Once Upon A Groom by Karen Rose Smith
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (244 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 4 books
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

“Will you marry me?”

Those were the words Jenny Farber had always longed to hear Zack Decker say. But marrying him would have meant leaving the only home she’d ever really known. So instead of following her high school sweetheart to L.A., she stayed on at his family’s ranch, training the horses she adored. Zack never knew about the secret she carried…or how much she still loved him. Until a near-tragedy brought him home again….

Fifteen years ago, Jenny broke Zack’s heart. Seeing her again rekindles all the sweet passion they once shared. But Zack came home to Miners Bluff only to deal with a family crisis—then he’s pulling up stakes again. So why is Jenny making him dream of settling down in the one place he’d vowed to leave forever?

Two kids from dysfunctional families grow up and discover that their families don’t define nor predict what they themselves will become. The road that leads them to that truth and the love they find along the way is what this story is all about.

Parents aren’t perfect and sometimes the choices they make concerning themselves have lasting impact on their children. Kids only see it from their limited perspective but the hurt is just as potent, damaging and long lasting when the influences are negative and/or bitter.

Jenny and Zack are the products of such situations. In Once Upon A Groom, Ms. Smith brings to life the tale of two young lovers who were hurt by their immaturity at dealing with an adult situation. The author makes a reader understand that the love between the two when they were young was real but what tore them a part was just as viable. Through heartfelt dialogue and a potentially tragic course of events, Jenny and Zack reconnect.

Zack’s character is more like the walking wounded. Sure, he’s successful with his chosen career. He worked hard at it and through sheer guts and grit, made it. Inside, the hero is like a puppy curled up, protecting its tender belly. His soft, sentimental and tender feelings he might have for home, the ranch and Jenny are all bundled and woven into a ball of denial so tight, it seemed they would never unravel. He’s a tortured hero, all right, and it’s his fear and anger that acts as his shield through most of the story.

Jenny has found a different way to cope and she’s the lucky one. Whereas Zack’s family life scarred him emotionally, those same people, his mom and dad, took in Jenny and gave her what was missing in her own life. Jenny is a quasi-orphan. Her mom died and her dad coped by running away repeatedly, leaving the heroine at the mercy of disinterested parties. Feelings of abandonment abound and yet Jenny showed a core of steel in refusing to bow under its weight and live her life in a state of self-pity. There’s a lot to admire about the heroine. And the essential thing of all is not exempted with the possible risks and dangers of acquiring injuries, aggravating the patient’s pharmacy australia cialis current condition, or delivering additional devastating blows to the client. It can be hard to get motivated to perform exercises, even knowing the array lowest cost of viagra of health benefits associated with it. By comparing the results of white blood cell count and bacterial culture of urine samples from the initial urine,middle urine, prostate massage fluid generic viagra overnight and the urine after prostate massage, the prostaitis can be divided into: acute bacterial prostatitis, chronic bacterial prostatitis and prostatodynia. Gonstead is the founder of “Foundation Principle” and suggests, “Find the subluxation, accept it where you find it, correct it and leave it cute-n-tiny.com cheapest price on tadalafil alone.” Chiropractor practitioners assess and analyze all the patients in order to get rid of sexual weakness. She’s a survivor. However, the cost of that survival means she’s refused to face some hard truths of her own.

It all comes to a head when Jenny and Zack have to deal with each other for days on end. The revelations arrive in the story like layers on an onion. Every time the author peeled back another level of pain, it revealed a new truth and I got to see the ripple effect on the main characters. As something new gets learned, the author lets a reader deeper and deeper into the anguish that keeps the two lovers apart. The tale is told from both Jenny and Zack’s point of view. By doing that, Ms. Smith allows a reader to see how each step allows for the growth of a matured love, one based on understanding, truth and forgiveness. It’s the catharsis of letting go of old beliefs to face and embrace a true reality that finally breaks the dam that held both Jenny and Zack back.

Once Upon a Groom is a well told story inasmuch as it touches the heart as the two lovers stumble their way back to true love. I wasn’t too keen on the length of time Zack spent with the chip on his shoulder during the course of the book. I got the impression he was stubborn and after reading about his family life, I know where that came from. I just wished it didn’t come across like a broken record for me. As for Jenny’s dad, he’s an idiot. I don’t care how hurt he was when Jenny’s mother died. His neglect doesn’t deserve the level of tolerance and forgiveness that the heroine allowed him. Why didn’t she ever get angry? Why did she wait until the point in the book where she finally, sort of, expressed her feelings? As far as I’m concerned, the author didn’t have her character go far enough. Yes, I understand that the focus is on Jenny and Zack and an author doesn’t want to dilute the story or the romance, which I can appreciate. I’m just really huffy about how no one took that man to task for his inaction.

Once Upon a Groom is an engrossing romance filled with heart, meaty emotional drama and tender touches, sure to keep a reader entertained. It has a good build-up and delivery with effective dialogue between the main and secondary characters to create a sense of community. The author painstakingly created a tale that will touch the nurturer inside that craves to heal. The wonder of how it all will come about keeps the pages turning at a good clip. It’s time well spent and the happily ever after is satisfying.

The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins by Jacqueline Diamond
Publisher: Harlequin
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Full Length (239 pgs)
Heat Level: spicy
Rating: 4.5 books
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Even though she’s always wanted her own family, Bailey Wayne is happy to be a surrogate mom. She knows one day she’ll find her perfect man—and until then, what greater gift could she give to her sister? Make that gifts…Bailey’s just found out she’s having twins.

Dr. Owen Tartikoff, the new head of the Safe Harbor fertility program, is cool and professional with his colleagues. But he has a soft spot for a certain pregnant nurse, and the miracles growing inside her. What she doesn’t know yet is Owen is the actual sperm donor—and those are his children.

Owen has a reputation to protect. He also knows Bailey deserves to know the truth. And with Bailey’s sister and brother-in-law in serious trouble with the law,Owen and Bailey have to decide what’s right in this decidedly complicated situation!

Playing Doctor and Nurse was never as intriguing as when it’s done for real. Thing is, they never intended to play, it was all a mix-up but as things get revealed, the sensual tension heats up until a certain revelation blows it all up like Mt. Vesuvius. The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins is a romance story focused on two people who were never meant to meet. But when they did, their relationship was more like a roller coaster, full of surprise dips, rapid highs and screaming drops into the unknown.

Ms. Diamond has written a cleverly convoluted and intricate love story about two people who didn’t know each other existed. Yet, they have something in common that is powerful and undeniable.

Bailey is a sweetheart. She is capable of selfless giving, loyalty, optimism and she wears rose colored glasses when it comes to the only family she has left – her sister. She’d do anything for her and that’s the crux of her dilemma. She even went so far as to be the surrogate mother to her sister’s baby. Too bad there were a few things no one told her about because Bailey’s inner strength, her fortitude and her belief in her family was sorely tested because of it. In fact, facing the fall out had the heroine contemplating some heart wrenching and tearful options that hooks a reader’s emotions. At one point, she felt so alone and the author did a good job of making me feel that same panic as Bailey felt. What must it be like to have to even think about things like that? It was an intense internal journey and it was painful to read.

The heroine doesn’t have to go it alone completely. For awhile, she doesn’t know the full extent of the emotional crime. But Owen, the hero, does. In fact he has an inside understanding of the many layers of deceit that have almost crippled Bailey financially. At first, he comes across as cocky and arrogant and has little patience for people who make mistakes. Of course Owen can justify his actions at work or at home. He’s labored hard to get where he is and to a certain extent, he can be excused for his overbearing and short tempered personality. However, somewhere, he lost the ability to reconnect with the gentler side of himself – the part that forgives, understands and makes allowances for human failure without drama and steam coming out the ears. He was turning into an unreasonable robot whose only focus was success and completing his agenda. Bailey was the best thing that happened to him and I enjoyed watching Owen slowly find his way back to being a better and more sympathetic human being who sees people for who they are, not for what they’re not.

I like the way Owen stood by Bailey even when she didn’t want him to. One of which is Diabetes, which ranks 7th in the list and having weak nerves is the major reason for this, apart from medical condition, is psychological problems such as stress, anxiety, cheap viagra canadian find out description depression, and feeling of guilt. But, hit the curb a bit harder, at a less favorable angle, and you can bend the wheel online levitra prescription or twist a support strut. Why do you need this medication? To make your website appear obscene, obnoxious, or spam in general. viagra low price So, all the companies can produce viagra 25mg prix the drug. I liked the heroine’s cheeky responses to the hero. I also liked how they balanced their professional life with their private life and even when it got sticky, they still managed to not destroy the beautiful thing they had. Oh, it get’s bruised and side lined for a bit but one thing about Owen, he’s tenacious.

The best thing and the most beautiful element of The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins were Ms. Diamond’s descriptions of Owen’s responses to the pregnancy. I think it was seeing this stern and driven man turn into goo whenever he stopped to imagine those little babies that made me smile and enjoy the story all the more. It shone a light onto his true personality and it’s remarkable.

The worst thing that came as a surprise was Bailey’s sister. I was taken aback at the turn of events and I felt so sad for the heroine. I never saw that coming and I was so glad Bailey found a way to deal with it. Once again her sunny and loving traits came through but they were tempered with awareness of what her sister’s personality harbored.

Fate threw Owen and Bailey together but it was through tough work, communication and hard won trust that built the foundation for the love that eventually blossomed. The part that tipped them into the next level was the bathroom incident because it was potent, steamy and passionate. It delighted and enthralled me. That was so fun!

The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins has many personable moments with secondary characters that helped flesh out just who Bailey and Owen were as people. I enjoyed their interactions, dialogue and how they helped keep the plot moving. Every person that Ms. Diamond included contributed to the story at key points without detracting from the ongoing march to the main event. When Owen finally proposed it was as grand a gesture as anyone would find in those old Hollywood movies. I just sighed in happiness because it was the epitome of romantic fantasy. If not for the machinations of the secondary characters, that moment could not have come to pass in such perfect fashion. I bet readers are going to love that part as much as I did.

The only parts I seemed to skim over were the detailed components explaining the varieties of conception options and the scenes concerning the other doctor. Initially it seemed the author was thinking about using that difference of beliefs between Owen and Dr. Franco as a conflict but it never came to pass. In light of that, I didn’t think it was necessary to give it so much detail; the story would have been fine without it.

The Surgeon’s Surprise Twins follows the fine tradition of a well told romance with characters I enjoyed getting to know and care for. It thoroughly entertained me and I had a wonderful time watching Owen and Bailey fall in love. I credit Ms. Diamond for writing a book with many emotional levels that spoke to the heart. I was pleased that all the loose ends were addressed and that the happily ever after between the hero and heroine was as sweet and complete as I could wish. I would recommend this story to fans of character driven romance because this book is really all about two strangers finding love in the most bizarre fashion. It’s unique and heartfelt.