Sandy M’s review of Undeniably Yours (Kowalski Family, Book 2) by Shannon Stacey
Contemporary Romance ebook published by Carina Press 1 Nov 10

I had such a good time with this book. This is the type of story I read romance for – the perfect man who comes along when you least expect it. Kevin is a dream. From a large family, he’s respectful of women, loves his parents, jokes and fights with his brothers but goes to them when help is needed, takes care of his nieces and nephews, and best of all he doesn’t blow a gasket when faced with those words every single man on the planet  never wants to hear: “I’m pregnant.” He’s surprised, yes, but he knows there’s more to be had in this new life bearing down on him. He’s ready to grab hold, if only Beth felt the same way.

Beth is in Kevin’s bar the first time he lays eyes on her, and he’s instantly attracted. He intervenes when the jerk with her tries some funny stuff, and Beth is not happy about that. It’s her boss and she knows how to handle him. Now she’s without a job, so it’s going to be picking up whatever work she can for a while.

That’s where they meet again. Beth is the bartender at Kevin’s brother’s wedding, and though they have another rocky start, they end up spending the night together. But even after a scorching night, Beth misinterprets something a sleep-talking Kevin mumbles, and she’s out the door and out of his life for good this time.

Until she’s faced with a huge oh-no. One night is all it takes, and now Beth has to decide if she’s going to tell Kevin he’s going to be a daddy. Though she has issues with her family – which is the cause of her wanderlust and never staying in one place for any length of time – she’s been raised right and makes the journey back to Kevin’s bar to put the facts out there. And she’s in for a surprise.

Kevin has been giving starting a family a few more thoughts than usual lately, so when Beth walks back into his life with her news, he’s ready to go full-bore ahead, marriage, setting up house, being parents together. It’s Beth who drags her feet. She wants to remain friends while raising their child. Beth is hugely independent and finds it difficult to take a helping hand, which Kevin learns as he patiently waits for her to make decisions about their “relationship.” I don’t think there’s ever been a more patient man than Kevin Kowalski. But that’s what makes him so appealing. He lets Beth go at her own pace, but he sneaks in some logic so she won’t feel beholden to him; i.e., taking the room across the hall from him above his bar and other things he feels she needs to make things easier for her during her pregnancy.

The only thing that eventually got to me is the length of time Beth keeps pushing Kevin away. She has her excuses – he’s a ladies’ man, they don’t know each other that well, she’s not made to be  part of a traditional family, and other crazy ideas. They’re crazy because Kevin goes way beyond the call to assure her this is what he wants, he loves her, he wants a family with her, but she’s just too stubborn. Which is fine, I just feel it goes on too long. So long that Kevin begins to give in, thinking he should look elsewhere and stop banging his head against the wall. It’s not long after this that Beth does change her mind, but I got a little irritated with her. She needs to do that much, much sooner.

The Kowalski family is huge, flawed, and boisterous and I love them. Beth is scared of them because they tend to take over and help without asking, her biggest phobia. But I enjoyed the hell out of them. This is the first time I’ve read Shannon Stacey, but it won’t be the last. I’m searching now for Exclusively Yours, the first book about this family, and then I’ll be looking for a lot of her backlist, which has a lot of possibilities.

I’m your newest fan, Ms. Stacey!

Grade: B

Summary:

One-night stand + two percent condom failure rate = happily ever after?

Bar owner Kevin Kowalski is used to women throwing their phone numbers at him, but lately he’s more interested in finding a woman to settle down with. A woman like Beth Hansen. If only their first meeting hadn’t gone so badly…

Beth’s tending bar at a wedding when she comes face to face with a tuxedo-clad man she never thought she’d see again. She tries to keep her distance from Kevin but, by last call, she can’t say no to his too-blue eyes or the invitation back to his room. Then she slips out before breakfast without leaving a note and, despite their precautions, pregnant.

Kevin quickly warms to the idea of being a dad and to seeing where things go with Beth. After all, he’s not the player she thinks he is. But she’s not ready for a relationship and, given his reputation, it’s going to take a lot to convince her to go on a second date with the father of her child…

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: