Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Family Man by Trish Milburn
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American 16 Mar 10

I had the pleasure of reading a previous Trish Milburn Harlequin American for a contest I judged this year, and I walked away from the story quite impressed.  Nice characters, nice romance, completely devoid of any silly misunderstandings, overblown drama and other nonsense.  I was determined to read another book by her, and her return to the fictional town of Horizon Bay, Florida has a lot of the same key ingredients I enjoyed in that contest read.

Detective Sara Greene is a heroine who knows what she wants.  A single mother to two adopted daughters, and a police detective, she doesn’t have time to waste on men who don’t fit the Potential Family Man bill.  Which means no matter how attracted she is to Adam Canfield, she’s staying far, far away.  The guy has a reputation for being a carefree beach bum and serial dater for a reason.  Heck, Sara has lost track of the bevy of beauties this guy has dated.  So no.  No way.  She’s determined to find Mr. Right – no matter how distracted she is by Mr. Right Now.

Adam Canfield wasn’t always a carefree slacker.  It’s a lifestyle he adopted to escape a past that still haunts him.  Oh sure, he’s noticed Sara Greene.  I mean, how could he not?  The woman is certainly delectable.  But attaching himself to her is out of the question.  For one thing, he’s so not comfortable with her job, and for another?  She’s a Mommy.  Talk about responsibilities!  So why can’t he stay away from her?  And keep his hands off of her?  And why is he constantly thinking about her when she’s not around?  Ugh!

I flat-out liked these people.  Sara comes off very much as an Every Woman.  She’s got a career, a house, and the kids to take care of.  The only thing she doesn’t have is a man.  But she’s not about to welcome just any man into her life.  She’s got responsibilities, children to think of.  Yes, it’s tempting to be selfish, but Sara isn’t going to go there.

Adam is a nice guy running away from a past he doesn’t want to confront.  His reasons for not loving Sara’s job are valid, but he blessedly doesn’t harp on it incessantly.  He does slip into pity-party mode on occasion, but when met with a challenge, he’s a hero in every sense of the word.  His choices might not always toe the line, but his heart is always in the right place, and deep down, behind the slacker image, he’s a good, solid man.

This is a pleasant, heart-warming story that plucked all the right romantic heart-strings.  The ending does venture into syrupy territory a smidge (right down to the conspiring kiddies and nosy neighbor), but it’s firmly corralled to the final chapters and it didn’t stop me from going all gooey.  It’s a lovely story, about lovely people.  More please.

Grade: B

Summary:

For Florida detective Sara Greene, who is busy raising a toddler and teenager alone, finding Mr. Perfect Forever seems an impossible dream. One thing she knows. He isn’t Adam Canfield. Charming, carefree and single, Adam couldn’t be further from the man she’s been looking for.

After losing the woman he loved, Adam opted for the solo life—no strings, no long-term commitments. Now one intriguing cop and single mother is making him question his choices.

The problem is that while Sara’s head is telling her Adam is completely unsuitable, her heart is urging her to give him a chance.

Maybe perfection is overrated….

No excerpt found.

Other books in this series:

Holly‘s review of The Daddy Audition by Cindi Myers a(caution – sound on the site)
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American Romance 14 Jul 09

I enjoyed the basic premise of this story: heroine leaves to pursue her dreams and leaves high school sweetheart behind. Now she’s back and so is their attraction. 

I liked both characters up until a certain point, but then the way they refused to talk to each other and their personal insecurities started to annoy me. I understood Tanya’s reasons for leaving, just as I understood Jack’s for letting her. But as the story progressed, I became frustrated with both of them.

Jack didn’t think he could put himself out there because he didn’t know how she felt, while Tanya was suffering the same issue. By the end I was pretty fed up with both of them, though the heroine more than the hero. Mostly because she was the one who ran and refused to put herself out there in high school, and spent most of the book pushing him away again.

The parts with Tanya’s daughter were cute, but she didn’t play a very large part in the story. At times she almost seemed like a filler – there to take up space rather than enhance the story. That really disappointed me because I felt there was a lot of potential there to really highlight the character of both Tanya and Jack.

Overall not bad, but not great either.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Tanya Bledso couldn’t wait to leave Crested Butte to chase dreams of Hollywood stardom. Now the single mom has returned to run the local theater and raise her daughter. But the peaceful, charming town she took for granted has exploded into a bustling tourist attraction, thanks to one man.

Jack Crenshaw. Property developer extraordinaire…and her former high school sweetheart.

Ten years hasn’t cooled the heat between them. Worse, Jack is bonding with her daughter and giving her the crazy idea he’d make the perfect family man. But is he ready to forgive and forget the heartbreak of the past for the role he seems born to play?

Read an excerpt here.

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Daddy Audition by Cindi Myers
Contemporary romance released by Harlequin American 14 July 2009

Cindi Myers continues her series set in the resort mountain town of Crested Butte, Colorado with this romance featuring a washed-up single mom actress and the man whose heart she broke ten years ago. I read and really enjoyed an earlier entry in this series, which was my sole motivation for picking up this latest title. I’m sorry to report that this tale didn’t work nearly as well for me, with most of the blame getting heaped on to the heroine’s shoulders.

Tanya Bledso was Crested Butte’s rising star. She was pretty, popular and the lead in all the school plays. She was also Jack Crenshaw’s sweetheart. However none of that was enough to keep her in her hometown. The moment she got her high school diploma in hand, she was on the first bus out of town, heading for the bright lights of Hollywood. She landed a couple of commercials, and soon was featured on a popular daytime soap opera. She got married, had her daughter, soap opera got cancelled, and now she’s back in Crested Butte to start over. Partly to lick her wounds, but also to raise her daughter, Annie, in the kinder, gentler environment than Los Angeles.

Jack Crenshaw’s heart was broken the day Tanya left for L.A. without so much as a backward glance. Now she’s back in town, and it’s opened up old wounds. However, he’s no longer the boy who so tried to impress her by joining the drama club. No, now he’s a man trying to impress her. He turned his father’s small construction outfit into a major player. He built all the condos that are springing up around town. He’s a successful, handsome, eligible bachelor. So how come he can’t seem to get over his high school sweetheart?

My main issue with this story is Tanya who comes off as one part self-absorbed and two parts dense. She practically ran out of town as if her hair was on fire, so big were her dreams and ambition. So even though she’s now the head of the local community theater and arts program, she still feels a failure. It doesn’t really help matters that she had to move in with her parents. She left town and moved on, but when she comes back she’s dismayed that Crested Butte didn’t wrap itself up in bubble wrap and wait for her. She gives Jack crap for building condos in the area. She whines about how the town has changed and how many newcomers there are. I couldn’t help thinking “Get over it cupcake. Life goes on whether you’re around or not.” Then when someone mentions to her that maybe her fleeing town 10 years ago just might have left Jack nursing a broken heart she’s shocked. No, really? Jack might have been upset that his girlfriend took off without even talking to him about it? She just assumed he was aware of her plans. Gee, why would he be upset?

Moron.

Jack seems like a nice guy, but he spends a lot of time (oh, like 10 years) pining for a woman who took off without giving him a thought. He also drags his feet for a while in confessing to Tanya how he really feels. Jack eventually does lay all of his cards out on the table, but he takes his sweet time getting around to it.

The ending is kind of sweet, but it doesn’t really help much with Tanya’s character, who still comes off as self-absorbed and wanting her own fan club. By this point Jack saves the day, but ultimately by the last page I’m left with the feeling that he deserves better.

Grade: C-

Summary:

Tanya Bledso couldn’t wait to leave Crested Butte to chase dreams of Hollywood stardom. Now the single mom has returned to run the local theater and raise her daughter. But the peaceful, charming town she took for granted has exploded into a bustling tourist attraction, thanks to one man.

Jack Crenshaw. Property developer extraordinaire…and her former high school sweetheart.

Ten years hasn’t cooled the heat between them. Worse, Jack is bonding with her daughter and giving her the crazy idea he’d make the perfect family man. But is he ready to forgive and forget the heartbreak of the past for the role he seems born to play?

Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of The Man Most Likely by Cindi Myers
Contemporary Romance released by Harlequin American 12 May 2009

I’m certainly not alone in my desire to see more full-figured romance heroines. Unfortunately when such a book does come along it’s either false advertising (note to authors: a 5’10″ heroine who wears a size 10 is not fat ) or the conflict for the story is all about the heroine’s weight. Cindi Myers’ latest gets it mostly right by delivering a true full-figured heroine (girlfriend wears a size 16); and while a good portion of the conflict does center around her size, the author doesn’t make that the sole source of conflict.

Angela Krisova has a good life in the resort town of Crested Butte, Colorado. She owns her own business, the boutique candy shop, The Chocolate Moose, and is a vital member of the local community theater. She moved to town nursing a broken heart, but life is pretty good. Oh sure, she’s single, but being in a relationship isn’t everything. Besides, she’s used to people looking right past “the fat girl” and underestimating her. She’s past letting it bother her. Or is she?

Bryan Perry is the kind of guy Crested Butte is full off. A Peter Pan ski bum. However, he’s growing weary of that life and eating Top Ramen every night. He has a college degree in hotel management, so takes a job at the Elevation Hotel hoping to work his way quickly up the corporate ladder. His dream is to one day own his own small hotel. His first assignment? Pull off the local community theater fundraising dinner, and for that he has to work with Angela. When they talk on the phone, his hormones kick into overdrive. Anyone with a voice that sultry must be a walking sex goddess. So imagine his surprise when he meets her in person and she’s….well….fat. However, our boy quickly recovers. It certainly helps matters that Angela is smart, funny, and charming. Before that first meeting is over he has fallen hard and fast. Now to convince Angela that he’s the perfect man for her.

What I enjoyed about this story is that both Bryan and Angela were fighting against how other people saw them. Angela is the funny, fat girl. The one relegated to playing the “sidekick” in local theater productions. The girl everybody underestimates and nobody really sees. Bryan is the irresponsible good-time party guy. When his friends hear that he’s taken a job at the hotel, they start placing bets on how long he’ll last. Certainly a guy as carefree and fun-loving as Bryan won’t last two minutes in a structured corporate environment.

Perceptions and how people see each other (or not see) make up the bulk of the conflict. Can a relationship between the drop-dead gorgeous former ski bum and a festively plump chocolate fiend really work? Or is it doomed for failure? Angela might play the part of the funny, confident, take-charge modern woman, but years of criticism, hurt and insecurities don’t just vanish overnight – no matter how good of an actress you are. And is Bryan strong enough to take a chance on true love when up until this point his whole life has revolved around finding the next party and having a good time?

I’m still looking forward to reading a romance featuring a plus-size woman where her size is a non-issue, but then for that to happen I think society as a whole would have to undergo a radical shift. That being said, The Man Most Likely is a very sweet story that features two characters that I genuinely liked. These were nice people. Nice people bristling against expectations, scared of stepping into the unknown, but ultimately brave enough to put their hearts on the line. When it comes to romance, it just doesn’t get much better than that.

Grade: B+

Summary:
With her voluptuous, plus-size figure, Angela Krizova knows she doesn’t fit the male fantasy of the perfect woman. That’s fine, because Bryan Perry isn’t her idea of the ideal man, either. The gorgeous ski-bum-turned-corporate-exec is just the type she avoids like the plague.
Except he won’t take no for an answer. With Bryan pursuing her as if she’s the most desirable woman in Crested Butte, Angela’s starting to believe it just a little herself. Is the most irresistible guy in town really falling for her? Or is he the man most likely to break her heart?
Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series:

Coming July 14, 2009

Wendy the Super Librarian‘s review of A Cowboy’s Promise by Marin Thomas
Contemporary western romance released by Harlequin American 14 Apr 09

Last month I read The Cowboy And The Angel, Marin Thomas’ first book featuring the Cartwright siblings. I’m sad to say that the book was mostly a failure for me. However Thomas has a pleasing writing style, and coupled with a yummy cowboy hero, I thought I’d give her a second chance. I wish I could say A Cowboy’s Promise was a smashing success and I loved every single word of it. Yeah, not so much.

Matt Cartwright is a big success on the rodeo circuit, but he’s ready to retire. His rich Daddy wants him to go into the family oil business and when Matt says no, that he wants to breed horses, Daddy cuts him off from his trust fund. How Daddy can do this when Matt is in his 30s is anyone’s guess – but whatever. While still on the circuit, Matt roped gambling addict Ben Olsen into a poker game knowing the man owned a premium stud, Son Of Sunshine. Ben loses, big, and Matt says, “Hey, that’s OK. You can pay me off by giving me free stud service.” Matt sees his dream on the horizon, but months go by and Ben never shows up in Oklahoma with S.O.S. in tow. So Matt packs up his fillies, and drives to Idaho – only to learn that Ben is dead.

Ben left his widow, Amy Olsen, with a mountain of debt and two young daughters to raise. Her horse boarding business has dried up, she has a mortgage she can’t pay, and a mountain of credit card debt. The slick local banker is knocking on her door, and she’s this close to losing the family farm. That’s how Matt finds her, and he makes her a deal. Let him work with S.O.S., get his mares knocked up, and he’ll help her sell the stud so she can get back on her feet.

Amy might as well have “rescue fantasy” stamped on her forehead. The woman whose life is totally screwed, and it’s only the appearance of a knight in shining armor (or Stetson in this case) that allows her to get her life together. For a large portion of this story I couldn’t shake the feeling that Amy was using Matt. He starts making her mortgage payments, and she eventually even ropes him into babysitting her kids while she takes a class to land a data entry job. Amy’s life is one big struggle, and it takes a large portion of the book for her to find her big girl panties and pull herself up by her boot-straps.

Matt is a nice enough guy – but he’s one of those ubiquitous heroes who was wronged by a woman who was only after his family money, so naturally he believes the worst in Amy. Doesn’t stop him from helping her out though. Then there’s the small matter of his relationship with Amy’s dead husband, Ben. Roping a gambling addict into a poker game, especially when you know the man has a gambling problem, to further your own gains, is really odious. It left a really bad taste in my mouth. Matt feels lower than a snake for what he’s done and all I could think was “Yeah, you should. Asswipe.” So in his guilt he continues to help Amy on one hand, and on the other he’s comparing her to the Evil Other Woman who just “used him for his family money.” Sigh.

The ending does salvage some of the story for me, mostly because by this point Amy finds some gumption and stops being a victim who needs someone to fix her entire life for her. It wasn’t enough to turn the entire book around for me, but at least it ended on a high note.

Grade: C-

Summary:
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Her horse-boarding business may have gone belly-up, but Amy Olsen isn’t a quitter. Even when handsome former rodeo rider Matt Cartwright shows up with three mares in tow, claiming he’s owed a lot of money. Then he makes her an offer she can’t refuse….
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Matt has come to Amy’s Idaho farm to collect a debt and be on his way. But his horse-breeding plans are taking a backseat to helping out the widow and her two young daughters. Matt’s never been able to resist a woman in distress, especially one who’s suddenly making him yearn for hearth and home.
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All he came with was a promise and a dream. And when he starts falling for the trio of spirited females, darned if this roving cowboy doesn’t plan to make good on both!
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Read an excerpt.

Other books in this series: