Dinca’s review of Claiming Colleen (Home to Harbor Town, Book 3) by Beth Kery
Contemporary Romance published by Silhouette Special Edition 21 Feb 12

Beth Kery has kept all the characters in this series strong as always and very active in the storyline in Book 3 of Home to Harbor Town. For a family that is so torn apart, they really stick together. This story is as well written as the other two, and I am looking forward to Book 4.

Sometimes when you read a series, after the second or third book, the backstory starts to get a little redundant. Beth Kery is a master at filling in backstory. I have not found it repetitive or boring at all. She adds all those little details more as a ‘remember when’ something happened. One example is when Colleen slugged Eric in a previous book. In this story we find out why she felt the need to do so.

Colleen will always do the best thing for her children, even if the best thing happens to be the worst possible situation for her personally. The premiere orthopedic surgeon available in Harbor Town is the one and only person she wants nothing to do with – Eric Reyes. With old, haunting memories of past tragedies hanging over them, is it possible to trust him and work together for her son’s sake? Since he will be joining the family when his sister marries Colleen’s brother, some effort at a congenial future must be reached.

There are lots of reasons Eric wants to get close to the beautiful Colleen, who was so out of his reach way back in high school.  Colleen’s resentment of him ran deep even then. After all, he was the poor boy who made, good all due to the money awarded to his mother’s estate from Colleen’s father’s death.  When Eric is called on to consult on Colleen’s son’s foot injury, he seizes the opportunity to form a relationship with her. It gets even easier and more complicated when he and Colleen are asked to plan his sister’s and Colleen’s brother’s, wedding.

Even I wanted to slug Eric when he blows his confession at the end. It’s a perfect example of honesty just may not get you anywhere. But you have to hand it to him, he is all about living in the present and for the future, definitely not in the past. I just thoroughly enjoyed his character.

Beth Kery writes tales of “It’s a wonderful life,” only if you want it to be. Her characters have choices to make and not all of them are the right ones, and sometimes those wrong decisions set off a chain reaction that affect the lives of so many people.

Grade: A

Summary:

From Forbidden Crush…To Forever Love?

In high school, small-town princess Colleen Kavanaugh had

had it all, and Eric Reyes was the outsider with his nose pressed against the glass. Then a sudden change in circumstance led to a reversal of fortune. Now Eric was a wealthy, successful, arrogant surgeon who rubbed the onetime golden girl the wrong way.

When an ironic twist of fate forced Eric and Colleen back together, the single mom found herself drawn to the irresistible doctor despite their dark history. Sure, she’d felt something for Eric when they were teenagers, but those memories were long forgotten—or so she thought. It wasn’t long before he wooed her into his arms…and his bed. But could their newfound passion lead to the happily-ever-after of their dreams?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: