Archives for February 2016

Take Me Now by Nancy Jardine

February 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

TakeMeNow
Take Me Now by Nancy Jardine
Publisher: Crooked Cat Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Short Story (124 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Nairn Malcolm’s looking for the impossible. He needs a highly skilled, enterprising aide who’ll be at his beck and call 24/7. No ordinary Jane Doe will do. He doesn’t expect the only candidate who drops in at his Scottish castle for an interview to be so competent…or so stunning.

Aela Cameron’s got exactly the right mix of talents to satisfy all Nairn Malcolm’s needs, and more. She loves the jobs he needs done, adores his castle, and finds his frenetic lifestyle energising. But she’s only looking for temporary: not to fall in love with the man.
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Can Nairn convince Aela she’s tailor-made for him in every way…and not a passing fancy?

If a reader likes a romance story where the female lead is the stronger character, then Take Me Now>/i> is the book to explore. Aela, the heroine, is funny, sunny and accomplished. Her bubbly personality is introduced early on and she endears herself to other secondary characters in the novella as well as the reader. Nairn is the injured hero with a type A++ personality that is so driven, his first impression is kind of loopy and goofy because he checked himself out of the hospital before he should have and was still ‘out of it’. His candid ramblings, though brief, give a clear insight into what his brain, unfettered by logic, societal expectations and proper behavior, already knows – Nairn’s inner lover is already smitten. It takes a while for the rest of him to catch up.

The mystery that stirs the plot is basic corporate sabotage. Who could it be, what is the motive, and who will have the next casualty, are some of the questions that must be answered before the ultimate deal can be wrapped up and the end of their working relationship comes to pass. The author did a good job of keeping the villain under wraps until the big reveal.

In this novella, the personal conflict is based upon assumptions. Like I said earlier, Nairn is smitten but he’s really slow on the uptake. What he’s quick to do is tumble into sulky, grim episodes of jealously every time Aela talks about the mysterious Jed, goes out on the town by herself or smiles and seems to have a special relationship with his father. The poor hero just can’t come out and ask for explanations; no he gets all grumpy and becomes an AA+ workaholic, until he thaws, until he gets uptight, until he thaws. Yeah, for such a rich business genius, the hero just can’t seem to strategize a relationship as well as he does a business deal so he’s an emotional yo-yo. You can imagine how that affects Aela. And that is where the heroine’s strength comes in. She does not need Nairn, or any man, to take care of her. She’s confident in who she is, so sure, his hot and cold routine annoys and ticks her off but she does what she wants, and usually, somehow, she does it with a cheeky grin. Which makes the hero even growlier and that makes me laugh even more. He’s not used to a woman who acts like she does, and that’s why I liked their dynamic. She’s the perfect woman for him because she stands up to him.

The book’s pace does plod because of all the travel details. Many readers might find all the descriptions, locations and step by step process of their working relationship fascinating because it does provide a level of authenticity to the telling. I just found it bogged down my reading speed. It proves to me that the heroine knows her stuff, especially flying, and the hero gives her plenty of opportunities to show it, but I didn’t find it helped the romance grow much. I’m not a fan of quite that much minutia.

The solving of the mystery is mild. The ultimate revelation of their love for each other is mild. The tone of the novel is sweet and busy. I liked the dialogue between both Nairn and Aela and I enjoyed the small touches the author had Aela giving Nairn when he was at his most stressed. Those were loving touches that soothed and showed her level of caring for the hero. It’s those sweet, tender moments that made this such a nice story to read. Take Me Now>/i> has a light plot with a pleasant and enjoyable romance. It’s a good book.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Brody by Vanessa Devereaux

February 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment

brody
Brody by Vanessa Devereaux
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short Story (95 Pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Tulip

It’s almost Christmas and Brody Williams is in Riker’s Creek on a mission…to find his biological father. He has it narrowed down to three men, and when he finds which man fathered him, he needs to ask him the biggest favor of his life.

Maddie Thurston is a runaway bride with a perfectly good reason for leaving the groom at the altar. She steals a horse and heads into Riker’s Creek, ending up at a bar where there’s a cowboy who just can’t seem to mind his own business.
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However, when he becomes her knight in shining armor and rides her back to her motel room, all good sense goes out the window, and the two end up spending the night together.

Will Brody help Maddie fix her broken heart and can Maddie give Brody the Christmas miracle she’s promised him?

I was very pleased with this book. It was a short but rich story and the author did a great job in making me believe that Brody and Maddie’s feelings for each other were real. I enjoyed every page.

The setup for this story was fast. Brody had some health issues that brought him to Riker’s Creek, Montana looking for his father. He stopped off in a bar and meets Maddie who was a too tempting runaway bride. Their relationship started out as a one night hook up but it quickly turned into a strong bond. I loved how they were both nice people who easily became friends as well as lovers.

The main characters were incredibly likable. I just can’t imagine how I would react in Brody’s situation. He wanted to live and had the courage to do something about it but he never forgot his father who raised him either. I loved how realistic his emotions were about everything and what a caring person he was. Maddie had such sass and was such an amazing person who stood up for herself and stayed by Brody’s side. The secondary characters were important to the storyline, although I wasn’t happy with a couple of them. There was a fair bit of family drama added to the conflict.

Brody is the eighth book in the Big Sky County series but it reads as a stand alone. In fact I hadn’t read any others in the series and I followed everything perfectly. The story was well written and I enjoyed reading it. In fact, I’m hoping that Branndon will get a book because I’d love to watch that arrogant cowboy get corralled. So I’ll be giving this book my recommendation and looking forward to the next one.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

An Unfolding Trap by Jo Hiestand

February 16, 2016 By 27 Comments

MediaKit_BookCover_AnUnfoldingTrap
An Unfolding Trap by Jo Hiestand
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full (290 PAGES)
Rating: 4 stars
Review by Rose

Since his infancy, Michael McLaren has been the target of his paternal grandfather’s anger. So when the patriarch sends an invitation to heal the rift, McLaren travels to Scotland, eager to meet and finally end the feud. But the welcome never happens. If Grandfather hadn’t invited him, who had? And why?
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In Edinburgh, a man standing beside McLaren in a bus queue is killed in a hit-and-run accident. After an attack leaves McLaren for dead on a wintry moor, he’s convinced someone from his past is trying to murder him.

As McLaren trails the hit-and-run driver from the medieval ‘underground city’ of Edinburgh to the Boar’s Rock ⎯ the MacLaren Clan’s ancestral meeting place ⎯ the assaults intensify, and he’s plunged into a very personal hunt for a World War II treasure. The puzzle is fascinating; he just has to stay alive to solve it.

This is the 5th book in the McClaren Mystery series, but if you haven’t read the others, don’t let that stop you from picking this one up. It’s the first book in the series I’ve read, and I had absolutely no trouble with the book. There were some undercurrants among the characters that would probably be explained if I’d read the previous books, but the mystery itself resolved nicely. That being said, I’m definitely going to be picking up the other books in the series as I really enjoyed McLaren.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot of this book, to avoid spoilers—it is a mystery, after all, and you don’t want that spoiled. Suffice it to say Ms. Hiestand does a masterful job at solving the case which turns out to be a lot more complicated than it appeared on the surface.

I liked the main character—Michael McClaren is a former policeman turned private detective, but this time the mystery he’s solving is a lot more personal. He’s not perfect, but he is good at solving puzzles—this one is multi-faceted, but McClaren is definitely up for the job.  A solid entry in the mystery category!

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Wedding Rescue by Megan Kelly

February 16, 2016 By Leave a Comment

wedding
The Wedding Rescue by Megan Kelly
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (325 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

LEFT IN THE LURCH…
Rancher Jack Walker eagerly anticipates marrying the quiet, lovely artist who has agreed to be his wife and stepmother to his six-year-old daughter. Their union will mirror the peace and security of his previous marriage.

AT THE CHURCH
Veterinarian Lexi Marshall is tricked into her twin sister’s wedding dress minutes before the bride disappears out the back door. Now Lexi must tell Jack there is no wedding. But instead of “guess what?” she says, “I do?”

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Covering for her sister by marrying Jack is a big mistake. But even Lexi’s confession can’t untangle the mess after she learns he could lose his ranch if they divorce.

Legal problems aside, how will they handle the attraction simmering between them?

Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons sure gets complicated when the wrong thing turns out to be the right thing after all. But someone isn’t happy about it; not happy about it in a creepy, villainous way. How the author wove that into the story was genius. It made reading The Wedding Rescue all the more interesting because of that subtle nefarious twist.

Lexi tries to save Jack from a horrid fate, or so she thinks. She’s used to fixing problems but this one is bigger than anything she could have imagined. The emotional conflict comes from Jack and Lexi actually liking each other but not realizing just how much more their feelings are for each other. They’ve both made choices, have lives and careers in a small town where there aren’t too many surprises because everyone knows everybody. Because of that familiarity, neither one had ever looked deeper at the other to discover the treasure that was right under their noses. It took Lexi’s sister bolting away from her own wedding in the last few minutes to “go time” to throw every plan, dream, goal, expectation and perception on its ear and start a chain of events no one could have anticipated. What follows is an unusual romance.

Jack thinks he knows what he wants in a woman. What he was really getting was a one dimensional mirror image that was a stand in for someone who his heart recognized but his brain didn’t have a clue. Before you say ‘typical guy’, Jack was a very likable character. He has many great qualities and has his chance to prove to one and all just how heroic he can be. Before that happens, readers get to see a hardworking, manly man with a great sense of humor, love for family and friends who looks good riding a horse. I liked how the author was able to make me feel the love Jack has for his daughter.

Lexi is quite the independent woman. She has a great but challenging career and she doesn’t think of herself as a girly-girl. She thinks she’s pretty much on the sidelines, especially compared to her sister, who she’s posing as. Lexi’s going to find out that she’s very noticeable; it’s a good thing/bad thing. But what I really liked was how no matter what, she was herself, and Jack’s grouchy relative saw right through her and liked her just the way she was. That revelation was one of the high points for me. It showed me he wasn’t slow, old and doddering, and it showed me that Lexi was a really sweet, caring person. I liked that.

The only bit of fluff that the book could have done without was a side relationship between two secondary characters. It really had no bearing on Jack and Lexi’s romance so I didn’t understand why it was even there. If it was to foreshadow or set the hook for a future story for the two, it didn’t draw me in. If I ever do read it, it will be because it would be about Jack’s brother, not because I felt any emotional sparks between the two.

The Wedding Rescue is a full bodied romance filled with a lot of emotional layers. There’s gentle humor, characters that are genuinely likeable, and a few that are not, with good reason. It’s a well told romance story that takes the time to explore all the nuances of ranch and community life and shares with a reader all its charm and quirks. The cutest sentence in the novel was the last sentence. I had to think for a moment to remember what Lexi said earlier in the book and once I got the joke, I belly laughed. This was a really nice book to read and I recommend it.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Woman of Courage by Marlow Kelly

February 16, 2016 By Leave a Comment

WOMAN
A Woman of Courage by Marlow Kelly
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Short Story (62 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

When an injured Fianna Byrne turns up at Connell O’Neill’s gate twelve years after their separation he knows this could be his last chance to find happiness with the woman he loves.

False accusations against Fianna had strained relations between their clans and forced Connell, under Irish law, to divorce her. Their disastrous three-month relationship left Fianna pregnant and heartbroken. She has avoided Duncarraig and her ex-husband ever since.

But with her home obliterated by the Vikings, Fianna must face her past in order to save her son, and prove once and for all she is a woman of courage.

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Fianna had to grow up quickly from the stary-eyed girl who married Connell at seventeen. She’s a mother and the queen of her clan. She took on the responsibility to maintain the livelihood of large group of people when she was forced to leave the security of her husband’s home. She was a woman who had proven herself and someone I could cheer for. I liked that the author didn’t have her turn into a weepy pile of goo as soon as she sees Connell. Yes, her body reacts to his closeness and concern but her priorities are in order. Her people come first.

I wanted her to be strong but I also didn’t want her to be so completely stubborn that she wouldn’t allow herself to see that Connell had changed as well. He’d been a boy of nineteen when they were married. He wasn’t a boy any longer and he’d had plenty of time to realize who had truly poisoned their chance at a happy marriage. Plus, he was able to see his own part in the fallout. He was a mature man, king of his clan, and still very attracted to the mother of his son. It was sweet and then it got hot.

I did expect the dialogue to be more of the period. It was almost too modern. The author obviously studied up on the era and used correct vernacular to describe the homes and the clothes as well as titles. Thankfully, I wasn’t drawn out of the story because of the dialogue, it was just noticeable. I’ve read some Historicals where the brogue can be so thick I couldn’t understand what I was reading without a translation dictionary but this was more on the other end of the spectrum. It was set in Ireland but it didn’t really feel Irish when they spoke.

The setting was very nicely described. I could see the way the villages were set up, the forest surrounding and the river running near Fianna’s home. The reader isn’t present for the initial battle that took place but the author describe the destruction and death and violence of the Vikings who decimated her clan’s home. That was exceptionally realistic.

Be sure to read the forward in this book regarding Irish laws and customs. It was beneficial in putting me in the right frame of mind to see the Irish culture of the period depicted as opposed to looking at it from a modern American standpoint.

This was nice period piece where land, loyalty and courage were highly valued. It’s a “one-sitting” story that has potential if the author ever decided to expound on Fianna and Connell’s world. There are secondary characters introduced who give the story some dimension. Ms. Kelly obviously likes to portray strong women and this is a short story worth spending time with.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Winter’s Wonder: Pine Point by Allie Boniface

February 16, 2016 By Leave a Comment

winter
Winter’s Wonder by Allie Boniface
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (103 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

When a bad boy falls for an angel, the sparks could set the coldest season on fire.

Pine Point, Book 2

Pine Point hasn’t changed much in the eight years Zane Andrews has been away. But Zane sure has. These days, this reformed bad boy has no problem resisting the bored housewives who flirt shamelessly with their gated community’s security guard.

The only thorn in his side is the stray dog that keeps overturning the neighborhood’s garbage cans, and the cute, crusading do-gooder who barks at him for trying to chase it off.

Becca Ericksen knows Zane is just doing his job, but his tactics are making her job—to rescue strays and bring them to Pine Point Paws—much harder. Clearly, they have nothing in common, yet when the legendary playboy asks her out, she finds herself saying yes.
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With a sizzling kiss, something warm and unexpected begins to grow between them. Opposites can attract, but is attraction enough?

Becca has a way of collecting strays and not just the four legged variety.

Actually, Zane Andrews came home on his own so he’s not so much a stray as rescue. He’s just now realizing that what she’s rescued him from is a life without love, real honest love.

There’s so much to enjoy about this novella. The characters are easy to relate to and I just love a small town, bad boy comes home kind of story. Sure it’s a trope that’s been done but it’s one that draws me every time like a bee to honey. Having said that, it has to be done correctly. The characters have to have chemistry and real motivation. Simply putting them in a small town setting and calling him a “bad boy” won’t do it.

Zane and Becca have some high school history together even if they never ran with the same crowd in high school. I liked that she didn’t hold what she remembered about him as a teen over his head as an adult. She gave him a chance and she’s the perfect personality type who would see that he deserved a second chance.

These two have chemistry and I thought it was humorous that it’s actually Becca who has more trouble not climbing him like a tree. Don’t get me wrong, Zane wants her. Bad! But he also respects her and seems to have genuinely matured in the eight years he was away from Pine Point.

Interestingly enough, the main secondary character in this book never speaks, well never speaks in a human voice. He’s a dog that starts out as a thorn in Zane’s side but comes to represent something else altogether. It was fantastic to watch the development.

The story almost seems like the relationship is going to be sealed tight well before the end but there’s a reoccurring problem that has to be addressed. I could see both sides of the issue and that’s a good thing. I don’t like when author’s make an obvious two way street into a one way or the highway solution.

This was a fun read and an author I’d like to revisit since she loves the small town setting like I do. Her characters were nicely developed without information dumps and the love story hits all the right notes. I’d love to see Becca and Zane in a future installment to the Pine Point series. They’re headed for a really sweet and sexy HEA.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Prince’s Christmas Vow by Jennifer Faye

February 16, 2016 By Leave a Comment

Vow
The Prince’s Christmas Vow by Jennifer Faye
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary, holiday
Length: Full Length (251 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Secretly married…to a prince!

Zoe Sarris hasn’t seen Crown Prince Demetrius Castanavo since their secret elopement. So she’s shocked when he requests her interior design services. She’s only just pieced her broken heart back together, and seeing Demetrius–as gorgeous and guarded as ever–threatens to shatter it all over again…

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The Prince’s Christmas Vow is an endearing, well told romance filled with heart and warmth. I like the premise – that they were so impetuous and passionate that they rushed to get married and then it went kablooey. Add in a little passage of time and maturity and they meet again; will the fires of passion flame out of control again? That’s a fascinating theme to explore and I really like what Ms. Faye did with the plot.

Demetrius and Zoe were wonderful together. I liked their chemistry, their dialogue and the little moments in the story that made it clear that their love was still very much present. Zoe’s the one with the conflict and she’s running scared. Her reasoning is noble, pragmatic and oh, so totally unnecessary, especially when those marriage vows have the meaning they’re supposed to. There’s a lot of hurt feelings and fear to wade through but eventually the truth comes out and it’s freeing.

The external conflict is mild but it’s there and it’s effective because the villain was described in such a way that it gave me the creeps. There’s a short but packed action scene that was quite exciting because it was written so well.

The downside is Zoe’s emotional baggage. I felt it went on too long and it drove me a little nuts. She thought she was making the best decision for Demetrius but I felt she was making the choice for him and it wasn’t fair. Considering the kind of man the author wrote him to be, I didn’t see him as someone who would see it Zoe’s way. It took some doing, again too long, but eventually love does win out and for that I’m very grateful.

The king was a very brief secondary character but his clever ploy was adorable. I give him high marks for trying. I even liked the tree decorating scene; it was another wonderful example of how perfect Zoe and Demetrius are together.

All in all The Prince’s Christmas Vow was a delightful read. It’s sweet, engaging and had some wonderful romantic elements. The happy ever after is completely satisfying. This is definitely a worthy story to spend time with.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Unwanted Girl by MK Schiller

February 15, 2016 By 10 Comments

MediaKit_BookCover_UnwantedGirl
Unwanted Girl by MK Schiller
Publisher: Lyrical/Kensington
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full (316 pgs)
Heat level: Spicy
Rated: 4 stars
Review by Rose

When a man loves a woman

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Shyla is drawn to Nick, but she never imagines falling for him. Like Nick, Shyla hails from a village, too…a rural village in India. They have nothing in common, yet he makes her feel alive for the first time in her life. She is not ready for their journey to end, but the plans she’s made cannot be broken…not even by him. Can they find a way to rewrite the next chapter?

This book drew me in to the point where I read it in one sitting. In a way, you get double the content for your money, because there is a story within the story. First, you have the love story between Nick and Shyla—from their first tentative outreaches of friendship to a deeply passionate love. Second, you have the story they write together – the story of the Indian woman Asha and the horrors she went through.

There are obstacles for Nick and Shyla to overcome on their journey, not the least of which are the differences in their background, the secrets they both hide, and the fact that they know their time together is limited due to the time on Shyla’s student visa soon running out.

Ms. Schiller does an excellent job with the characters—though they both have flaws, they are very likable. She also does a great job with the two different “voices”—the elements of the Nick’s stories that are shared are so different from Shyla’s story that are shared about Asha. Good job there!

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will certainly be looking for more of this author’s work.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

When Highland Lightning Strikes: A Highland Talents Novella by Willa Blair

February 15, 2016 By Leave a Comment

highland
When Highland Lightning Strikes by Willa Blair
A Highland Talents Novella
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical, paranormal
Length: Short Story (125 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

A Man who would be Laird

Angus MacAnalen fully expects to succeed his dead brother as Laird. But on the day of the Clan Council’s vote, a new lass steals his breath and his heart, making him question the ambition that drives him. When he begins to suspect she has a hidden talent that could help his clan, he must overcome the painful disappointment of the past before it costs him the future he desires.

A Lass in Exile

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A Love Lifted out of the Ruins

Broken promises and broken dreams litter their pasts, and their present. Can they build a future from the ruins?

Shona is a Highland lass who has seen enough death and judgement to last a lifetime. It’s no wonder she’s wary when Angus literally staggers up with a lame pickup line. It was also pretty amusing. I could see her sitting there, one eyebrow raised at his obvious inebriated come on. I was glad to see that she had a little spunk in her even if it often had to be repressed because of heavy handed men in her clan, namely her uncle and guardian.

I kept picturing Ian Somerhalder when Angus was described and I had no problem seeing why Shona was attracted. Outside the tendency toward premature celebratory drinking, which was likely common for the age, he had some truly noble qualities and he loved his clansmen. Still, he’s also a man and Shona is a beautiful lass who doesn’t hate his kisses. Circumstances put them in a position to protect each other and the outcome was decidedly sweet and sexy at the same time.

One of the first things I noticed is that the dialogue feels authentic. This is a Highland setting and I expected to hear the people speak with some form of brogue lilt. It was easy to fall into a pattern of reading it in my mind with the same pattern of speech but it also helped put me into the setting, to feel a part of it.

A couple of interesting twists kept this story alive right to very end. Also, the clan MacAnalen needs to build their hall away from trees, for everyone’s sake. Seriously, if this clan didn’t have bad luck it wouldn’t have any luck at all. I would have liked to have seen Shona have a little more self-confidence in her ability and not have taken quite so long to embrace it. She has reason to worry about how people will react but she takes on so much guilt at what she can or can’t do it’s practically paralyzing. Love is a very powerful motivator and in the end it lends the strength she needs.

There’s a paranormal element to this book, as with all the Highland Talents books. Angus sampled some of that talent in Highland Healer and was less than impressed. I was curious to see how he would react once he realized that Shona shared a similar talent.

There’s mention of what happened in the first book in the Highland Talents series between Toran and his healer, Aileanna, who also make an appearance in this novella. I haven’t read that one, yet, but I’d like to go back and see how this war that tore up so many clans began. Ms. Blair has an easy to read talent for bringing a story to life. Given another opportunity, I look forward to returning to the Highlands with this Ms. Blair to see what new talents make themselves known.

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Christmas at the Corral by Debra St John

February 15, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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Christmas at the Corral by Debra St John
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Length: Short Story (66 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Honeysuckle

Maggie Pearson has no time in her busy life for love, but an immediate attraction draws her to a mysterious stranger at The Corral, a local bar. However, any romantic feelings are ruthlessly squashed when he accuses her of having an affair with his brother.

As a divorce lawyer, Van Rawlings has seen the ugly side of marriage too many times to believe in love. But having gotten off on the wrong foot with Maggie, and genuinely contrite over his faux pas, he offers to help her with an upcoming Christmas charity dinner. The more time they spend together, the more he realizes he’s never met anyone like Maggie, who gives so generously of her time.

The purpose of buy viagra australia this massage is to apply continual placatory feedback to the affected areas. When looking for users’ reviews on viagra free sample , you need to know a few details of this drug. cialis also include stress control. To put it bluntly, bullies have something hurting inside of them and they are using the discount cialis canada internet facility. Nowadays the subject of sexual functions is widely discussed in the media so men and women regardless of their age are looking for an improvement in their relationships and sex life. sildenafil 100mg tablets Can Maggie and the magic of the season help Van believe again? In Christmas and in love.

“What are you wearing ‘Jake from State Farm’?” “Uh, Khakis.” “She sounds hideous!” One of my favorite commercials on TV and illustrates that only hearing one side of a conversation can lead a person to jump to some outrageous conclusions. Either that or Van Rawlings has the worst pickup line in the history of the bar scene.

I can tell a lot about how well I’m going to enjoy a story from it’s opening paragraphs. This one drew me in pretty quick because I knew going in that Van’s assumption was totally off base. I wanted to see if Maggie would be the type to be stubborn and hold a grudge or smart and seize the opportunity. Her personality won me over quickly.

One of the things that made this a fun read is the flirty dialogue. After they get past the initial misunderstanding, Maggie and Van’s story really began to heat up with some palpable tension, the good kind. The chemistry has to be there for a story of this length to work and the author didn’t shy away from making them completely aware of their reactions to each other. It was like little zings of electricity. Very nice! And then she brought the heat. Really nice!

The second thing that kept me vested in this story was the conflict that came after the first one. Van is a divorce lawyer living in Dallas with zero interest in marriage. This seemed like a lot to overcome in a short time but it’s Christmas in our story and miracles do happen.

I loved how the author ultimately resolves Maggie and Van’s story, especially how Van grows from jaded divorce lawyer to someone who sees the good in others. I’ll just say the ending with “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” was way better than the way it opened with a State Farm commercial.

This is a holiday themed book but I would suggest reading it anytime. I was also tickled to see that there are three other books in the series, including Zach and Jessica’s story that made this one possible. This author is going on my auto-read list.

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