancee with his best friend, so trust is something that is hard to come by. Olivia's ex had left her after her parents' deaths, unable to deal with and give her the support she needed. She's wary of getting involved with someone who would leave her too.

I liked how Logan was so impressed by Olivia's caring and intelligence, and Olivia by Logan's determination and protectiveness. Being together every day gave them each a chance to really get to know one another. Each day the attraction grew stronger, only adding to the feelings that were growing between them. But there are still challenges to overcome, not the least of which are the threats hanging over Olivia's head.

The entire scenario was actually very easy for me to get lost in. The idea of a drug cartel trying to use a reputable doctor who is known for her good works seemed perfectly plausible to me. Her contact, Carlos, was definitely a scary guy and I understood her fears when dealing with him. Having some sections from his point of view just added to the tension, as the reader becomes aware of things that Logan and Olivia don't know. The tension of everything from the exchange, to them being taken hostage, to their escape, kept me turning the pages until the very end.

I ached for both Olivia and Logan at the end. She had to face her fear of losing him when he was injured so badly. Logan had to face his fears of being betrayed again when one of his coworkers made him doubt Olivia and her motives. The final confrontation brought all of it to the surface. I have to say that I loved how Logan came clean about his doubts and Olivia's way of looking at what happened without going into dramatics. I especially liked that they both learned from it.

I'm really looking forward to Avery and Mallory's stories.

Cowboy Trouble - Joanne Kennedy (Sourcebooks Casablanca - Mar 2010)

Series: Cowboy (Book 1)

Fleeing her latest love life disaster, big city journalist Libby Brown's transition to rural living isn't going exactly as planned. Her childhood dream has always been to own a chicken farm, but without the constant help of her charming, sexy, cowboy neighbor, she'd never have made it through her first Wyoming season.

Handsome rancher Luke Rawlins is impressed by this sassy, independent city girl. But he yearns to do more than help Libby out with her ranch--he's ready for love, and he wants to go the distance. When the two get embroiled in their tiny town's one and only crime story, Libby discovers that their sizzling hot attraction is going to complicate her life in every way possible.

Good book. It started off really well. Libby has come to Wyoming to start over after a series of personal disasters. Her dog died, her boyfriend was cheating on her with her boss, and she lost her job. So she decided to follow a childhood dream and become a chicken farmer, She's just arrived at her new place when her nearest neighbor shows up to introduce himself. Luke is good looking, laid back, and quite taken with his new neighbor. He's glad to help her out with whatever she needs, and hopes that it will help him get even closer. 

Then Libby sets out to use her other skills, those of an investigative reporter. The small town is relatively crime free, except for the two year old case of a missing young woman. This is something she can sink her teeth into, and she dives right in to asking questions. When those questions draw some unwanted attention, Libby knows she's on the right track. But the more information she finds out, the more difficult it is to figure out who the culprit is. To make matters worse, she now has two men trying to protect her, when she just wants to stand on her own.

Luke really wants to get to know Libby better. He was pretty cute when he showed up to welcome her with a casserole and all. He's so taken with her that he just can't help doing anything he can to spend time with her. Libby is much more wary. She's been burned badly by her previous relationship and is pretty bitter about men in general. She insists that she doesn't want a relationship, but she is definitely attracted to him. She spends a lot of time trying to keep him at arm's length. 

I really liked Luke. He was sweet and thoughtful and protective. He listened to what Libby said and tried to do what was best. I loved when he brought her the dog for protection. He is also absolutely wonderful with his parents, especially his mom. He is also loyal to his friends, and protective of those he thinks need it. I liked how steady he was throughout the book.

I had a much harder time liking Libby. I understood her bitterness and wariness when it came to relationships. She had a soft heart, which really came out with the puppies. But for an investigative reporter, she flip flopped all over the place. I really didn't like the way that she was so easily led/manipulated by others' opinions. She really made me mad toward the end of the book when she actually spent time believing the worst about Luke, in spite of the fact that she loved him. She did redeem herself somewhat when she listened to her heart rather than her head. I liked seeing them come together at the end, with Luke's protectiveness showing again, but also his desire to do what would make Libby happy.

The mystery of the missing woman was fairly interesting. It wasn't overly intense, but it did keep me reading to see how it finally ended. I figured out who it was pretty early on, but the details weren't as clear. There was a little bit of a surprise twist in the identity of Libby's rescuer at the end.

Several of the secondary characters were especially well done. Crazy Mike was an interesting character. I really enjoyed Libby's interview with him about his taxidermy as it showed a different side to him. There were times when he seemed really sweet and harmless, and others when he was really creepy and scary. Another one was the sheriff. He has had this missing woman case for two years and doesn't seem all that intent on solving it. He's a good looking guy who knows it, and expects women to fall all over him. There were times I found him really obnoxious and wondered about Libby's intelligence when she was with him. I really didn't like his attitude about Mike and Luke. I loved the dogs, from giant Ivan to Penny and her puppies. Each of them had a distinct personality.

Montana Refuge - Alice Sharpe (HI #1392 - Dec 2012)

Series: Legacy (Book 2)

HER RANCHER PROTECTOR

The last person Montana rancher Tyler Hunt expected to see on his ranch was his soon-to-be ex-wife. True, he had yet to sign the divorce papers, but Julie had sworn never to return. One look in her eyes, however, and he knew why she was back. Julie was in desperate need of his help.

She'd left Tyler, fearing the loss of her identity. But that desire for independence had caused her life to be put in jeopardy, and Tyler was the only man she could trust. Yet even as the mystery surrounding her new life brought them back together, a secret from Tyler's own past was threatening their reunion. Would they ever have the chance to recapture the bond they'd once shared?

Good second chance story brought about by a mystery. Julie had left her husband, Tyler, the year before, feeling a need to do something other than be a ranch wife. She got a job working for a professor in Portland, Oregon, one that gave her a chance to travel and to have a variety of experiences. But when she got caught in the middle of a phony investigation, her life was suddenly in danger. The only way to feel safe was to go back to Tyler and Montana.

Tyler never really understood why Julie left in the first place and was stunned to see her come back. Nor was he particularly happy about it. He's still dealing with the pain of her leaving, he certainly doesn't want to risk going through it all again. But as much as he wants to protect himself, he can't turn his back on her.

The initial meeting between Julie and Tyler didn't go well at all. She was exhausted, afraid and hopeful of sanctuary. Tyler's attitude was pretty harsh. I got that he was still hurting, but he was nasty to her. He relented a little bit, but even when she told him what was happening to her he wasn't nice. I liked seeing her stand up to him at one point and make him leave. It showed a little more backbone than I'd seen her have to that point. 

Though Tyler is reluctant to get involved with her again, his mother has no such qualms. She sets things up so that Julie has to accompany Tyler when he takes the ranch guests on a cattle drive. This forces the two of them together, with the chance to see if there is anything worth saving from their marriage. From the little pieces of background that were dropped, I got the feeling that both Julie and Tyler had been pretty young when they married. He had one thing in mind for their future, and didn't see her growing dissatisfaction. For her part, though she tried to talk to him about her feelings, she hadn't been very good at making her point. The love was still there, but they couldn't figure out how to mesh the lives they wanted. Even though she had been gone for a year, Tyler still hadn't signed the divorce papers.

I enjoyed watching the revitalization of their feelings. The attraction was still there, but they were wary of trusting their feelings. After a year away, Julie has begun to realize that Montana feels more like home that Portland had. Being near Tyler again reminds her of the good parts of their marriage and makes her wonder if there's still a chance. But she also worries about losing the progress she has made with her own self-confidence. Seeing Julie work the cattle drive with him, he begins to see that she isn't the frail flower he'd thought of her before. I liked the way he was impressed by how she handled herself on the trail. The question becomes one of whether Julie can see that she can make the life she wants on the ranch, or if she thinks she has to be alone to be independent. I ached for both of them at the end, until Julie finally saw the truth of where she belonged.

There were two mysteries going on during this book. The first and most predominant, was the one involving Julie and whatever it was she got mixed up in back in Portland. I thought she had been pretty naive to fall for the story that Trill told her, but I was also a bit suspicious about her boss's reaction when she confessed to what had happened. The attack on her in Portland was definitely scary, and her flight was perfectly understandable. The "accidents" that happened on the cattle drive were worrisome, since it was hard to figure out how someone could know that's where she headed. Each attack got more intense. The final confrontation on the ranch was intense, with an unexpected twist in the attackers' identities. But that wasn't the end of things, as the person behind the attacks still had to be stopped. That was quite a convoluted series of events, which had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

The second mystery involved one of the guests on the ranch and why he was there. His interactions with Tyler's mom were interesting, and became understandable once we find out their connection. Though I was suspicious of him at the beginning, he grew on me quickly. I liked his protectiveness toward Julie and his willingness to help however needed on the cattle drive. He really came through when the danger was at its worst. I liked the ending when he was finally able to explain why he was there.

The Lawman's Christmas Proposal - Barbara White Daille (HAR #1575 - Dec 2015)

Series: Hitching Post Hotel (Book 3)

A husband for Christmas?

Mitch Weston's back in Cowboy Creek, and self-proclaimed matchmaker Jed Garland has his single granddaughter Andi on his mind. Mitch is a lawman, good with the little ones and easy on the eyes. He and Andi were high school sweethearts, for heaven's sake! Why can't they see they're perfect for each other?

Because Andi already lost one husband to a dangerous job, and now she's all about playing it safe, for her sake and her children's. Being a cop is everything to Mitch. After discovering Jed's plan, Mitch and Andi come up with their own: they'll pretend to get engaged and then break up due to irreconcilable differences. Jed's got his work cut out for him -- because this match needs a Christmas miracle!

Very good book. Andi has brought her two kids back home to Cowboy Creek for an extended visit after the death of her husband. Part of her time will be spent working as a wedding planner for the family business. She's still trying to deal with the truth behind her husband's death and the fallout from it. Dealing with her grandfather's matchmaking ways is not something she wants to do, but when her high school sweetheart comes back to town, she doesn't have a choice.

Mitch left Cowboy Creek years ago to become a cop in Los Angeles. At the time, he was also escaping a broken heart. Now he's back, recovering from an injury received in the line of duty and trying to deal with his guilty feelings over the death of his partner. Seeing the woman who broke his heart all those years ago is the last thing he needs.

Mitch was still harboring a lot of anger from their parting as teenagers, and he was ready to let it loose when he saw Andi for the first time. That anger swiftly dissipated when he finally got the explanation of what happened, though honestly I didn't understand her reasons at all. Be that as it may, both of them had moved on with their lives, though tragedy has brought them back together. It quickly becomes obvious to them both that the attraction is still there, but neither wants to do anything about it.

Enter Andi's grandfather, Jed. He's been very successful getting his other two granddaughters matched up, and now he's decided to help Andi along. Simply on his memories of them as teenagers, he has decided that Mitch and Andi are a perfect match. Even before seeing them together as adults, he has made his plans. Not only does he find multiple creative ways to throw them together, he has enlisted help in doing it. One of those helpers came as a surprise to me.

The development of their relationship was not an easy one. Mitch is a great guy, wonderful with her kids, and happy to help with the things he's asked to do. He is definitely still attracted to Andi, but is avoiding any idea of a relationship with her. He no longer trusts his instincts thanks to what happened on the job. He has also buried his feelings about what happened and refuses to talk about it with anyone. Andi senses that something is wrong, but he dodges every time she tries to get him to open up to her.

He does trust one instinct and that's the one that tells him that something is eating at Andi. Though he doesn't want to talk about his feelings, he has no trouble pestering her about hers. Andi's issues are complex, but all stem from her husband's death. One of the biggest of those issues is her refusal to get involved with anyone who has a dangerous job, as she doesn't want to suffer that kind of loss again.

Both are dismayed by Jed's matchmaking attempts, but rather than stand up to him, they decide to pretend to give in. They stage a fake engagement that is supposed to give them the space to escape his machinations. Instead, they find themselves wishing it could be real. Unfortunately, their fears keep them from seeing the possibilities. Both of them have to find a way to overcome those fears if they want to have a future together. I have to say that Mitch's solution was not a surprise, given his background. I liked his realization that just talking to Andi had helped him sort through his feelings, though it took a visit back to LA to see it. I loved seeing who helped Andi with hers. The ending was really sweet.

Her Cowboy Hero - Tanya Michaels (HAR #1501 - June 2014)

Series: Colorado Cades (Book 3)

He's Just The Hired Help…

What kind of cockeyed Pollyanna is Colin Cade working for? Her porch is rotting, her "guest cabin" is cheerless and her land and livestock have only a geriatric cowboy to care for them. Yet Hannah Shaw is positive she can turn her ranch into a successful B and B -- and that Colin's the man to make it happen.

But Colin can't stick around. He lives with the loss of his family by avoiding the memories, and the way he feels around Hannah and her young son is like a knife to the heart. Trouble is, he's better at ignoring his own pain than someone else's, and bright, cheerful Hannah has a heart as haunted as his own. She deserves to be happy -- but could she really be with him?

Good book about two people dealing with their losses in completely different ways. Colin lost his wife and son in an accident, and spends his time running from the pain and memories. He goes from job to job, never staying long in the same place. His latest job ended earlier than expected, when the boss's wife makes unwanted advances, leaving him with a month before his next job. He hears about a "widow woman" who needs help with her ranch and decides to check it out.

Hannah is living on the ranch with her four year old son. She has no family other than little Evan, having grown up in the foster system. Her husband was killed overseas before their son was born, and his parents are gone also. The ranch had been in her husband's family for a long time, and she is determined to make it a success. She plans to turn it into a B & B, but it needs work and she has a limited budget. However, she refuses to let the problems get her down, and makes the conscious decision every day to look on the bright side of things.

At the start, Colin and Hannah are like oil and water. She is nothing like he expected, and her little boy is the same age his son would have been. This aggravates the pain he is running from, and he's determined to stay only a few days and then move on. Hannah is grateful for whatever Colin can do to help, but frustrated by his standoffishness. Within a couple days, Evan and Hannah start to have an effect on Colin. He keeps finding more things that need to be done before he's willing to leave. A sense of protectiveness toward both of them leads him to stay longer than he had planned.

I liked seeing how they developed a friendship before anything else happened. Because she had also suffered a devastating loss, Hannah is very empathetic to Colin's feelings. I loved the scene where he'd had the nightmare and she was just there for him. They didn't need to talk, just the presence of another person helped Colin through it. That was the crack that started the breakdown of his walls. But it wasn't an easy thing, because he was still afraid to risk his heart again. I ached for her when it looked like she was about to have another loss. I loved how it was Colin's turn to be on the receiving end of blunt advice when it came to love, just as he had done to his brother and sister.. His big moment at the end was really good.

Private Bodyguard - Tyler Anne Snell (HI #1628 - Mar 2016)

Series: Orion Security (Book 1)

As a bodyguard, it was his duty to protect her -- not fall for her all over again…

Orion Security Group's mission is to protect those in serious danger. So when Oliver Quinn's latest assignment unexpectedly brings him back into Darling Smith's life, he knows it's going to be his most challenging case yet. And from the moment he comes face-to-face with the beauty from his past, Oliver can't deny their history is going to make for some tension-filled days -- and frustrating nights. But keeping her safe, even though she denies she needs his help, has to come before exploring their lingering feelings. She may not have asked for his protection, but with the killer on her trail, she can't afford not to have it…

Good start to a new series. Darling's day starts out rather rough, when she gets arrested for trespassing on the local millionaire's property. The deputy, who she used to date, is having a little too much fun at her expense. But the day goes from bad to worse when the millionaire's bodyguard comes to question her, and it turns out to be the same man who broke her heart eight years earlier.

The last place Oliver expected to see Darling was in a small town in Maine, and on the opposite side of a case from him. The suspected mistress of the local millionaire has been murdered and Nigel is the top suspect. Darling has been investigating Nigel for infidelity, but Oliver is certain he's innocent of both charges. 

When Darling begins getting threatening notes, Oliver can't just step back and ignore it. It may have been eight years, but there's still something there between them. The problem is that Darling doesn't want protecting. She's done fine without him. But when one attack puts Darling in danger of dying of exposure, even she has to admit she may need his help.

Even though it has been so long, the heat is still there between Oliver and Darling. Both try to resist, since Darling's place is in Maine, and Oliver works out of California. When Oliver puts her safety ahead of the job he was hired to do, he finds himself with some decisions to make. I loved seeing how he managed to work the job and the girl into a promising future.

The suspense of the story was really good. Who killed the woman? Who was she really? Someone seems to be helping Darling with her investigation one minute, then turning around and threatening her the next. I had a pretty good idea of who was responsible for the murder early on, but I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't until an unexpected twist at the end that the motive was revealed and it was quite a stunner.

Babycakes - Donna Kauffman (Brava - Nov 2012)

Series: Cupcake Club (Book 3)

It's Christmas on Georgia's charming Sugarberry Island - and there's no better time to enjoy delicious confections...and the sweet thrill of falling in love...

Molten Chocolate...Cinnamon Spice...Gingerbread...Old-Fashioned Vanilla...You can't stop at just one. And the women of the Cupcake Club love to indulge...

Kit Bellamy was raised on pie. Mamie Sue's "Peanut Pies", to be exact, the family company her scheming brother-in-law sold out from under her. Now Kit needs a new recipe for her life - and sleepy Sugarberry Island is the first ingredient. Running mail-order cupcake business Babycakes is a chance to get her baking on again - until she meets tall, dark, and adorable lawyer Morgan Westlake. New to the island to raise his goddaughter, he's as mouth-watering as any of Kit's creations. It's just her luck that he's the spawn of the very law firm that helped crush her dreams...Fortunately, Kit's new friends can assure her that Morgan is no typical Westlake - and that even lawyers, not to mention single dads, need romance. If Kit can just be persuaded to follow her appetite - and set another place at her holiday table - her sweetest dreams just might come true...

Good book. After her brother-in-law sold Kit's family company out from under her, with the help of the cut-throat Westlake law firm,  Kit needs a new start in her life. A friend has offered her a job with her cupcake business on Sugarberry Island, so off she goes.

Morgan Westlake is raising his niece after the deaths of his brother and sister-in-law. He is a lawyer from a well known family, but he has separated himself from them for many reasons. He has come to Sugarberry Island to raise Lilly close to her other grandmother and away from the influence of his own family.

There are sparks between Kit and Morgan from the moment they met, but Kit is especially reluctant to get involved. First, he is a member of that family and that's hard to get past. Second, she has a hard time trusting her own judgment. She feels that she let down family tradition as well as all the people who worked for the company. She worries about getting involved with him and then letting him and Lilly down as well. Morgan is determined to give Lilly the childhood she deserves, and worries that he's going to mess things up.

I loved the development of their romance. Morgan is hooked from the beginning, but understands Kit's wariness. He is patient and willing to let them become friends first. They spend a lot of time together with little Lilly, doing things at the turtle research center. Kit begins to see that Morgan is nothing like the rest of his family, and lets down her walls. The feelings and attraction between them really start to heat up. Things are moving along at a steady pace for them when Morgan's mother shows up. I loved how Morgan stood up to her, and how his feelings for Kit were a big part of his motivation to do so. Kit finally realized that what they had was real and that leaning on Morgan

A big part of the story is Morgan's guardianship of Lilly. I loved how he was part of her life from the beginning, but becoming her parent has him all tied up in knots. It was sweet to see how determined he was to break her out of the cage she was in, thanks to his mother. I really liked seeing her go from timid and shy to a much more typical five year old. Her fascination with the sea turtles was sweet. I loved how a big part of Morgan's decision to come to Sugarberry was so that Lilly could get to know her other grandmother.

Once again, the members of the Cupcake Club play their parts in Morgan and Kit's romance. None of them have any trouble "nudging" them along the path they think should be taken. There are some really funny scenes, especially involving Alva, as they do their own kind of matchmaking. I loved how they pulled Kit right into their group and made her one of their own. The group plan for Thanksgiving was terrific, and even better was when they jumped in to help when there was a crisis with the turtles.

One of the things I like best about this series is that the characters aren't perfect. Morgan and Kit obviously have their problems. Introducing Lilly to her Grandmother Birdie doesn't go as smoothly as they had all hoped, which is more realistic than them bonding right away. Secondary couple Olivia and Carlo are having their own problems thanks to cultural differences. But no matter what is happening, they support each other in times of trouble.