Helen Lacey

The romance didn’t get off to the best start for me, there was something about Cole being so aggressive with innuendo from the second they met that just didn’t appeal to me. I get that the story wanted to establish an immediate pull between these two but I kept thinking if I was Ash and a man immediately came on that strong while staying on my property and when I’m supposed to help his daughter in a professional capacity, to me it would have been off-putting and set off alarm bells about him being well, kind of a sleaze.

Ultimately, Cole isn’t that of course, he is a good guy. And later on I warmed to him and Ash together as the author did an excellent job of showing what a solid influence and help each is to the other’s life, there were several instances where they got each other rethinking their stances especially in their parenting decisions that made a convincing case for their potential as long-term partners.

I really liked Cole needing to connect with the fourteen year old daughter he’s only just met, him feeling like he’s never putting a foot right with her and Maisy’s surliness and resistance felt realistic to the situation, the scenes involving Maisy were among the most resonate throughout the book and had me wishing the Special Edition line wasn’t quite so strict about the page count for just a little more room to expand on Maisy’s arc let the pacing be a touch more gradual, still, even with a more limited length here, Maisy’s part of the story drew me in more than anything else.… (más)

Good book about two people who are wary about risking their hearts. Kane is a member of a newly discovered branch of the family. He moved from his home in New York to Texas to help his new cousins with their hotel project. Kane is handsome, charming, and an all-around nice guy who has his pick of women, but his relationships never last long. That is until he meets Layla and her daughter, Erin. Layla is a widow who still grieves the loss of her husband. She is beautiful, determined, and very protective of her daughter.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Layla and Kane. They met at the daycare center where Kane picked up his nephew at the same time Layla arrived to get Erin. Kane was immediately smitten and wanted to get to know her better. Layla felt the same sparks but doesn't feel ready to do anything about it. Kane's patience pays off when she accepts an invitation to the hotel's grand opening. I loved seeing Kane with little Erin, who took to him immediately. It's that connection that helps soften Layla's resistance to spending more time with Kane.

I loved watching them spend time together, both with and without Erin along. It's obvious that the feelings between them grow stronger, but neither one is quite ready to admit it. Kane has some insecurity issues related to a secret he hasn't shared with Layla. He's wary of opening up completely for fear of being judged. It takes him a while to get to the point of trusting enough to share. At the same time, Layla worries about how fast things are moving between her and Kane, afraid of the effect on her and Erin if he ends the relationship. Those fears come to a head when Kane confesses his feelings and Layla pulls back.

I ached for Kane and the hurt he felt by Layla's withdrawal. I liked that he stood up for himself and refused to deny what he felt just to make her comfortable. In an emotional confrontation, Kane lays out his feelings and pushes back against Layla's excuses, leaving a lot for her to think about. I loved how a little kick in the pants provided by Kane's brother opened her eyes to what she was doing. The final scene was fantastic as Layla let go of her fears and allowed herself to be happy.

There is also a brief mention of the collapsed deck from last month's book (Her Texas New Year's Wish) and the uncertainty about its cause. Was it an accident, or was it sabotage? No conclusions have been reached, and there is an underlying worry that something else could happen.… (más)

Wealthy French entrepreneur (winemaker, popular blogger, nightclub owner) Amersen Beaudin (who is 25) comes to Austin, Texas, from France to meet Kate Fortune (rich family matriarch and powerhouse behind Fortune Cosmetics) to discuss a deal with her. He is also one of the illegitimate children of Gerald Robinson/Jerome Fortune (computer giant). He hasn’t met any of his family (or Gerald) yet who live in Texas while he is there, and he doesn’t plan to. He just wants to talk to Kate and get back to France. But when he meets lovely Robin Harbin (24), Kate’s gardener, he suddenly has a hard time wanting to leave…

This was an average read. I liked the heroine Robin, she was nice and sweet. She just broke up with her boyfriend because he was two-timing her so she wasn’t really interested in having a relationship. But she eventually changed her mind after meeting Amersen. I didn’t care much for the hero, Amersen. He came across as conceited at times, and I got tired of hearing about how many women he slept with in the past. I did think the part was cute, though, when Amersen gave Robin a pumpkin and a pair of glass slippers. I liked how Robin and Amersen enjoyed old movies and I liked when Robin took Amersen to the movie theater to see “It’s A Wonderful Life”. This book took place around Christmastime in Austin, Texas.

An okay read.… (más)