Jacqueline DiamondReseñas

I enjoyed this Romance. I bought this at our local Goodwill store, and I gave it a 4.5* rating. This is not for the under 18 readers because of sexual content. It does have twin babies and a lot of misunderstandings or not a lot of communication. I found it a enjoyable read.

Fun book that is a little different than the usual Harlequin American Romance. The story opens as Tara and her friend Denise make their way to a Halloween party but get lost and end up at a different party. The setting is unique, and Tara feels an odd connection to it. That oddness increases when she meets an intriguing stranger who sweeps her off her feet for the night. It seemed like a dream the next day, but that dream had very real consequences - her son Harry.

Seven years later, Tara works hard to make ends meet and raise her son alone. Harry is an unusual kid with what Tara believes is a vivid imagination. But imagination doesn't explain the occasional flying object - so she doesn't try. It does make her wonder about Harry's father. When Harry gets suspended from school because of an incident with a school bully, Tara has no idea how her life is about to change.

Chance has never forgotten the woman he spent one magical night with. When a news story about a strange incident at a school shows him his mystery lady, he's stunned. But when he looks at her little boy, he's blown away by the realization that he is most likely Chance's son. Knowing what he does about his own powers, Chance realizes he needs to become a part of Harry's life to protect and train him. That means finding a way to get involved in Tara's life.

I liked Chance. He is a financial whiz but uses his brain rather than his powers. He broke with his father after Ray tried to get Chance to use his powers in unethical ways. He has Harry's best interests in mind when he manufactures a job as his live-in personal assistant for Tara. He has an instant connection with Harry and uses that connection to instill a sense of right and wrong ways to use his gifts - not easy with such a young child. He knows he needs to convince Tara of the reality of Harry's gifts, but it is an uphill battle. And that's before confessing that he's Harry's dad.

I liked Tara, too. She's a terrific mom to a challenging boy. She's practical, level-headed, and determined to be the best possible parent for Harry. She also has a blind spot about his gifts, convinced that his "mind reading" is pure imagination and trying to ignore the whole levitation thing.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between Chance and Tara. The chemistry between them is just as strong as seven years ago. Though Chance had done an excellent job of burying the memory of that night in Tara's mind, the more time she spent in his home and with him, the closer those memories came to the surface. There is also a deeper connection between them that comes into play as the book goes on. I liked watching Chance try to ease Tara into seeing the truth, but she is very stubborn. When another incident involving Harry makes denying the truth impossible, she's also faced with the knowledge that Chance is Harry's father.

There is some interesting push and pull between Chance and Tara over using magic and when it is and isn't appropriate. Chance had his doubts about her rules but wanted to make her happy. A near tragedy showed her that a compromise was possible. In the meantime, the attraction between Tara and Chance continued to grow. Something in the past hangs over them, making Chance believe it is better to keep their distance.

The ending was frightening as the perils associated with their gifts brought danger to Harry and Chance. I was on the edge of my seat until it was over, and everyone was safe. An unexpected benefit to what happened made it possible for Chance and Tara to look forward to a life together.

I don't know why I occasionally try this imprint. These stories are generally not for me. If I'm going to read short category romance I prefer the crazy soap operaesque Presents line. Otherwise I like longer contemporaries which are not a category line.

So this book was so so. It wasn't awful but it wasn't great either. Too much going on in their lives and not really enough focus on the romance. Ending was very abrupt with the hero changing his mind about being in a relationship between one breath and the next. No chemistry between the main characters.

Three and a half stars. This was a lot of fun. And how often do we get a nearsighted, glasses-wearing heroine in a Regency?

A few months after giving birth to Allie, Buffy's husband wants a divorce and asks for a paternity test to prove Allie is his. That's how they found out the clinic mistakenly switched sperm donations and her husband is not actually Allie's father. After the divorce, Buffy thinks Carter (Allie's biological father) should know he has a daughter, so she leaves LA for Texas to tell him.

Buffy was used to her husband paying for the best of everything for her. Living in Los Angeles was a completely different world than where Carter lived in Nowhere, TX. She didn't know what to make of the small town where everyone knew everybody else. How does she tell him that he's a father? While she is trying to figure that out, she organizes the women in Nowhere to sew her designs and sells them in Carter's garage. He doesn't know what to make of this woman but is enamoured with the little girl. He can't get Buffy out of his mind either.

This story has wonderful characters. Carter was an exceptionally good man. I loved the way he was so good with the little girl. I didn't like Buffy at first because she was a bit snooty. After she got to Nowhere Junction and became a nicer person, I liked her a lot. Even the secondary characters were good and I would like to hear more about them. But I couldn't stand Buffy's husband and was hoping he would get a taste of his own medicine.

I have been a fan of Jacqueline Diamond for years so I was thrilled when I won this book. You have to read this unpredictable romance.

What a mystery!

When Dr. Eric Darcy finds the body of a patient's husband when he is out jogging, he's pulled into the investigation. He is automatically involved because he's the obstetrician for the surrogate carrying this man's baby. When Parker Bryerly becomes a prime suspect, his wealthy parents hire P.I. Tory Golden, Eric's sister-in-law, to prove his innocence. The Bryerly's 92-year-old grandmother says Eric is the only person she trusts so he is included too. This woman has dementia so you never know what she's going to say or if any of her memories are accurate. Trying to follow her conversations was a hoot.

I liked this fantastic mystery. There were lots of suspects but figuring out who killed Wes and why, kept me guessing. I never knew what was going to happen next and couldn't read fast enough to find out. I must say, I was surprised when the murderer was revealed. I like not being able to figure out that kind of stuff in a mystery.

I am so glad I was given a review copy of The Case of the Surly Surrogate and highly recommend it to mystery readers.

"3 out of 5 stars, this novel brings together a broken family, heals their old wounds, and creates new memories for them. Adrienne & Wade are a wonderful match up, they just even each other out!"

Read more of this review and a teaser on my blog once the full review posts on December 7, 2013, here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2013/12/made-grade-safe-harbor-medical...

Until then please check out the other reviews on my blog: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/

By Leaps and Bounds - was originally a Harlequin, I think, republished. I quite enjoyed it, although nothing particularly exceptional about it - the usual romance themes, but against a dance backdrop, which I quite enjoyed. A solid 3-star.

Launches the new Safe Harbor Medical Mysteries, a spin-off series from the Safe Harbor Medical romances.

Good book. Nick has recently moved to Safe Harbor to make a better life for his son. He gained custody of Caleb when the boy's mother died, but until he can get settled the child is living with his grandparents. When their health problems necessitate a faster arrangement, Nick strikes a deal with Zady, to share his house and childcare duties.

Zady is wary of getting involved with Nick. She had recently left a long relationship with a man who'd had two children. Though she'd cared for the kids for years, they had treated her badly, then she caught him cheating on her. Though she badly wants a family of her own, she is determined to avoid men with that kind of baggage. But when Zady is asked to take care of her goddaughter for a few weeks, she decides that sharing space with Nick is a practical solution.

I liked Zady. She has a wonderful relationship with her goddaughter who is a pretty sweet child. She wants to be a good caregiver for Caleb, and I had to admire her patience with the kid. He could be a real brat. She is also an excellent nurse, and though she works for Nick's cousin and knows they don't get along, works hard to keep her personal and professional lives separate. Spending as much time as she does with Nick and Caleb, she begins to get attached and dream of a future with them.

I liked Nick, but he has some deeper issues that really created problems. First is his problem with his cousin. I could understand his resentment when he was younger, but really felt that he should be able to handle things better as an adult. Some of his actions seemed rather childish at times. Though Marshall wasn't exactly friendly, he seemed much more willing to leave the past behind. There was an interesting twist involving him at the end. Second, because of the way his father abandoned Nick and his mother when Nick was a child, he tends to require the people around him to demonstrate their loyalty to him. Because Zady works for his cousin, he is constantly on the watch for her to do something he considers against his interests. Finally, he has the problem of dealing with Caleb's grandparents. He feels guilty about leaving Caleb with them, and as a result tends to be excessively accommodating to their wishes. Once Caleb is with him and Zady moves in, he hopes that things will settle out, but there's more trouble to come with them.

The attraction between Zady and Nick is there from the beginning, though both try to resist it. Living together as if they were a family has both dreaming of what could be. When they give in to that attraction, those dreams grow stronger. But Zady's problems with Caleb cause her to doubt her ability as a mother. When problems at the hospital spill over onto their relationship, Nick's trust issues have him doubting her loyalty. Nick says some terrible things to her before he realizes his mistake. The ending was pretty sweet, with both Nick and Caleb making their cases to Zady.

I liked seeing past characters from the series in this book. It is always fun to catch up on what is going on in their lives. The hospital issue was interesting, as was the way various people were dealing with it. I'm looking forward to the next book and seeing what's going to happen with Marshall.

Good book. Jack and Anya have worked together for several months. Jack has been interested in Anya, and a New Year's Eve kiss turned into a passionate night together. But since then, Anya has been avoiding him. Anya has discovered that she's pregnant and she's not at all happy about it.

Anya got stuck caring for her younger triplet sisters while she was growing up. Her mom was disabled by rheumatoid arthritis, and unable to do much. With her older sister married and moved out, her father working long hours and her brothers with him, most of the responsibility fell on her. Making it worse, she never seemed to be able to do anything right in her father's eyes. Even when she finally had enough and moved to California, visits to her family were awful, as they laid guilt trips on her for avoiding her responsibilities. She feels that she isn't ready to be a mother and plans to give the baby up for adoption. Then she discovers that she must get Jack's signature also.

Jack is stunned to discover he's going to be a father and he doesn't mind at all. His childhood wasn't all that great, and he'd love to have a family of his own. His mother dumped him with his grandparents and went off to follow her dreams of saving the world. He rarely sees her and never has gotten any feelings of love from her. He is determined to convince Anya that they are meant to be together and raise their baby as a family.

I really enjoyed seeing the way Jack and Anya, with their opposing views on what was best, get closer together and find their happy ending. Anya is determined to give up the baby and furious when Jack refuses to simply sign away his rights, while Jack can't believe Anya can so easily give up their baby. He offers to take complete responsibility, but Anya doesn't believe that Jack is capable of that kind of commitment. So Jack offers to take the next two weeks and prove to her that he is. So he ends up running errands for her and cooking for her and her housemates. They also spend time together and get to know each other. The attraction that flared on New Year's Eve is still there, but Anya is still afraid to trust that she wouldn't get stuck with all the work.

One of the things I liked was the support that they gave each other when it came to the issues with their families. Jack's uncle is a bit of a jerk at times and Anya has no trouble calling him on it. And when Jack's mother comes to town, Anya is there for Jack as he faces that his mother will never be what he had hoped for. At the same time, Jack listens to Anya's complaints about her family. He sees the way that she has tried to deal with them by avoiding them, and challenges her to stand up for herself instead of running away. I loved their visit for her grandmother's birthday and the way she finally spoke of her feelings, thanks to Jack's quiet support of her. It was great to see how that visit turned out. That support of each other went a long way to making them both see what they could have together. I liked the way that Anya showed Jack that she was ready.

I loved the dynamics of the housemates and how they all interact together. The fireworks between Zora and Lucky are pretty intense and I suspect that their story is going to be very good. I'm also looking forward to seeing if something develops between Jack's uncle Rod and Karen, and to see what happens with the girls that used to be his daughters.

Good book. When Melissa and Edmond had married, they had agreed that they didn't want children. Five years into the marriage, Melissa had changed her mind, and tried to talk to Edmond about having a family after all. He was still adamant about it, then went off and had a vasectomy without telling her. Furious and hurt at his actions, she packed her bags and divorced him, feeling like she had never really known him. Three years later she hasn't found a new love, so she has pursued motherhood on her own. She is now pregnant with triplets.

Edmond has always felt that he isn't father material. As a teen he had felt responsible for his younger sister and when she made poor life choices later, and is now facing prison, he blamed himself. He feels that he failed his sister and there's no way he would want to risk ruining a child's life. Now he's been tasked with taking care of his niece and the prospect scares him. Now that he is living and working in Safe Harbor, seeing Melissa again reminds him how much he has missed her and their relationship. He had hoped that they might rekindle their relationship, but those hopes crashed and burned when he saw she was pregnant. He does ask for her assistance in getting Dawn settled with him, and finds that his attraction to her is just as strong as it had been and his love for her had never gone away.

Melissa is happy to be pregnant, though does have some concerns about raising three babies on her own. Edmond's arrival in Safe Harbor brings back both good and bad memories. They had had a wonderful marriage until the end, but his refusal to even discuss having children had strained it, and his sneaky vasectomy had destroyed her trust. When she finds out that he's become guardian to his niece she is happy to help him prepare. She finds that they are just connected as they had been before, as long as they avoid the topics of fatherhood and her pregnancy.

I felt that both Edmond and Melissa bore some responsibility for the end of their marriage. They had made an agreement at the beginning, and Melissa wanted to change things. However, she brought it up for discussion, and he refused to even talk about it. He never told Melissa why he felt that way, and then to go off and get a vasectomy without telling her was just wrong. I didn't blame her at all for leaving him. Both of them felt that the other had betrayed everything that their marriage stood for. I liked the way that Melissa was trying to move on with her life and pursuing her dream of motherhood. I thought it was really nice of her to agree to help Edmond with Dawn, considering he was being something of a snot about her pregnancy. As they reconnected she realized that she still loved him, but until he could accept her pregnancy, she felt there was no hope. She couldn't understand why he thought he would be a terrible father because he was wonderful with Dawn.

I thought Edmond started out as rather selfish. He didn't want anything to change, to mess up what he saw as a perfect life. He was completely unwilling to listen to what the woman he claimed to love wanted, took steps to ensure it wouldn't happen, then had the nerve to feel betrayed when she left him. I didn't have much sympathy for him at that point. When he arrived in Safe Harbor, hoping to start up with her like nothing had happened, I had to laugh at his surprise. I felt it served him right. I softened a little toward him when he was so determined to do things right for Dawn, but was frustrated by his refusal to think of himself as a father figure. I loved seeing the changes he went through as Melissa showed him that he was fully capable of being everything the little girl needed.

I really enjoyed seeing the way that their relationship developed and grew. Melissa had known all along that he had what it took, but hadn't been able to convince him. I liked seeing her support him and show him what he could do. Her love for him grew even more, but her fears that he could never accept her as she was now were real. Edmond went through some really big changes as their relationship progressed. He had started out wanting things back the old way, and being unwilling to accept her pregnancy. But the more time they were together, the easier it became. He started to picture what it could be like, but his fears would constantly bring him back down. It took accepting that parenting is never a perfect proposition, and some help from his niece for him to realize that maybe he could have it all.

An ARe Café Top Pick!

Lady Elizabeth Fairchild, or Beth, had not been graced with the beauty and luck of her sisters. She decided the only way to grab the attention of a man and the admiration of her mother was to push herself in a different direction than the pretty misses preening over the men in the ballroom. Outlandish competitions, low cut necklines and spirited conversation had been her plan to attract an offer of marriage. The Marquis of Meridan had captured her fancy, but unfortunately he barely noticed her and when he did the indifference cut to the bone. Perhaps the final gathering of the season at his home would give her the chance.

Despite the desire the lovely Elizabeth stirred within him, Brett could not allow himself to be with a woman who was so callus as to send a man to this death. When she is left in his care after a fall during a fox hunt on his property, he is torn even further when he helps her deal with her memory loss. Could he be wrong to think she had something to do with sending a man to his death by being so uncaring?

I was completely blown over by this story. Emotion choked me, tears fell and my heart broke as Elizabeth stood tall and dealt with every blow to her heart and her person by both the man she had fallen for, as well as family, friends and the elite of the ton. I felt so sad for the misconceptions she had to deal with as she found a way to keep her head held high. Brett needed a swift kick at times but he trusted his inklings enough to ferret out the truth before committing to something or someone he didn't believe in. Totally worth taking a chance on. Highly recommended if you want a big bite of romance in your day.

~
Lady Rhyleigh for AReCafe

rabck box from bookstogive 11/09; a rollicking, fast paced, funny book until it broke down at the end. Maddie is a spoiled rich girl, who gets mistaken for a wanted criminal by a bounty hunter. He kidnaps her, then realizes she's the wrong quarry, just when the real one is escaping. So, he totes her along in his adventure to get his quarry...all the way to a marriage retreat. And he & Maddy pretend to be married. It all goes back to a magic ring that Maddie finds, and Jon gets tricked into buying the matching one from a scalper. And the ring has the powers to get them together and keep them there.

This one looked so interesting, it got read right away. Some of the story was a stretch, but the plot was good. Older woman, divorced, hits on a sexy younger cop at a wedding receiption. And he's only to eager to take her home, with benefits. Only neither was thinking too well, and they didn't use protection. Nora winds up pregnant and wonders how she can convince the younger guy that marriage isn't so bad after all.

Good book. Once Wade finds out that his son's mother has died. He can't wait to finally get to know Reggie. His ex-girlfriend had had some mental issues and had refused to allow him to see his son. He was good about sending child support but missed being part of his son's life. He wasn't happy when he found out that Reggie's aunt was trying to adopt him and arrived in Safe Harbor ready to fight for his rights. Adrienne has been Reggie's main caretaker for most of his life. Her sister had always claimed that Reggie's father was a deadbeat who abandoned them, so she didn't anticipate any problems adopting him. She's surprised to find out the truth and that Wade intends to be a father to Reggie.

I really liked both Wade and Adrienne. Both had grown up in dysfunctional families but had come out of it pretty normal. When Wade finds out about his ex's death all he can think about is finally being able to be with Reggie. He doesn't think about the effects of his appearance or what would happen if he just took Reggie right away. Once he meets Adrienne and sees how important she is to Reggie he knows that they have to find a way to work together. Adrienne had spent so long believing the worst about Wade that it took her a little while to accept the truth. She fears that Wade will take Reggie away completely and that she'd never see him again. When she discovers that Wade is not the monster she thought he was, she begins to have hope that they can work things out between them.

I loved the fact that both Wade and Adrienne put Reggie's needs first. Wade realized that there was a lot he didn't know about parenting and he was willing to learn from Adrienne. She was also able to see that Reggie needed his father as well as her. Wade had some insecurity about how well he would do as a father because his own father wasn't a very good example. Meanwhile Adrienne has some of her own issues to deal with that feed into her own fears. I love the way that their shared backgrounds bring them even closer together. The buildup of their love is gradual as they learn to trust each other and the ending is excellent.

the not communicating thing as a source of conflict can get old but wasn't too annoying here.

Hasn't held up well - don't remember if I had read this book of hers before, but it feels older than the original publication date.

DANS MET DE DUIVEL: Jaqueline Diamond

Jana Edwards wil scheiden van de liefde van haar leven. Drake - man van de wereld en nietsontziend carrièrejager - is immers altijd weg, terwijl zij hunkert naar een kind. Geheimzinnige krachten voeren haar terug in het verleden, waar ze, jong en onbezonnen, nog één kans krijgt om de ware liefde te ontdekken....

EEN VERLIEFDE DWAAS: Laura Parker

Joe Guinn weet niet wat hem overkomt. Op zijn drempel ligt de vrouw van zijn leven, in zwijm gevallen. Wanneer hij haar naar binnen draagt, dringt het plotseling tot hem door: Halle Hayworth, de vrouw die eens zijn hart brak, is met huid en haar aan hem overgeleverd...

Bron: Baccara extra 55

Good book. Peter really wants to be a dad. He thought his dream was over when his wife died, but then found out it could happen after all. When Peter sees Harper's name on the egg donor list he feels she would be the perfect one to choose. He likes her and her daughter and would love his child to be like them. The problem is that she doesn't know that he's going to be the father.

I liked both Peter and Harper. Both had issues that were keeping them from having a happy future. Harper had lost her husband a few years earlier in an accident. He was a nice guy but she found herself giving up her dreams in order to pursue his. Now she doesn't want to be that dependent on a man again. She enjoys her life as a mom, a nurse and a photographer and doesn't want to give that up. She does want to give back and decides to be an egg donor to help some other family have the children they want. When she is chosen as a donor she is disappointed that she won't be involved with the new family but accepts it. At the same time she gets reacquainted with Peter, who had been a coworker of her husband's. She is surprised by how much she likes him and then by the attraction she feels toward him. When she finds out about his involvement in the program she is hurt and angry at first but they soon move past that. Harper is very independent and has no problem speaking up when something is important to her. She lets Peter know how unhappy she is that he kept the secret even though they are friends. I really liked the way that Peter was supportive of her photography and the way that they were collaborating on the book. I also liked the way that it brought them closer together. As much as she came to love Peter she also kept trying to keep him at a distance trying to protect her heart.

Peter was still grieving for his wife two years after her death. He wanted to follow through on their plans for a family. When he meets Harper again he is surprised by how much he is drawn to her. Finding her name on the egg donor list seems like fate to him so he chooses her, not thinking at first how that could affect their friendship. He thinks that if he keeps it secret she'll never know. As they start to work together on a children's book Peter finds himself thinking more and more about Harper and her daughter. But he also feels guilty about his growing feelings for Harper, and feeling that he is somehow betraying his late wife. I really didn't like the way he kept comparing Harper to his wife. He really couldn't see that Harper's upfront attitude and way of dealing with things was so much better than his late wife's passive-aggressive way of getting her way. He just didn't see that she always got her way. He has to make a decision about those feelings before he can take a chance on having a future with Harper.

This was a pretty good book. Of the two main characters I liked Cole best. He started out seeming kind of standoffish, but it turned out he was mostly just clueless. He had been raised by a single mother who was a doctor, but didn't really have a maternal bone in her body. He had never been truly exposed to love and felt like he wouldn't know what it was. Stacy is one of his surgical nurses and he really appreciates what a good job she does. A chance encounter makes him realize he's attracted to her, then a combination of an injury and alcohol causes them to act on that attraction. When Stacy ends up pregnant his first reaction is to propose marriage. He is dismayed by her refusal and stated intention to give the children up for adoption. Though he had never seen children as part of his future, the idea really starts to grow on him. He also still feels responsible for Stacy and wants to take care of her. I absolutely loved his way of doing little things to make her life easier and how much he wanted to make it last forever. He really wanted to convince her not to give them up and knew better than to try to pressure her. He also did everything he could to protect her from a media frenzy. I really loved seeing his growth from a somewhat detached doctor to a man who made friends and was able to open up to love. I loved the way that he tried to learn about being romantic from other doctors at the hospital.

I spent most of the book just wanting to shake Stacy. Her divorce had devastated her and she was still trying to figure out what she had done wrong to make her husband stop loving her. She wanted children but because of her current feelings she decided to become an egg donor and use that to help someone else have children. She couldn't believe that she ended up getting pregnant, and with someone she saw as totally unromantic. I thought that she had a really unrealistic idea of what love was and how it was shown. She was determined that if she couldn't offer the babies that ideal family herself she would give them up. I really didn't like the way that she gave Cole absolutely no say in the matter. As time went on she came to appreciate his friendship and care, but she still couldn't see that he was showing her his love also. When she finally learned the truth about some of the things she had seen as romantic it was a real eye opener for her. I liked the ending and how she went about her own romantic statement.

I enjoyed seeing characters from previous books and how their lives are going now. I also enjoyed the set up for the next book and am looking forward to reading that one.

Sharon Mahoney and her son Greg have moved back to California from New York after her husband/his father died unexpectedly from a heart attack and then Sharon is laid off from the school where she teaches. Her sister lands her a job at a school in California and even finds her a place to rent, so Sharon and Greg pack up their minivan and travel across the country to the start of a new life.

The old house with the apartment for rent is old, creepy and even has a resident ghost, the man who was accused of killing the current owner’s sister. The sister, Jody, still lives there and her great-nephew, Ian Fanning, lives there, too. The last couple living there is a distant cousin and her husband. Strange things are said to happen in the house and Sharon and Greg see some really weird things themselves. Who is the ghost and what is he/she trying to tell the people living there? Will the anniversary of the murder, fast approaching, bring another death or will the cycle be broken?

This was a great story. Well-written and smooth-flowing with well-fleshed characters and an interesting plot I couldn’t wait to find out how it all played out. This was my first read of Jacqueline Diamond, but it won’t be my last.

*The author provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page on my blog.

Its an easy read but kind of dull, in the beginning I was hooked and loved it but it slowed down alot in the middle, had a nice ending tho. I'd recommend reading it if you want a nice easy read.

***Note: I only read the second book that is included in this double edition, "Shotgun Nanny" by Nancy Warren.***

I loved this sweet, funny little romance. Nancy Warren is by far my favorite author of category romances, and one of my favorite contemporary romance novelists, period. This is possibly my favorite of hers that I've read so far. It's got her usual well-drawn characters, and a few hot sex scenes, which she always makes seem real and organic and related to the characters and the plot, not just gratuitous nookie. There's all the Nancy Warren magic and a touch of Jennifer Crusie style humor. Just a lovely book about Annie, a free spirited woman with commitment issues who meets and falls in love with Mark, an uptight ex-Mountie raising his orphaned niece, Emily. There's also a great German shepherd named Kitsu. This is the kind of heartwarming romance about finding not just love, but the life and family you never knew you dreamed of. Loved it, and you will love it too if romances are your type of thing. Four and half stars.½

The basis of Harlequin's CODE RED Series is "ordinary people, extraordinary circumstances." Nothing could exhibit this better than Jacqueline Diamond's contribution of THE TRIGGER. Even if you haven't read the other books in the CODE RED series-which, by the way, I have!-you won't go wrong picking up a copy of THE TRIGGER. Suspense, intrigue, sexual tension, and a couple who at times make you want to smack them silly, this book has it all.

Sergeant Nora Keyes is Courage Bay 's Bomb Squad Specialist. Called in to investigate any crime scene that shows evidence of a bomb-one that hasn't been detonated, or one that's caused damage-Nora's been busy working the case of what is quickly turning out to be a serial bomber. Someone has been planting explosive devices in a cell phone and detonating them from a remote distance. In Nora's opinion, it's her job to find out who the perpetrator is.

Unfortunately, Sam Prophet, Courage Bay 's Arson Investigator, feels that finding the bomber is his job. After all, the detonation of the cell phone bombs cause fire, and fire is his business. When Nora keeps showing up-unannounced and unwanted at what he considers to be his crime scene-the temperature of the left-behind ashes and burnt-out buildings aren't the only thing that's boiling.

Nora and Sam had been paired together during a training seminar shortly after Nora's move to Courage Bay from Los Angeles , and they both found out the hard way that oil and water do not mix. Sam prefers facts, painstakingly linking together evidence to follow the natural order of events. Nora, on the other hand, has a built-in sense of how things work, and she has no qualms about seeking out the truth based on nothing but her gut feelings. Needless to say, their very different styles of following a case to its end have Nora and Sam butting heads.

This time, though, their bosses have conspired to throw them together, working as partners on a case that has the small town of Courage Bay shaking in terror. A bomb, on any given day, is scary enough, but when it's hidden in a cellphone-of which most of the population owns one-scary turns into a nightmare.

As Sam and Nora butt heads, battle a spark of attraction that can't be beaten down with a fire hose, and work to find the serial bomber before someone else becomes a victim, you'll be drawn into Ms. Diamond's story. THE TRIGGER is an intriguing blend of real-life characters, harrowing situations, an evil protagonist, and the search to find justice-before it's too late.