C2’s review of The Best of Friends by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance published by Pocket 28 Sep 10

Remember being young and having a huge crush on an older, completely unattainable guy?  Someone who, if he even acknowledged your existence did it in the most offhand manor imaginable…since you’re practically strangers, really.  Still, you just know he’s the most smartest, most wonderful guy EVER.  Well, what if – years later – you meet that guy again and get a chance to get to know him and maybe even have a fling with him?  OMG!  The Best of Friends takes that premise and runs with it.

Our heroine is Jayne Scott.  Her mother died when she was in high school and Jayne went to live with her best friend Rebecca’s family.  Jayne had a huge crush on Rebecca’s older brother David.  He didn’t live with the family any longer so Jayne only saw David on the occasional visit but that’s all her crush needed to survive.  David only saw her as the quiet friend of his wild-child sister.

Years later, Jayne still lives on the fringes of the Worden family. David is off traveling the world and Rebecca is estranged from the family – though she and Jayne remain in contact – so Jayne helps out if the Wordens need her.  Mrs. Worden is often demanding of Jayne’s time and expects Jayne to drop everything to do whatever task she is assigned, with little or no thanks. While the older Wordens are abroad, Mrs. Worden instructs Jayne to open up the house because David is coming home.  Jayne is glad to help and hopes David might actually see her as a person.  Her hopes for making a good impression on him are doomed, however.  Just as he is walking in the door, she is flailing across the floor of the foyer, trying to hold onto a very heavy vase.  The vase survives the trip intact; Jayne’s wrist does not.  Although not the first impression she wanted to make, Jayne gets a chance to spend some time with David at the hospital and learns he is a genuinely nice guy.

David has come back home to settle down, work more regular hours, start thinking about starting a family.  Since he won’t let his mom help him find a house, Mrs. Worden assigns the task to Jayne.  David is willing to let Jayne accompany him as he checks out houses – on the condition that she not report back to his mom.  As they spend time together and get to know one another, David and Jayne are increasingly tempted to start a relationship – even though they know there is potential for things to go horribly wrong.  Even after they are romantically involved, David and Jayne know they can’t tell his family because they know the reactions would not be good.

My one struggle with the book was the portrayal of the “bad” characters – the people trying to keep Jayne and David apart – I know people are rude and petty and self-centered but sometimes it felt like I that was being hammered home a little too hard.  I mean…yes, I get that Rebecca is self-absorbed and needy;  yes, Mrs. Worden is a cold-blooded bitch only concerned with her social standing…let it go a little?  However, that sort of characterization isn’t uncommon in Ms. Mallery’s books and it doesn’t stop me from enjoying them.

The best part of the book was that Jayne and David are adults – not just by age but by actions.  They are self-aware and able to articulate their feelings.  Even when they are behaving in ways opposite to how they know they should act, they acknowledge their actions.  Jayne and David seem like real people – they think like real people, talk like real people, do things any one of us might do in similar situations.

Even toward the end of the book, when – because of the situations around them – it seems like a relationship between them would be too hard, David and Jayne ring very true.  Sometimes, as much as our romantic hearts don’t want to admit it, true love doesn’t conquer all.  Sometimes life has other things in store for us.  But will love win out for Jayne and David?  Ah, faithful reader, you must find that out for yourself.

Grade: B-

Summary: In high school, studious Jayne Scott and wild child Rebecca Worden became unlikely best friends—a tie that endured even after Rebecca fled her family to live overseas. After Jayne’s mother passed away, she became part unpaid assistant, part surrogate daughter to the wealthy Wordens. But now, ten years later, Rebecca is coming home to L.A. to cause havoc for Elizabeth, the mother who all but rejected her. And Jayne finds herself pulled deeper into the Wordens’ complicated family dynamics—especially when Rebecca’s brother, David, returns as well.David is the man Jayne always wanted and knew she could never have. But when he gravitates toward her in spite of Elizabeth’s protests, her vow to escape the family’s shadow is put to the ultimate test. And as lies are shattered and true feelings exposed, Jayne must decide where loyalty ends, and love begins. . .

Read an excerpt

Lynne Connolly’s review of High Powered, Hot Blooded by Susan Mallery
Contemporary Romance published by Silhouette Desire 8 Dec 09

A powerful businessman, Duncan didn’t like ultimatums, unless he was making them. But the board demanded his public image change. When he encountered sweet kindergarten teacher Annie McCoy, he knew she’d make him look like a perfect angel, though it would take some devilish manipulation.

Once he had Annie playing his pretend mistress, Duncan needed to make her his real-life lover. Could a grouchy CEO cultivate the charm necessary to win the woman he’d almost destroyed?

Susan Mallery is one of my favorite Harlequin authors. Sometimes she gets a bit too sweet for me, and everything turns to sugar, but this is a Christmas book, and I do like a bit of sweet stuff at this time of year.

This is a Scrooge-like Christmas story, except Scrooge isn’t that Scrooge-y. Duncan is more misunderstood, and he’s a good businessman. Most of his problem is bad press.

I liked Duncan, but he isn’t that much different to many of the other Harlequin Presents heroes. Rich, ruthless, a tycoon. But I have to confess I’m a sucker for that kind of hero, when he’s well done and Duncan was well done. And he never hurt the heroine. For me, the turning point between alpha and alpha jerk is often when the hero hurts the heroine, especially when he does it intentionally.

Annie was right on the cusp of annoyingly sweet, but she lands on the good side. Not too cloying, despite being a kindergarten teacher the story isn’t awash with ankle biters and there isn’t a baby McGuffin. Good points for me.

Duncan hires Annie to be his girlfriend to get him some good press. I liked that he was straightforward about the offer and she wasn’t stupid about it. She took the deal. It did annoy me that she planned to give away her expensive wardrobe after the job was up. Nah, who’d do that? True, kindergarten teachers don’t have much call for cocktail dresses and ball gowns, but hey, hanging them up and gloating is fun, too.

I didn’t like the motivation for Annie, or rather, I didn’t like the way it turned out. Got a bit sugary there. Annie’s brother works for Duncan, and he’s embezzled money from the company. I didn’t buy that Duncan would have covered that up. If there are shareholders, then he has no right to. He does report to a board, although that seems to consist of family members.

Anyway, that doesn’t take up much of the story. The main focus, as it should be, is the development of the relationship. And that was fun. Mallery does interaction and dialogue really well. I loved some of their exchanges.

So all in all, a fun Christmas read and I’ll give it a fun B.

Grade: B

Mr. December: Duncan Patrick, CEO Scrooge

His Objective: Lose the “bah humbug” attitude

His Plan: Find the right (temporary) mistress

A powerful businessman, Duncan didn’t like ultimatums, unless he was making them. But the board demanded his public image change. When he encountered sweet kindergarten teacher Annie McCoy, he knew she’d make him look like a perfect angel, though it would take some devilish manipulation.

Once he had Annie playing his pretend mistress, Duncan needed to make her his real-life lover. Could a grouchy CEO cultivate the charm necessary to win the woman he’d almost destroyed?

Sandy M’s review of In Bed with the Devil by Susan Mallery
Contemporary Romance released by Silhouette Desire 7 Aug 07

I’m bummed. I’ve read a few of Susan Mallery’s book and absolutely loved them. So much so that I always anticipate picking up another one of her books whenever I can. This is my first category romance by her. It is an older book, a couple years old, but since it’s a Mallery, I anticipated a good read. That didn’t happen, not by a long shot. I just didn’t care for this book all that much. Surprised the hell out of me.

Meri is a genius. Literally. She has one of those brains that just won’t turn off. As a young child and a teenager she was overweight, so that combined with her intellect usually scared the boys off. She adored her big brother Hunter and she’s always loved his best friend Jack. On her seventeenth birthday Jack finds Meri in an emotional state, her brother has just died and now she has no friends but for Jack, but she wants more from him than just friendship. But Jack has always looked at her as Hunter’s baby sister and when she blurts out she wants him, he doesn’t know what else to do but walk away. He then walks away again after Hunter’s funeral and eleven years pass before Meri sees him again.

Hunter’s will stipulates that each of his six best friends must stay a month in the cabin he’s slated to give to a charitable foundation for kids. When it’s Jack’s turn for his month, Meri has wrangled her way into being there on the administrative side of the deal just so she can exact her revenge on Jack for leaving her all those years ago. Up to this point, I was able to live with this book. I felt for Meri, especially those pages when she’d lost her brother and blurted out her love for Jack. It’s when she puts her plan into motion that everything went south in a huge hurry.

She doesn’t mince words at all when she confronts Jack with her revenge. She’s there to seduce him, make him want her, and she tells him flat out that’s what she’s going to do. For eleven years later, Meri acts like a petulant child. Her actions just didn’t go over all that well most of the time, except when she’s actively seducing him and not talking about it. There are moments she acts like the woman she is, but those are few and far between. And I didn’t like the fact that she’s still looking at her grudge through the eyes of a hurt seventeen year old. Her revenge is the same as it was back then, nothing new to reflect her growth over the years. And, of course, it all backfires on her.

Jack is determined not to let Meri get to him because he promised Hunter he’d look out for her. Only thing is, he’s done a half-ass job of that, all done from afar through investigators and whatnot. But he’s just a man and with that sexy body being thrown at him every which way, what man wouldn’t eventually give in? I didn’t blame him one bit. I actually wanted him to turn it all around and show her the fire she’s dealing with. Then there’s the current boyfriend-almost-fiance of Meri’s who shows up missing her. That didn’t sit well with me either. She’s nearly engaged to this guy but is out seducing another man and does have sex with the other man. No, no, no, no!

The only thing that I did like other than Jack is Meri’s brainiac friends. They give some comic relief and, boy, is that needed every now and then. By the time I got to the HEA, I just didn’t care anymore and didn’t think Meri really deserved it. Sigh. Now I need to find a Susan Mallery book I do like to get the taste of this one out of my system.

Grade: D-

Summary:
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Millionaire of the Month: Jack Howington III
Source of Fortune: International security corporation
The woman he can never have: Meredith Palmer
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When he arrived at Hunter’s Landing, Jack got the surprise of his life. His best friend’s shy little sister had become a breathtaking young woman–with an ax to grind. Still smarting over Jack’s long-ago rejection, Meredith was now intent on luring the mogul into her bed…and her bed was right across the hall. At what cost would Jack keep a decade-old promise?
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No excerpt available.

This just in…

Brenda Novak is ready for the holidays.   Her Christmas Bash is just around the corner, so get ready to party!

~ Join Brenda at her website on Tuesday, December 16, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. EST, which means 6:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. for you West Coast folks!

~ It will be a fun-filled evening featuring chat opportunities with agents, editors, authors, booksellers, librarians and readers.

~ Susan Mallery, Karen Rose, Christine Feehan, Roxanne St. Clair, Dianna Love and a host of other authors will also be in attendance for the festivities.

~ There will be door prizes and drawings for things such as a fabulous rum cake, a brand new Amazon Kindle, and so much more!

~ Every person who attends will receive a special Christmas present from Brenda.

~ Sign up for Brenda’s newsletter for more information!

Consider yourself flashed.

Limecello’s review of Sweet Trouble (Bakery Sisters, Book 3) by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance released by HQN on 1 Sep 08

The third and final book to Susan Mallery’s Bakery Sisters books was well written and enjoyable. At the same time, this book was a bit predictable, as much of what I suspected how the book would pan out was true. Jesse was my least favorite sister (keep in mind I loved Claire and Nicole), but her story is still definitely worth reading. Sweet Trouble is a great end to the trilogy, and it’s nice that Jesse and Matt’s story isn’t short changed simply because it’s last.

Jesse Keyes is the youngest Keyes sister, and she’s never really felt that she fit into the family. Growing up with little guidance – and her older sister, Nicole, acting as her stand-in mother even though there was only a five-year age difference didn’t help. Jesse moved away and matured, but is currently living out the difficulty of going home. Jesse is a character difficult to place. She doesn’t consider what other people were thinking or feeling in the past, especially in regards to their interaction with her. Jesse is also a bit dense in regards to Matt, but that’s not so much her fault as the point of the plot. Otherwise, Jesse is warm, bright, and willing to do the right thing, no matter how hard it may be. I think what influenced me most was the previous two books. Jesse was written as a villainous, one dimensional brat, and I felt the way her actions got explained away was a bit weak.

Matthew Fenner is something of a typical Ms. Mallery hero. He’s wealthy, self made, and has been burned before- resulting in him being a jerk. Matt was in love with Jesse, but didn’t believe her in a difficult situation. Not only that, but he felt betrayed and subsequently completely changed as a person, becoming emotionally unavoidable, and a player. Even though Matt knows it is wrong, he decides to hurt Jesse, and make her suffer. It’s a bit surprising that he hasn’t grown in five years, and that he would act in such a way considering he’s depicted as such a “great guy.” There were parts of Matt’s personality that didn’t mesh. The loving, devoted son, not materialistic, and then the player mogul, asshole, and emotional idiot.

While the main characters were at times less likable, I absolutely loved the secondary characters and the plot. Gabe is extremely well written, which is saying something, as children in books tend to annoy me. (The writers generally make them weird.) I thought that every scene with Gabe was beautifully written. I also liked the cameo appearances by the secondary characters, especially Raoul. I really wanted Jesse and Raoul to meet- and hit it off – at least as friends. Sadly, that didn’t happen. (And it would have been even better if Matt could have eaten his heart out running into Jesse with pro-football player Raoul.)

What I didn’t particularly understand was how Matt could justify his actions, or any of the characters. They’d be doing so well understanding each other, being reasonable, and then… that would just disappear. Jesse or Gabe would ignore a glaring red flag or other obvious sign, and go on. I didn’t feel that the past justified Matt’s heartless actions, considering his personality and past. There was a slight break in logistics, or at least, I didn’t find it believable. It’s hard to articulate, but I think every scene itself worked. I read it believing the scenes, but looking at the larger picture and thinking it through, it doesn’t particularly make sense. This book, much like Sweet Talk took some getting into. The first hundred plus pages had some extremely irritating sections. There wasn’t quite the epiphany that happened in Sweet Talk either.

I’m not quite sure why but I didn’t like Matt’s groveling as much as I enjoy hero groveling in other books. I knew he meant it – but it just didn’t seem as poignant – maybe because the it was so expected. Regardless, Sweet Trouble was a good book. I don’t like it quite as much as the previous two books in the series, but I still think it’s a fun read. I definitely recommend it to everyone who has been following these series, as well as any Susan Mallery fan. Sweet Trouble is a well written book about reestablishing relationships – family and romantic – as well as finding your way home.

Grade: B+

Click here to read reviews of the rest of the Bakery Sisters series.

Home, sweet home?

Jesse Keyes has done some serious growing up. With a steady job and a vibrant four-year-old son, she’s in a far better place than when she left Seattle five years ago…pregnant and misunderstood by almost everyone in her life.

Now it’s time to go home and face her demons. But her sisters, Claire and Nicole, aren’t exactly impressed with the new and improved Jesse. And then there’s Matt, Gabe’s father, who makes it clear that he never wants to see her again despite the lust that still smolders between them.

Jesse doesn’t know if she can make up for all the mistakes of her past. But the promise of sweet nights with Matt might just give her the extra incentive she needs to make it worth the trouble…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Limecello’s review of Sweet Spot (Bakery Sisters, Book 2) by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance published by Harlequin on 1 Aug 08

I thought that Sweet Talk was a good book, but Sweet Spot blew it out of the water. This may be my favorite book I’ve read all summer – possibly longer. It might be the happy book high, but I know that’s not all. This is definitely one of my favorite Susan Mallery novels.

Nicole Keyes is a character first introduced in Sweet Talk [Bakery Sisters, Book 1], and she’s someone you feel comfortable with. The beginning might be a bit more meaningful if you’ve read Sweet Talk, but I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary. Nicole’s the bitchy sister, but not a bitch, and for all her crusty exterior, she’s pretty much as soft and sweet as cotton candy. Nicole is a character you cannot help but like, and definitely someone to respect. And be friends with! Have I mentioned she owns a successful bakery?

Eric Hawkins, or Hawk, is a great romance hero, and very realistic. He’s ridiculously hot, was former pro-athlete, was madly in love with his wife, is a good father, a good coach, a good person, but… has regular stupid moments. Hawk’s so charming and disarming it’s hard to dislike him, even though you almost feel you should, based on principle – too much perfection. (Much like how Nicole feels.)

The story itself is interesting as well. There are many secondary characters, and all of them are well written, and well developed. Generally I’m not a fan of high school characters, especially as a secondary romance, but Ms. Mallery does a great job here. Raoul and Brittany often provide a great contrast to Nicole and Eric, and other characters make nice cameo appearances as well.

A few things I didn’t like as much were the scenes with Jesse, who gets her story in Sweet Trouble. Much like the annoying aspect of Sweet Talk, the parts with Jesse were a bit too maudlin and ridiculous. Too many accusations and characters playing the victim card. I did notice how Ms. Mallery set the foundations for Jesse’s story, however, and how she’s going to save her from being a hateful character. Another minor issue was how different Drew, Nicole’s ex-husband was in Sweet Spot from Sweet Talk – although it did make sense. Then there were the idiotic and overdramatic teenagers … but then that does fit how a teen would act overall. And they fit into the book, so I can’t fault Ms. Mallery for that.

The plot and events in Sweet Spot progress nicely and make for a very enjoyable read. It was fun, yet had a realistic tone to it, even while all these fantastic incidents kept occurring. A time or two things fell a bit too neatly into place, but I found them easy to get over. I might wish for just a tad more romance between Nicole and Hawk, because the secondary characters commandeered so much of their time and attention. However, I enjoyed reading about all the shenanigans so much it’s rather inconsequential.

I have to admit that when I first heard about the Bakery Sisters trilogy, I was skeptical. (Yes I was!) So I feel my gushing means that much more. I recommend everyone read this book. It’s very well written, flows- I never felt that there was too much, or that the author was trying too hard. It’s a great summer read. Basically, this book was just right in my Goldilocks test, and I think all romance lovers should read this book. (And the one before it, Sweet Talk because it’ll make this one that much better.) I will say I’m still unsure as to how Ms. Mallery will present Jesse’s story in Sweet Trouble, but at this point… I’m expecting good things.

Grade: A

If only her life was more sinful than sweet…

“Responsibility” should be Nicole Keyes’s middle name. After all, not many people would sacrifice their lives to run the family bakery and raise a younger sibling. But with Nicole’s twin sister now blissfully married and her younger sis turning out more femme fatale than girl next door, superreliable Nicole is getting sick of putting everyone else’s needs first!

Enter Hawk. The deliciously sexy former NFL player offers Nicole a taste of the freedom she craves. Hawk may know the way, blindfolded, to her sweet spot, but Nicole’s not about to let him get close enough to break her heart. Of course, she might not have a choice in the matter if Hawk’s past keeps getting in the way of their present…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

Seriously – go read it – but read it first cuz I think you might hatttteeessss her (the heroine, Nicole) if you read the first book first (Sweet Talk). Can’t wait to see what Lime thinks and will even try and finish my review if I can get to it.

Why am I so bouncy happy about it right now, when I read it months and months ago? Because it has a soft spot in my cold, black heart as I reread the series while under house arrest. It made me smile while I was trying not to freak the hell out.

AND because Jane posted a review today (I think it went up today) and there is a lot I agree with. This is much oddness as I rarely agree with her on contemps.

So that is all the more reason you should read it because it sooooo ups your chances of liking it too .  Really!  I would have give it an A and don’t let the dry summary keep you from at least picking it up or reading an excerpt.  Hawk is a great hero with an interesting way about him and his courtship – and reads like a man.  The kiddos are great – his daughter doing the perfect daddy’s girl and plays the ‘I know how to manipulate daddy’ card well.  And Raul, plays the serious, almost too much but his background explains it well.  It is not without its issues but I would give it an A-.

Hey it can be the contemp of the summer *g*. Do tell if you read it (love it or hate it) and most of all what order you read it in. Now I am going to try and go do work without bruising myself up anymore (don’t ask).

Limecello’s review of Sweet Talk (Bakery Sisters, Book 1) by Susan Mallery (caution! music on the site!)
Contemporary romance published by HQN 1 Jul 08

I really enjoy Susan Mallery’s books – both her novels, and the categories she writes. There’s a special quality to her writing that keeps me coming back for more. In a way, I equate her with Diana Palmer – because her writing is loosely formulaic, and in a way you know what you’re going to get (N.B. I mean this as a good thing). Ms. Mallery is an author I make note of, and read her books as soon as I can get my hands on them. In fact, I pretty much picked up Sweet Talk at 1 AM, and read it until I finished it at 4 AM.

Claire Keyes is an interesting heroine, because she’s out of her element. A very well written, dynamic character that seems to have everything going against her, excerpt for her inner core of steel. She’s kind, loving, and loyal – which the reader finds out from page one, and that opinion of her never changes. In fact, she’s so great, it’s hard to believe she’s real, other than the fact that Ms. Mallery does a fabulous job of making Claire human, and relatable. What with everything Claire has to go through, the reader fines themselves rooting for her all the way.

Wyatt Knight is a perfect hero – and typical of the males Ms. Mallery writes. He’s smart, handsome, capable, loyal, and cares a lot more than he’s willing to admit. He’s also emotionally stupid, and knows it, which adds depth to his character, and humor to the book. Wyatt is willing to do anything for his friends and family, and he’s fiercely protective of them. However, he’s also able to see reason, and isn’t so set in his ways that he’ll ignore the truth before his eyes. He’s pragmatic, and his dry humor was quite enjoyable.

The secondary characters were interesting, and I felt that I got a sense of who they were, but they acted as a support net, and the focus of the book was on Claire. A lot of background and the foundation of the family was laid down in this book, so it’ll be interesting to see if the same occurs in the other books. I would have liked a bit more interaction between Claire and Wyatt throughout the book. It felt like they spent very little time together. Only a few dates, and then more drama ensued. Still, the plot flowed nicely, and I enjoyed this story.

Some things that bothered me, however, was how stubborn the secondary characters, particularly Nicole were. The actions of the all the characters were rather unreasonable, and it wasn’t until page 145 – I made note of the page- that Claire finally stands up for herself and doesn’t allow her sister to say ridiculous, hateful, and hurtful things to her with no repercussions. The blind assumptions made about Claire simply because she’s famous really irritated me. A few other mundane details irked me as well, one being the scene early on when Claire drives home from the airport. However, being somewhat accustomed to Ms. Mallery’s writing, I knew there would be a point when all of that changed – and thankfully, it did.

I liked the fact that there were multiple layers of conflict in the novel that all worked together. Claire and her fear that her career was slipping through her fingers, rebuilding a connection with her sisters, the initiation of her relationship with Wyatt, and trying to figure out how to live a “normal” life. I loved how Claire fell in love with Wyatt, but he being a romance hero dropped her cold, and she accepted it. She lay her heart on the line, let him know what was going on, and then got on with her life. Claire didn’t come up with some cockamamie idea to make him fall in love with her, and thankfully the reader didn’t have to go through the agony of pretending to believe that it would work. (Thank you, Ms. Mallery!)

Of course, there was the happy ending – and a very nice one at that. (Though I’m still not sold on the idea that there’s screaming for concert pianists. Clearly I’ve gone to the wrong concerts.) The events in Sweet Talk were all very believable, and the characters warm and likable. I can’t wait to read Nicole’s story in Sweet Spot – and want to see how Jessie develops, and how the series ends with Sweet Trouble. I definitely recommend reading this book, and it’s a must if you’re a fan of Ms. Mallery.

Grade: A-

Is there anything sweeter than a first love?

Don’t ask Claire Keyes. The twenty-eight-year old piano prodigy has never had a regular boyfriend, much less a real romance. Her music career has left little room for friends or family – which is just part of the reason she’s estranged from her two sisters.

But now Nicole is sick, and Jesse is AWOL. Despite the fact that Claire can’t boil water, she’s determined to play caretaker. Connecting with her sisters tops her to-do list….along with falling in love, or at least in lust, for the first time.

Ambitious? Maybe. But a girl’s gotta dream. And ruggedly sexy Wyatt is a dream come true. Although he keeps telling himself that he and Claire come from entirely different worlds, he lights up hotter than a bakery oven whenever Claire is near. If this keeps up, she just might sweet-talk him into her bed….and her life.

Read an excerpt here.

Sandy M’s review of The Buchanan Family Series by Susan Mallery
Contemporary Romances published by HQN Books

Hello, everyone! And welcome to our first Duckies Do Series review!

I’ve had this series in that big old TBR mountain, as ya’ll called it, for a while now. I recently ran across an excerpt from the last book, Tempting, and really liked it, so I had that on my mind when thinking about which series to start with and I think I made a pretty darned good choice.

This series is so much fun! I had hoped after finishing the first book that the rest of the series would keep the same pace, the same wit, the same fun, and the same romance. I was not disappointed one bit! I laughed quite a bit with each book. I didn’t cry until the third book, but once the tears started flowing they didn’t want to stop. I’m a sucker for books about brothers, so that’s the one of the primary reasons I wanted to read these books, and I figured I’d like them anyway just because of the author. I had no idea I would enjoy them this darned much. So read on and find out about this wonderful family.

Delicious (The Buchanans, Book 1)
Released 1 Feb 06

I like the storyline of second chance at love in this first book of the series. And even though that’s not what Cal and Penny were looking for when he asks her to help him turn around one of their family restaurants, that’s exactly what they get, and I had such a great time going along for the ride with them.

At first Penny is out for revenge. It’s been three years since their divorce and they haven’t seen each other in the intervening time. So to get in a little punch of her own, Penny is determined to get the max out Cal in his offer for her services as head chef at The Waterfront, one of the four Buchanan restaurants. She gets what she wants and needs to open her own place down the road.

Once she’s on board, after all the negotiating and all the initial problems of getting the restaurant up and running — and there are some problems! — and they open the doors for business, Penny and her menu are a huge hit. The place is packed every night. During all of this, Cal and Penny start to become friends. They still have their ups and downs, especially when he finds out she’s pregnant, but for the most part things go along quite smoothly, even despite the growing heat between them.

It’s at this point that we begin to find out the same time Penny does why Cal let her and their marriage go the first time around. The answers she gets are quite enlightening, but it still hurts, even after all this time, that he didn’t go after her when she left, especially when she left only to see if he would go after her, to see how much he loved her. Now, knowing all of his secrets sets them on a different course and they’re beginning to experience renewed feelings for one another. Cal begins to understand his behavior better once he is able to truly face his past, and what an emotional moment that is. His secret hits both him and Penny square on and finally their past becomes clearer and their new feelings for each other blossom and it all gets easier to forgive and love.

This is a great start to the series. We meet the entire Buchanan family and we see how they support and love one another, even despite the machinations of the matriarch, their grandmother, Gloria. Heavens, what a character she is, mean and spiteful. I liked the fact that Penny kept her friendship with Cal’s brothers going after their divorce and even though Reid and Walker want to support Cal, they also call him on the carpet and let him have it when he hurts Penny. You have to love an honorable man when he fesses up and puts his faith in the woman he loves. We’re also set up just beautifully for each book in the series with everything we read here.

Grade: A

Summary:

Welcome to the world of the Buchanans. This is a four book single title series set in Seattle. I’ve done wine and cake, so now I’m moving into the world of Restaurants.

Appetizers – Cal Buchanan needs a top-flight chef to take over his failing Seattle restaurant, The Waterfront. He can afford to hire the best in town — the only problem is that the best happens to be his ex-wife, Penny Jackson.

Entree – Penny really needs this opportunity, but she doesn’t need the distraction of working with her ex. She’s sworn off romance — she’s even having a baby on her own. But before she knows it, the heat is on … and the attraction between her and Cal moves from a low simmer to full boil!

Dessert – The rest should be easy as pie, but a secret from Cal’s past could spoil everything. Maybe it’s true that too many cooks spoil the broth — or maybe two is enough to make it irresistible.

Read an excerpt of Delicious here.

Irresistible (The Buchanans, Book 2)
released 1 Jul 06

Walker is the Buchanan we know the least about. He has just come home, retired from the Marines, in Delicious when we first meet him. Even once he meets Elissa in his own book, it still takes a while to get through his I-want-to-be-left-alone facade. He’s rented an apartment in a part of town where he doesn’t know anyone. He doesn’t want to get involved in anything at all until he decides what he really wants to do and until he delivers a letter he wrote for a Marine buddy who died in his arms. There’s a lot of guilt built up in Walker and it takes not only the right woman to begin breaking away all that stoically built-up emotion but also the sweetest and most engaging little girl Walker has ever met.

Elissa hasn’t had the best in her life since she ran away from home at the age of seventeen. She went from job to job and got involved with the wrong men, one of which fathered her daughter Zoe. Being pregnant is what brought her back home, but she found out her parents wanted nothing to do with her and she’s been on her own scrapping by but happy with Zoe ever since. She’s independent and will be beholding to no one, not even the handsome man upstairs who keeps coming to her rescue. She’s determined to make a good life for Zoe and that means no men and no sex until her daughter turns eighteen.

It’s going to be thirteen long years for Elissa, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice. But the budding attraction between Elissa and Walker won’t let either of them be. He keeps rescuing her and she keeps cooking for him as payment for his good deeds. They want each other, but they keep those wants at bay for so long, even when being pushed along by Mrs. Ford, the spry, elderly lady who lives next door to Elissa, that explosions galore erupt when their lovemaking comes to fruition.

And when that happens, they each think it’s only going to be the one time. But as they deal with the hardest thing life has to throw at them so far, they begin to look past all the little stuff and finally see each other and what they have to offer their relationship. Zoe is a wonderful catalyst for Walker to realize he has something to offer not only Elissa but Zoe as well — he has the capacity to love. There’s a beautiful scene between the two of them talking about what makes a daddy. Again, the Buchanans are in this book full force, banding together when needed. That’s really brought home to the reader in a scene when Walker’s brother Reid tells Elissa, while she’s in the hospital, they’re all there for her because she’s Walker’s girl. That’s all the family needs to know to give their support to her.

Grade: A

Summary:

When ex-marine Walker Buchanan stops to help Elissa Towers change a tire, he tells himself it’s just the neighborly thing to do. And when Elissa finds herself baking him a thank-you pie, she’s just returning the favor…right?

Both of them have sworn off dating–Elissa’s determined to protect her little girl, and that means ditching her taste for dangerous men…especially former marines with dark secrets. Walker knows he’s not cut out for hearth and home…his own crazy family made sure of that. But the sparks won’t stop flying.

Now the two of them are struggling to keep their relationship “just friends,” but with every kiss, their rules fly out the window.

Read an excerpt of Irresistible here.

Sizzling (The Buchanans, Book 3)
Released 1 Jan 07

Ah, I love a good story about the arrogant hero getting his comeuppance. But even though Reid is a little full of himself and you snicker at his embarrassment when his sexual prowess is questioned in the local newspaper and then nationally, you end up loving his character even more when he lays low to let the news blow over and in the process finds out what has been done in his name by his so-called people, the ones working for him who are supposed to be on his side and make him look good. Because under all that swagger and arrogance, Reid is a good man.

He took a hit when he blew out his shoulder and had to retire from his baseball career. He just seemed to exist after that. He didn’t really live, even though his lifestyle made it seem like he did. He didn’t even know he was missing something in his life. He keeps telling his brothers and sisters that he’s happy bed hopping, having a girl on each arm all the time. Why settle for one woman when he can have a smorgasbord? Reid is likeable in the playboy kind of way and he loves his family, would do anything for them. Just don’t tell him not to love his ladies. But he turns into an even better man when he begins to right the wrongs his agent and other folks did while representing Reid during his career.

Lori is a home health nurse and has been hired by Reid to take care of his grandmother who’s just out of the hospital and is still incapacitated with a broken hip. She’d been warned what a piece of work Gloria Buchanan is, but Lori has enough experience with older patients, especially those whose family never bothers to visit to see how they’re doing. Lori doesn’t let Gloria get away with anything, calls her on every insult, every mean thing she does.

Little by little Lori becomes a miracle worker when the family realizes that Gloria truly has changed her ways. In between all this, Lori has to fight her attraction to Reid. She knows he’d never look at a woman like her, not being long-legged and blonde, but that doesn’t stop her heart from wanting him. When she finally realizes that he is interested, she’s in heaven when she’s in his arms and he’s giving her the loving of a lifetime. Seems she’s a miracle worker for both arrogant ex-baseball players and cantankerous old grandmothers.

I enjoyed both the transformation of Lori into a beautiful and loved woman and of Gloria realizing finally that she needs to change so her grandchildren will love her in return. Of course, Reid’s transformation goes without saying. This is the book that wrung the emotion out of me. All I’m going to say is there’s a death and with so many Buchanans around, the crying had to start sometime. The aftereffects are also gut-wrenching, being so invested in the characters by that time. Just know I needed a cold eye compress by the time I got through that part of the book.

Grade: A

Summary:

A spiteful article about the former pitcher and current playboy questions his talent. And the newspaper’s just the first bad news. Reid’s grandmother Gloria’s broken hip means she needs constant care—and she’s going through nurses as if they were Kleenex.

Reid hired nurses 1 and 2 for their bedside manner with him. So for number 3, he chooses Lori Johnson, the first candidate who seems immune to his brand of charm.

Lori considers herself inoculated against amoebas like Reid Buchanan. So why are her well-fortified defenses starting to crumble under the force of Reid’s sexy smile—and the kindness he shows her at every turn? There’s only one explanation for the feelings flaring between them—chemistry.

Read an excerpt of Sizzling here.

Tempting (The Buchanans, Book 4)
Released 1 Jul 07

This book is the one that piqued my curiosity in finally starting this series. I ran across an excerpt somewhere and really liked it. It intrigued me. I wanted to know more about this family and what had brought this heroine to that particular point in her life, confronting the father she never knew about, a father in the higher echelons of our government. Little did I know how much the entire series would affect me.

We meet Dani, of course, in the first book of the series and her story continues through the next books, giving us a look at her life which is first charmed and then gradually falls down around her through no fault of her own. First her husband wants a divorce, she’s not grown along with him as he’s recovered from a tragic accident that left him a paraplegic.

Dani is the one who stood by him in the aftermath of the accident, kept loving him and married him because of that love, and then worked her tail off at Burger Haven to keep him covered by insurance while he wheeled through life, leaving Dani behind, according to his skewed logic. Another kicker comes when she finds out her soon-to-be ex was also unfaithful during their marriage.

Gloria, her grandmother, has refused to promote Dani within the Buchanan corporation and burgers just don’t do it for her any longer. But the biggest kick to the gut of all is when Gloria finally tells her that she’s not even a Buchanan; her mother had an affair and Dani is the result. Things suddenly become clear to her about the years of feeling like she’s never belonged, even with the love of her brothers. Kicking Gloria and the company to the curb, Dani sets out to find her real father and her life takes on changes she could never have imagined. Dani is strong no matter what life throws at her, she bounces back and she gets on with what’s best for her.

Dragon-boy, or Alex Canfield, the adoptive son of Senator Mark Canfield, guards the door to his father’s office, breathing fire at anyone who comes this way with intent to harm his father. Dani is one who poses a huge threat to the senator’s bid for the presidency and Alex is not about to let that happen. As much as he hates to admit it, however, once Dani passes muster, she’s beautiful, intelligent, and unique and he suddenly finds himself wanting to get lost in her. When they finally do come together, other problems present themselves, the worst of which is the press, and it looks as though a life together isn’t in their future.

I really enjoyed Dani’s character. She never quits. She never backs down. She’s a Buchanan through and through even though she doesn’t share the same paternal blood with her brothers, but now she feels she doesn’t know who she is anymore. I liked the fact that Dani still admires Gloria even after all the hurt she’s caused Dani over the years. She also holds her own with Alex in his dog-eat-dog world, as well as with her brothers who try to protect her at every turn, which sometimes makes her furious. She wants to live her own life no matter the consequences. Alex also has a lot to overcome in his life to realize he can choose Dani and not feel guilty.

All in all, this was a very good ending to the series. It brings everything and everyone together, gives us love all around, and shows us what can happen when a family pulls together in good times and bad.

Grade: A

Summary:

Nothing’s hotter than a disaster in the making…

After three romantic flame-outs in a year and a restaurant career going nowhere, Dani Buchanan needs a fresh start. She goes looking for her biological father, but never expects to find a senator running for president. As his long-lost “love child,” Dani could seriously derail the election – something his handsome campaign manager Alex Canfield isn’t going to let happen. Dani isn’t about to let Alex run her life, no matter how tempting she finds him-and Alex isn’t going to allow Dani to melt his cynicism, no matter how close he has to get. The last thing either of them wants is love, especially with scandals brewing and family trouble on the way. But Dani and Alex are forced to trust each other, and when trust turns to passion, the potential for disaster is only a tabloid scandal away.

Read an excerpt of Tempting here.

Well, as you can see from the grades for each book, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I love how Ms. Mallery kept all members of the family interacting with the current hero and heroine and still gave us plenty of time with that couple and their romance. I always get irritated when I’m shortchanged in a series by not having preceding characters show up in succeeding books. This series kept me well satisfied in that area. All of the characters are fun-loving, serious when needed, make family first, and love with all their hearts. The humor is also a huge factor that made this series worth reading. Of course, it’s the brothers that did it for me. They fought and argued as brothers are wont to do, but they stand shoulder to shoulder when anything threatens one of their own. I believe I chose very well for the first presentation in our Duckies Do Series, if I do say so myself!

Overall grade: A

Finn’s review of Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance released 1 Jan 08 by HQN

Kerri Sullivan is a single mom who will go to just about any length to get billionaire Nathan King’s financial backing on finding a cure for Gilliar’s Disease, something her son suffers from. Incidentally the same disease that his son died from. Problem is Nathan King has shut himself off emotionally from ever feeling pain or happiness again. In steps Kerri Sullivan, hair-dresser and Super Mom, who is willing to blackmail Nathan to get his $15 million.

Mallery has created a story that truly shows the desperation and heartbreak of a person trying to save the one they love. Kerri has put her entire life into saving her son. In fact, she has made a pack with God of her life for her sons. Accidentally Yours is a great story about allowing yourself to love and finding the power and courage to fight against unbeatable odds.

This story is an emotional roller coaster and I recommend with reservation to anyone who has a loved one that is dying or one that has just passed. It is a work of fiction so miracles do happen in it, and even if we know real life doesn’t allow for a lot of miracles it’s nice to read.

Grade: B+

Blurb:

     WANTED:

          -Single mom seeks billionaire’s pocketbook to fund dying son’s research cure. Will seduce if necessary. Blackmail is not out of the question. Miracles welcome.

          -Cynical billionaire seeks working mom with a heart of gold for PR campaign to improve his standing in the community. Must be willing to attend social events. Anyone looking for love need not apply.

     It seemed like the perfect match… until the unthinkable happened.

     Read an excerpt.

Read Sandy M’s review here.

Sandy M’s review of Accidentally Yours by Susan Mallery
Contemporary romance released 1 Jan 08 by HQN Books

I think someone goofed with the back cover blurb on this book (see below). It makes it sound like, No. 1, everything in the book takes place from a newspaper ad, which is not even close to what happens, and, No. 2, the read is all lightness and airy, which is only partly true. Somebody should have read the book before they wrote this thing.

Kerri Sullivan is a young widow with a nine-year-old son fighting a fatal disease. She’ll do anything in her power to make sure her son doesn’t die, including scheming to get an audience with billionaire Nathan King. He’s got more money than God, his son died of the same disease, and she has access to him for a very short span of time, so how can she mess this opportunity up and why wouldn’t he want to help? She didn’t count on him being a heartless bastard who only cares about making more money and having his name on the buildings he funds in Seattle. As soon as Kerri makes her pitch in the restaurant she’s working at only for the purpose of meeting King, she’s tossed out on her ear with no money and on her way back to the drawing board, because she will never give up.

Nathan has closed himself off to all emotional contact since his son’s death. He came from nothing, had a father who abused him, and made his billions instead of getting to know the one person who meant the world to him before he died. His money couldn’t save his son, his wife couldn’t deal with their son’s disease, so it was up to Nathan to see his son through an agonizing and painful death. Hence his coldheartedness, his drive to work, his resolve to let no one near. He, however, didn’t count on Kerri Sullivan being so determined. Before he knows it, Nathan is, for all intents and purposes, being blackmailed into giving 15 million cool ones over to research so Kerri can hopefully have her miracle. She so artfully ties Nathan up in a huge bow the way she manipulates him with her humor, her wit, and her persistence. That was something to see. And it’s these same things that keep Nathan interested in this beguiling woman.

Both of these characters have such hurdles to jump, each at different ends of the same tragedy. The most profound part of the book is watching Nathan’s wall crumble the more he deals with Kerri. He still harbors guilt about his son’s death. He harbors guilt about his obsessive-compulsive sister. He has a hard time being around Kerri’s son when his son is dead. Kerri is the only one who can get through to him, get through the ice to his heart, but even she has her own issues. She’s promised God her life for her son’s, she’ll do anything and everything to take care of him if only God will let him live, and when Nathan is with her and they begin to have fun or their kisses begin to heat up, Kerri blames Nathan when things go wrong and her son’s disease begins to progress. Everything is worth it, though, the first time they make love, a beautiful scene between two people who need love so much but who have yet to realize they belong together.

This book is full of humor and full of deep sorrow, aching helplessness, and sheer joy. It’s definitely a roller coaster of emotions. It’s a book you don’t want to miss.

Grade: A

From the back cover:

WANTED: Single mom seeks billionaire’s pocketbook to fund dying son’s research cure. Will seduce if necessary. Blackmail is not out of the question. Miracles welcome.

Cynical billionaire seeks working mom with a heart of gold for PR campaign to improve his standing in the community. Must be willing to attend social events. Anyone looking for love, need not apply.

It seemed like the perfect match…until the unthinkable happened.

Read an excerpt.