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From New York Times bestselling author Brenda Jackson, comes a new trilogy starring three Westmorelands who are impossible to resist: Zane, Canyon and Stern. 

Stern Westmoreland never makes mistakes—until he helps his best friend Jovonnie "JoJo" Jones with a makeover…for another man. Now Stern wants JoJo for himself. Their attraction is undeniable and there's only one way to test it: one long, steamy night together as much more than friends!

Look for the other stories in Brenda Jackson's Westmoreland trilogy: ZANE and CANYON. Available now! And don't miss Brenda's 100th book, A MADARIS BRIDE FOR CHRISTMAS, available November 2013!

• Sales Rank: #577889 in Books
• Brand: Harlequin
• Published on: 2013-09-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.63" h x .50" w x 4.13" l, .21 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 192 pages

Features

• Great product!

About the Author
A New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of more than 100 romance titles, Brenda divides her time between family, writing and traveling . Readers may write Brenda at P.O. Box 28267, Jacksonville, Florida 32226, by email at WriterBJackson@aol.com or visit her website at brendajackson.net.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"Stern, what can a woman do to make a man want her?" Stern Westmoreland, who had been looking through the scope of his hunting rifle, jerked his head around at the unexpected question, nearly knocking the cap off his head.

He glared at the woman beside him who was staring through the scope of her own rifle. When a shot rang out, expletives flowed from his lips. "Dammit, JoJo, you did that on purpose. You asked me that just to ruin my concentration."

She lowered her rifle and frowned at him. "I did not. I asked you because I really want to know. And if it makes you feel better, I missed my target just now."

Stern rolled his eyes. So what if she had missed her shot now? Nothing had stopped her from taking down that huge elk yesterday when he had yet to hit anything, not even a coyote. On days like this he wondered why he always invited his best friend on these hunting trips. She showed him up each and every time.

Lifting his rifle and looking through the scope again, he drew in a deep breath. He knew why he always invited JoJo. He liked having her around. When he was with her he could be himself and not a man trying to impress anyone. Their comfortable relationship was why she'd been his best friend for years. "Well?"

He lowered the scope from his eye to look at her.

"Well what?"

"You didn't answer me. What can a woman do to make a man want her? Other than jump into bed. I'm not into casual sex."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm glad to hear that."

"What do you find funny, Stern? It's okay for you to be into casual sex but not me?"

Stern stared at her in astonishment. "What in the heck is wrong with you today? You've never been into drama."

JoJo's expression filled with anger and frustration. "You don't understand, and you used to understand me even when nobody else did." Without saying anything else she turned and walked off.

He watched her leave. What the hell? JoJo was being temperamental, and in all the years he'd known her she'd never been temperamental. What in the world was going on with her?

Deciding he wasn't in the mood to hunt anymore today, he followed JoJo down the path that led back to his hunting lodge.

After a quick shower, Jovonnie Jones grabbed a beer out of the refrigerator, pulled the tab and took a refreshing sip. She needed that, she thought as she left the kitchen to sit outside on the wooden deck and enjoy the picturesque view of the Rocky Mountains.

A few years ago Stern had stumbled on this lodge, an old, dilapidated place that sat on more than a hundred acres of the best hunting land anywhere. In only two years, with the help of his brothers and cousins, the building had been transformed into one of beauty. It was a perfect hunting getaway. It offered black bears, deer, fox and other wildlife, but this was mainly elk country.

The lodge had been a good investment for Stern. When he wasn't using it, he leased it. It was a huge two-story structure with eight bedrooms, four full bathrooms and wooden decks that wrapped all the way around the house on both the first and the second floors. The common area included a huge kitchen and dining area and a sitting room with a massive brick fireplace. Plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows provided breathtaking views of the Rockies from every room.

She eased down in one of the outdoor cedar rocking chairs. Even after her hot shower and cold beer, she was still feeling frustrated and angry. Why couldn't Stern take her seriously and answer her question? It should work in her favor that she was best friends with a man most women believed to be the hottest thing on legs. Stern got any woman he wanted. If anybody ought to know about a woman's appeal, it should be him.

JoJo chuckled, remembering. In high school, girls would deliberately pretend to befriend her for no other reason than to get close to Stern. It never worked for long because once Stern learned the truth he would drop them like hot potatoes. He refused to let anyone use her. To him, friendship meant more than that. If those girls didn't want to be her friend because of who she was, then he wanted no part of them.

In truth, most of the girls she'd known in high school, and even some of the women she knew now, preferred not to hang around with someone who wasn't very girly.

JoJo preferred jeans to dresses. She liked to hunt, practiced karate, could shoot a bow and arrow, and knew more about what was under the hood of a car than most guys. Of course, that last skill set had come from her father, who had been a professional mechanic. And not just any mechanic—he had been the best.

A deep lump clogged her throat. It was hard to believe he had passed away two years ago. He'd suffered a massive heart attack while doing something he loved—working on a car. Her mother had died when JoJo was eleven, so her father's death had left her parentless. She'd inherited the auto mechanic shop, which had given her the opportunity to come out of the classroom and get under the hood of a car.

After she had gotten the teaching degree her father had wanted her to get, she'd obtained a graduate degree in technical engineering. She had enjoyed being a professor at one of the local community colleges, but owning and operating the Golden Wrench was what she truly loved.

"So are we still on speaking terms?"

Stern placed a tray of tortilla chips and salsa on the table beside her. He then slid into the other rocker.

"Not sure if we are or not," she said, reaching over and grabbing a chip to dip into the salsa and then sliding the whole thing in her mouth. "I asked you a question and you didn't answer me because you assumed I wasn't serious."

Stern took a sip of beer and glanced over the can at her. "Were you serious?"

"Yes."

"Then I apologize. I honestly thought you were trying to mess with my concentration."

A smile touched her lips. "Would I do that?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Well, yes," she admitted, trying to hide her amusement. "But I didn't today. I need information."

"On how a woman could make a man want her?"

"Yes."

Stern leaned forward in his chair and pierced her with a dark, penetrating gaze. "Why?"

She lifted a brow. "Why?"

"Yes, why would you want to know something like that?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead she took a sip of her beer and looked out at the mountains. It was a beautiful September day. A red fox flashed through a cluster of pine trees before darting between a patch of woods to disappear.

After she'd gathered her thoughts, she turned back to Stern. "There's this guy who brings his car to the shop. He's sexy. Oh…is he sexy."

Stern rolled his eyes. "I'll take your word for it. Go on."

She shrugged. "That's it." Stern frowned. "That's it?"

"Yes. I've decided I want him. The question is, how can I get him to want me, too?"

As far as Stern was concerned, the real question was, had JoJo lost her ever-loving mind? But he didn't say that. Instead, he took another sip of his beer.

He knew JoJo better than he knew anyone, and if she was determined to do something then that was it. He could help her, or she'd find help somewhere else.

"What's his name?" he asked.

She slid another chip into her mouth. "You don't need to know that. Do you tell me the name of every woman you want?"

"This is different."

"Really? In what way?"

He wasn't sure, but he just knew that it was. Using the pad of his thumb, he rubbed the tension building at his temple. "First of all, when it comes to men, you're green. And second, for you to even ask me that question means you're not ready for the kind of relationship you're going after."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Pleeze, Stern. I'll be thirty next year. Most women my age are married by now, some with children. And I don't even have a boyfriend."

He wasn't moved by that argument. "I'll be thirty-one next year and I don't have a girlfriend." When she looked over at him, he amended that statement. "Not a steady one. I like being single."

"But you do date. A lot. I'm beginning to think that most of the men in town wonder if I'm really a girl."

He studied her. There had never been any doubt in his mind that she was a girl. She had long lashes and eyes so dark they were the color of midnight. Those eyes were staring straight ahead now, looking out over the thick woods. She had her bare legs lifted in the rocker with her arms wrapped around them. Her pose emphasized the muscles in her limbs. He knew she did a lot of physical work at the shop, but the two of them also had memberships at a gym in town.

She had changed out of her hunting clothes and was wearing cut-offjeans and a short top. She had gorgeous legs, long and endless. But he knew he was one of the few men who'd ever seen them. She opened the shop at eight and closed after five. It wasn't unusual for her to work late if she had a car an owner needed. And during that whole time, she wore an auto-mechanic's uniform splattered with grease. A number of men would be surprised how she looked wearing something other than that uniform.

"You hide stuff," he finally said.

She glanced over at him, frowning. "I hide what?"

"What a nice body you have. Most of the time men see you in your work clothes."

Her frown deepened. "Well, forgive me for not wearing stilettos and a slinky dress while I change a carburetor."

A vision of that flashed through his mind and he smiled as he took a sip of beer. "Stilettos and a slinky dress? You don't have to go that far, but."

He glanced over at her and saw she was pouting. He kind of liked it when she pouted. She looked cute.

"But what?"

"You would probably gain more men's interest if you were seen around town after hours in something other than jeans and sweats. You're a female, JoJo. Men like women who look soft and sexy once in a while."

She studied the contents of her beer bottle. "You think that might do it?"

"Probably." He suddenly sat up straight in the rocker. "I have an idea. What you need is a makeover."

"A makeover?"

"Yes, and then you need to go where your guy hangs out. In a dress that shows your legs, a new hairdo—"

"What's wrong with my hair?"

Honestly, he didn't think there was anything wrong with her hair. It was long, thick and healthy. He should know. He'd helped her wash it numerous times over the years. He loved it when she wore it down past her shoulders, but these days she rarely did.

"You have beautiful hair. You just need to show it off more. Even now you're hiding it under a cap."

He reached over and took the hat off her head. Lustrous dark brown hair tumbled to her shoulders. He smiled. "See, I like it already."

And he did. He was tempted to run his hands through it to feel the silky texture.

He leaned back and took another sip of his beer, wondering where such a tempting thought came from. This was JoJo, for heaven's sake. His best friend. He should not be thinking about how silky her hair was.

"So, you think a makeover will work?"

"Yes, but like I said, after the makeover you need to go where you think the guy's going to be—with a date. Whenever you pull it all together, I'm available."

She met his gaze. "Not sure that will work. If I'm with someone, he might not check me out."

"Most people around here know we're best friends and nothing more."

"He's new to town and probably won't know that."

Stern thought for a moment. "You're probably right. I wouldn't come on to a woman if I saw her with another man. But you want him to accept you as you are. The woman who works as a mechanic during the day and the same woman who can get all dolled up at night, right?"

"Right."

Stern smiled. "Then I suggest you let him see you with another man. Makes it obvious that you can be sexy when you want to be and that other men appreciate you. I bet once he's seen you, even if you're with me, he'll contact you for a date. And then when he does see you in your work clothes, he'll look beyond the uniform and imagine what's underneath."

Stern's smile faded. For some reason the thought of men checking out JoJo that way, of men calling her for a date, bothered him. Suddenly, he was thinking that maybe a makeover wasn't such a great idea after all.

"That's a wonderful idea, Stern! As soon as I get back to Denver I'm going to get started on the makeover. First, I need to find out where this guy hangs out. Then I'll find the name of someone who can make me look pretty."

"You're already pretty, JoJo."

She patted his hand. "Ah, that's sweet of you to say, but you're my best friend so your opinion of my looks doesn't count. I'll get in touch with your cousin Megan for the name of her hairstylist, and it shouldn't be hard to find a makeup artist. Then, I'll go shopping. I'll get some of your other cousins and sisters-in-law to go with me because they all like to shop. I'm excited."

He took another sip of his beer. "I can tell."

Why did her interest in a man bother him? The only reason he could come up with was that she was his best friend and he didn't want to lose their special bond. He didn't want to lose her. What if this guy found it strange that a man and woman were best friends? What if he pushed her to end the friendship they'd shared for years?

His gut twisted. His brothers and cousins had always said they wouldn't want any girlfriend of theirs to have the sort of close relationship with another man that he and JoJo shared. What if this guy thought the same way?

Stern did not like problems, and he always preferred dealing with them head-on.

Stern frowned. "What's his name, JoJo?"

She chuckled. "You don't need his name, Stern. Besides, you'll find out soon enough when I set my plans into motion."

Stern took a sip of his beer. He couldn't wait.

Most helpful customer reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
Stern Westmoreland
By Angela Whigham
Who know you better than your best friend?

When an attraction becomes to much for best friends to ignore, Stern has one night to prove that they can move their relationship to a whole new level and become much more than best friends.
He will do whatever it takes, because the Westmorelands play for keeps when they fall in love.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
Simon says.......Buy This Book
By Indy
This was a great book. The first half had me laughing. Mr. Cool Attorney Stern being played by his best friend JoJo and JoJo not realizing the power she had over Stern. This series is excellent. I can't wait for the upcoming books. Will Brane ever locate Crystal or has she moved on with her life? Let's not forget about the twin and Jill. Will they find the strength to confront their family? Okay Mrs. Jackson, you have some writing to do. Thank you for your wonderful books. You are truly a talented writer.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
My Thoughts on... Stern by Brenda Jackson
By Meka
Let me start my review by saying "Wow! I will never look at the game Simon Says the same way again!" Talk about HOT! That part alone is worthy of 4 stars. I give Stern 13 out 10 on my Steamy Scale, the love scenes will have you melting on the spot!

I absolutely adored Jojo & Stern's story. It shows Stren's revelation that Jojo is a woman that he wants for himself, and Jojo's courage for going after her heart's desire. It was a great addition to the Westmoreland line. I recommend this book to all of Brenda Jackson's fans, and any fans of romance it was a great read. I'm looking forward to the next Westmoreland store, and any other Brenda Jackson stories that may come.

I received this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

See all 266 customer reviews...

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Even with a baby on the way, Amelia's holding out for the perfect husband. Tyler has thirty days to prove he's the one. 

Best friends Tyler Dixon and Amelia Kennedy eloped to Vegas on a whim. But before they can deal with their quickie divorce, she confesses: she's pregnant. Now there's no way Tyler will agree to go their separate ways. He wants them to stay married, raise their child together, share a house—and a bed. 

Yet Amelia has always dreamed of a perfect marriage…and she doesn't think this self-made millionaire is lifetime material despite their friendship. She's given him just one month to prove her wrong…

• Sales Rank: #1487644 in Books
• Published on: 2015-02-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.60" h x .50" w x 4.21" l, .0 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 192 pages

Review
"Another beautifully written, deliciously hot romance involving the women from the Brides and Belles series proves that sometimes love shows itself where you least expect it, but only if you open yourself to the possibility." - 4.5 stars TOP PICK, Romantic Times Book Reviews

About the Author
Andrea Laurence is an award winning contemporary author who has been a lover of books and writing stories since she learned to read. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to be able to share her books with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she's working on her own "happily ever after" with her boyfriend and five fur-babies. You can contact Andrea at her website: http://www.andrealaurence.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"Amelia," Gretchen pressed, "tell me you didn't elope in a Las Vegas wedding chapel."

Amelia took a deep breath and slowly nodded. Her stomach was turning somersaults, but she managed to get the words out anyway. "I did," she admitted. "The details are a little blurry, but I woke up married to my best friend."

"Wait." Bree held up her hands in disbelief. "Did you just say you're married? Married?"

Amelia looked at her two friends and coworkers, not entirely certain she could repeat the words. It had been hard enough to say them the first time. She actually hadn't admitted it aloud until that very moment. The past few weeks it had all seemed like a fuzzy dream, but with Gretchen and Bree staring at her as though she'd grown a second head, it was suddenly very, very real.

"My high school reunion didn't go the way I planned," she explained. "I thought going back to Las Vegas would be fun, but it wasn't. Everyone was passing around pictures of their wedding days and their kids… " Her voice trailed off.

The sad state of Amelia's love life had hit her hard that night. She'd been in the dating scene for ten years with nothing to show for it but a string of almost-but-not-quite relationships. It wasn't for lack of trying—she put herself out there time after time, but with no luck. She refused to settle for anything less than a timeless love, and it seemed just out of her reach.

Her hectic career hadn't helped matters. She'd spent the past few years since college focusing on building the business she and her partners had founded, From This Moment. Running a wedding facility was a stressful job, and her area of expertise—catering—was no small task. Between menu tastings, prep work and wedding cakes, the wedding day itself was the least of her troubles. She loved her job, but it left little time to seriously dedicate herself to finding the love and family she'd always fantasized about.

She was only twenty-eight. Hardly old-maid material. But then she'd gone to the reunion and found that her schoolmates had left her in their familial dust. Even dorky Dave Simmons had come with his wife, and she'd been certain he'd never find a woman. Not even having Tyler there—equally single—helped. He was single by choice, too happy to play the globe-trotting CEO to have the burden of a serious relationship.

"I was feeling sorry for myself. My best friend, Tyler, kept bringing me drinks, and eventually we decided to blow off the party and go down to the Strip."

"Skip to the part where you eloped," Gretchen pressed, with an odd mix of wonder and glee on her cherubic face. She enjoyed living vicariously through others.

Amelia shook her head. "It's kind of a blur, but Tyler reminded me about this stupid pact we made on graduation night. We swore that if we weren't married by our ten-year reunion, we would marry each other."

"You didn't!" Bree said, her large blue eyes growing wider by the minute.

"We did." She couldn't believe it either, but they'd gone through with it. When Amelia woke up the next morning, the giant diamond ring on her hand and the naked man beside her in bed had confirmed her worst fears. The night before had not been just a vivid dream. It had really happened. She was married to her best friend.

"We did it for a laugh, you know? In high school, the two of us were always coming up with crazy ideas. I think Tyler was trying to cheer me up, offering to marry me so I wouldn't feel like the single one at the reunion anymore. It seemed like a brilliant solution at the time."

"It always does," Gretchen noted, as though she'd had her share of impetuous experiences.

"What the hell kind of liquor were you drinking?" Bree asked at last, sliding away the bridal magazine she'd been reading to plan her own upcoming nuptials.

"Anyway," Amelia continued, pointedly ignoring Bree, "the plan was to annul it as soon as we can. He lives in New York. I live here. It's obviously not going to work long-term."

Work? What was she even talking about? Of course it wasn't going to work. She'd just married her best friend from high school! Tyler. She knew everything there was to know about him and she was certain Tyler was not husband material. He worked too much, he traveled constantly and he had a bad habit of falling off the face of the earth for weeks at a time. She loved him, but she couldn't count on him. And yet, here she was. Married to him.

"So far the annulment plan isn't panning out the way I'd like. Turns out you can't annul a marriage in Tennessee just because it was done on a whim. New York may have better laws, but if not, that means a full-on divorce. Either way, Tyler has been traveling too much to start the process. I've only gotten a few texts from him in between stops in Belgium, Los Angeles, India. I haven't even spoken to him on the phone since I left Las Vegas."

"So do you think he's really busy, or is he avoiding you?" Gretchen asked. "I would think that might be an awkward situation to deal with. I can't even imagine sleeping with one of my guy friends from high school. If the sex was bad it would be hard to face him later. If the sex was good…that might be even worse."

"The sex was amazing," Amelia confessed, quickly clamping a hand over her mouth. Had she really said that out loud? She shook her head. The words had spilled out because they were true. Tyler had been the most talented and attentive lover she'd ever had. Their wedding night had easily left her top five encounters in its dust. She wasn't entirely sure what to think about that.

"Well, then," Bree noted with a smile twisting her lips. "Do tell."

"Oh, no," she said. "I've already said too much."

"Maybe he's dragging his feet in the hopes of getting some more of that sugar," Gretchen suggested.

"There's no more sugar to be had. That was a one-night thing and we both know it," Amelia argued, even as she felt the untruth of her words. She wanted more, she just knew she shouldn't. "He's just busy. He's always busy."

Tyler obviously wasn't that concerned with fixing this.

In the few texts she'd received, he'd told her to relax. If annulment was off the table, there was no rush, so unless she was madly in love and needed to marry someone else right that minute, it wasn't a big deal. He, of all people, knew about her relationship struggles and knew that the odds of that were extremely low.

But it was a big deal to her. Especially considering the extenuating circumstances. She couldn't even wrap her brain around that, so she continued to ignore it. It wasn't a pressing issue…yet.

"So you're really just going to walk away from the man that gave you the greatest orgasms of your life?" Gretchen frowned. "I don't think I could do that, even if I couldn't stand the guy. You and Tyler love each other, though. It's not much of a hop from friends to lovers, is it?"

"It is a huge hop over a massive chasm, I assure you." Amelia knew for certain they shouldn't go there again. Tyler had been her best friend since ninth grade, but she had never really allowed herself to consider anything between the two of them. For one thing, there was no way she wanted to risk their friendship in an attempt to take it to the next level. If it failed—and the odds were that it would—she'd lose the most important person in her life.

For another reason, there was a big difference between being friends and being lovers. Being friends was easy. She tolerated Tyler's jet-setting, bossiness and extended radio silences just the same as he tolerated her romantic drama and pickiness. It wasn't a big deal because as friends, it didn't impact them directly. Dating someone magnified those personality quirks, and suddenly they were deal breakers.

Her raw emotional state at the reunion had apparently forced all those concerns out of her mind. The next thing she knew, she was on the verge of consummating her marriage. In that moment, nothing mattered more than peeling away Tyler's clothes and getting a taste of the forbidden. His hard body and sure touch had been an unexpected surprise, and she hadn't been able to get enough of him. Even now, the mere thought of touching him again sent a thrill through her body, awakening parts of her that should never, ever throb with need where Tyler was concerned.

Since she'd gotten home from the reunion, their night together had haunted her. The marriage could be undone. But the memories… Those couldn't be erased. The way he'd touched her. The way he'd coaxed pleasure from her body as though he'd studied his whole life for that moment… She could never go back to the blissful ignorance they'd once had. They had eaten the forbidden fruit.

A chime like a kitchen timer went off on her phone, rousing her from the mental spiral she'd just dived into. It was a new text. She frowned down at her phone when she saw the name. Speak of the devil, she had finally gotten another text from Tyler. Unfortunately, it didn't address her million questions or make up for the weeks of waiting he'd put her though since they'd married. All it said was, Are you at work?

He must be ready to talk about all this at last. Perhaps his jet-setting had abated for a few days and he was finally able to move forward.

Yes, she replied to his text. She would be able to call him back after the staff meeting was over. At that point, she could go into her office, shut the door and have the much-needed discussion to put this behind them. Natalie, the wedding planner and office manager, would arrive any moment with coffee, as she did every Monday morning. Not even Amelia's latest life catastrophe would throw off Nat's schedule.

On cue, Natalie pushed open the door of the conference room and stopped in the doorway. She had the cup holder clutched in her hands, four paper cups held tightly in place, as usual. But there was a strange look on her face. Her normally calm expression was pinched, her mouth tight. Something was wrong.

"What's the matter, Natalie?" Bree asked.

Natalie turned from Bree to look at Amelia, her long dark ponytail sweeping over one shoulder. "There's an incredibly hot guy here to see you, Amelia. He says that he's your, uh…husband"

Someone gasped. Amelia wasn't sure which of them it was. Probably her. She launched up out of her chair, her expression no doubt panic-stricken. He couldn't possibly be here. He'd just texted her and hadn't made any mention of being in Nashville. Natalie was surely mistaken.

"What does he look like?"

Natalie's brow shot up. "Five minutes ago, I didn't think you had a husband, period, much less so many that you wouldn't know who he was immediately when I mentioned him."

"Tall, dark blond hair, bushy eyebrows, icy blue eyes?"

Natalie nodded slowly. "That would be him. He's waiting in the lobby with a shiny wedding ring on his hand. Have I missed something?"

"Oh, yeah." Gretchen snorted.

Moving into the room, Natalie set the drinks on the table and then crossed her arms over her chest. "You're married? To the guy in the lobby?"

"Yes," she admitted.

"Amelia—the one who's had her wedding planned since she was five? Amelia—the one who just a few weeks ago was complaining that there was no one special in her life? I mean, you are the same person, right? You're not a pod person that just looks like Amelia?"

She wished she could blame her rash behavior on alien influences, but it was all her doing. Natalie was right to be surprised. Amelia quite literally had had a wedding planned for twenty-three years. Her files of cartoon drawings and magazine cutout collages had evolved into Pinter-est boards and spreadsheets, but the content was basically the same. And considering she had never been engaged, it was an excessive level of detail. She occasionally updated the color palette, but the rest was the same. She'd always fantasized about a big wedding with hundreds of guests, tons of good food, dancing and all the elegant touches she adored. All she needed was the love of her life to slip into that Armani tuxedo and make her dreams a reality.

To throw all that away so she could get walked down the aisle by Elvis and marry her best friend was…unthinkable. But Vegas seemed to have that power over people. "It's a long story. They can fill you in." Amelia started toward the door.

"Do you at least want your coffee?" Natalie asked, holding up the paper cup with her white chocolate-caramel macchiato.

Amelia started to reach for it, and then she caught a whiff of the strong aroma. Her stomach immediately started to turn, making her wince and step back. "Ugh—no, thanks. Maybe later. I just can't face it right now."

Turning quickly, she disappeared down the hallway. Natalie's voice easily carried the distance. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

Tyler Dixon waited longer in the lobby than he expected to. When the dark-haired woman disappeared down the hallway to deliver his message, he was certain Amelia would come rushing out to him immediately. She would run and jump into his arms, greeting him with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek the way she always did.

Glancing down at his Rolex, he started to wonder if he'd miscalculated. He'd known she was here, even before she'd texted him back—he'd recognized her car in the parking lot. That meant she was either angry and making him wait for ignoring her, or she was avoiding him because she was embarrassed by the whole sex thing.

He didn't know what she had to be embarrassed about. With a body like hers, walking around naked could be considered a public service. Sure, they'd crossed a line, but they could work through that. They'd weathered rough patches in their friendship before.

It probably had more to do with him not calling her back. His schedule had been pretty hectic since the reunion, but it had to be. He'd bought some raw diamonds and taken them to India to be cut. He'd hit an auction in Belgium and picked up an antique sapphire brooch formerly owned by French royalty before the revolution. He'd closed a huge deal with a Beverly Hills jewelry designer to provide diamonds for their pieces. Whenever he'd thought to call her, the time zones were off. She wouldn't have appreciated getting those calls at 2:00 a.m.

This was why he didn't get in serious relationships anymore. He'd gotten burned with Christine and learned his lesson. He knew that most women didn't appreciate his schedule, even if they appreciated the money that resulted from it. At first, his diamond airline status and exotic travels seemed exciting, but it didn't take most women long to realize that meant he was always on the go. No, he wouldn't be able to go to that work thing with you. No, he couldn't talk about your crappy day when he was ten times zones behind and busy working.

Amelia had never minded his schedule before. Had that changed along with their marital status?

What was the rush anyway? She hadn't found Prince Charming in the ten years leading up to now. Certainly she hadn't found him in the past month while he'd been gone. He loved Amelia, but she wasn't known for her successful relationships. He'd only met one woman in his whole life who was as high maintenance as she was, and that was his ex. He'd known that about Amelia going into this, but she was his best friend and he would do anything to make her happy. Apparently.

They'd take care of the divorce. That was why he was here at his first opportunity. Despite what Amelia might think, Tyler wasn't deliberately dragging his feet. Although, if he was honest with himself, there was a part of him that was sad that he'd never get to touch those soft curves again. He'd always been happy to be Amelia's friend, but he wouldn't mind spending a little more time exploring her body before they went back to being just friends. He'd only had one brief taste, and that wasn't nearly enough for a woman like her.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful.
HLB Reviews Thirty Days to Win His Wife
By Home. Love. Books.
I always love the whole friends who finally hook up storyline, what can I say I'm a sucker for the friends to lovers trope. But I also really love the whole impulsive marriage thing too, it's always so much fun to see how well people who impulsively get married deal with it, whether they just met or they have been friends for years. This book adds in an unexpected pregnancy to add for some more drama to the story.

So Amelia and Tyler have been friends for years, and they had made a pact about getting married if they weren't married by their 10th high school reunion. So when they are in Vegas, and end up getting super drunk together, they end up getting married. After Vegas, they both go their separate ways, and let's face it Tyler is kind of hard to get a hold of, and they have only talked for a couple of times to talk about their annulment/divorce. And then Amelia finds out that she is pregnant and everything changes. Tyler wants to stay married, especially if they have a baby on the way. So in the end the two of them come to agreement, he has thirty days to convince her to stay with him, and she agrees to move out of her tiny apartment and into a house with Tyler.

I liked the whole plot, and I also really liked that Amelia wasn't ready to stay married to someone just because they were having a baby together. She wants more than that from a marriage, which I think is completely understandable. The one thing that did get a little annoying with Amelia is that she seems to fight Tyler at every chance, he tries so hard to woo her, and to prove to her that their relationship can work, that he can make her feel loved, but she resists all the time. She has this fairytale vision of what love should be, and is completely unwilling to compromise about it. I admit there were some times when I wanted to shake her.

I really loved Tyler though, he is such an amazing guy. He really does care about Amelia, and he wants to make sure that all of her dreams come true, even if he is emotionally scarred from his previous fiance. Tyler really isn't sure he believes in love anymore, but he definitely wants to have the family he is having with Amelia. I also really love that he knows her so well, that he tries to make her dreams come true.

This is a really sweet story, and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. It was really easy for me to read in one sitting, the pacing was really good, and I without a doubt totally enjoyed the push and pull between Amelia and Tyler. If you are like me and enjoy the whole friends to lovers thing, this this is without a doubt you would like, so check it out.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
An Okay Friends to Lovers Story
By Aisha
Book is originally reviewed on the Bewitching Bibliophile blog. I received a copy via NetGalley from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This didn't influence my review.

I went into this with no memory of the synopsis, because that's really how I love to read my books. As a smaller book it went pretty quickly, however I found that I wasn't as engaged as I normally am. It's very rare for me not to love one of these but there were just too many moments that weren't fleshed out enough for me so I found it to be an okay read, it ended just a little too smoothly for me.

It was a cute story but I didn't feel like they had real chemistry between them. There was a lot of potential but it just didn't quite make it. Part of the reason it didn't work for me was the female protagonist was too childish as I was reading the book. She whined way too much, who doesn't wan ta partner who wants to work at your relationship?? Just about every step the male character made wasn't right for her, she had this idea in her head of her perfect relationship and she wasn't willing to see the real perfection in front of her instead of the one she created in her head. No matter what he did he did it wrong. Even if it was exactly what she wanted. I just wanted to kick her. Like you ungrateful girl.

The characters have a few tough moments in their relationship, including one that can break most relationships and yet it wasn't quite fleshed out, it just brushed over it for a few paragraphs. It didn't do the justice it needed and didn't give it enough of chance to bring them together.

I never really felt like the male character was really in it at first, it really felt like he was going for the challenge as she accused him of. But then at the same time she kept doubting him so much I felt like he deserved more from her considering he's one of her best friends. I just couldn't get why she didn't trust that he knew her so well. He accepted the changes in his life really quickly and I wanted some conflict from him, even if it was just him taking a day or two to process then coming back. It was like this wasn't planned so why aren't you freaking out??

The ending was kinda rushed and felt like it was just to wrap it up. As I said I really didn't feel the chemistry between the characters, so this isn't a happy read for me.

Have you read it?? Let me know what you thought in the comments down below

★★1/2☆☆☆

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
A very heartwarming read...I loved it
By Cyn
This was a lovely read, not your usual romance this couple seems to do everything backwards. Sometimes this is how it needs to be done to get it right. Sometimes our heart knows what our mind should have but does not. One hot night in Vegas was all they needed to start a tower of proud, pain and love to tumble down around them. One night of hot passion of best friends turns into one hot mess that neither really want to get out of. They agreed at their high school reunion if they weren’t married they would get married. A few drinks and the deed is done, with one hot passionate night that neither can forget. Now comes the fall out along with a mess that much be cleaned up or does it. On returning to end a marriage they find out she is pregnant and decides to give the marriage 30 days to see if they can fall in love.

Tyler has his work cut out for him, he must date is wife, they must be in the same town at the same time. They must have a home and must be living together. But above all else he must make her fall in love with him. Wow that is a tough order but he is up for the challenge. He sets his plan into motion and finds he likes it, likes having his best friend to come home to, likes having her under foot. Now to make her see reason and keep her where he wants her. One thing for sure she will fall in love with him but he is keeping his heart to his self. No way is he handing that over, this should be easy right? Wrong she isn’t letting him off that easy.

Amelia wants what her grandparents have true love, a fairy tale, what she hasn’t learned is in marriage there is no such things. Marriage is hard you must work at it to make it work. She has a lot to learn and a short time to get there. What she does know is she love Tyler but she just doesn’t see how this marriage will last since he is only here for the baby. How can she give her heart to a man who won’t give her his?

The author gives you a strong story of lost, love, pain, sorrow, need, want, with twists and turns to keep the story interesting. You will fall in love with these characters as they take the painful walk of life to find the place they should have been many years ago. There must be a reason no one is good enough for either of them. Now they will have to work that out for themselves. I found this to be a page turn, I couldn’t wait to see the mess they made, to watch them fall in love when they already loved was a lovely read. This is the first I have read of this author but it will not be the last. I enjoyed her writing style, loved the way she brought this story together. It is an easy read that you will not only fall in love with but want to read at one setting.

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• Sales Rank: #3220261 in Books
• Published on: 2012-08-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.62" h x .50" w x 4.21" l, .15 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 192 pages

About the Author
Sara Orwig lives in Oklahoma and has a deep love of Texas. With a master’s degree in English, Sara taught high school English, was Writer-in-Residence at the University of Central Oklahoma and was one of the first inductees into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame. Sara has written mainstream fiction, historical and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds. She loves both reading and writing them.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Sophia Rivers sipped champagne and gazed beyond the circle of friends surrounding her. Her small Houston gallery was filled with guests viewing her art and helping her celebrate the second anniversary of her gallery's opening. The crowd was the perfect size, and she was completely satisfied with the turnout.

"Sophia, I have a question."

She turned to see Edgar Hollingworth, a father to her and a mentor, as well as a man whom she and her mother had been friends with before she ever moved into the art world. "Excuse me," she said to the group around her, and stepped away.

"Edgar, what can I do for you?" she said to the tall, thin man.

"You looked as if you needed rescuing," he said quietly. "You also look ravishing. The black and white is striking on you, Sophia."

"Thank you," she replied, shaking her long black hair away from her face.

"Shall we at least act as if I've asked you about a painting?" Edgar motioned toward the opposite side of the room and she smiled as she strolled with him. "You have a sizable crowd tonight. I'm glad you were able to make it. I haven't seen you in a long time."

"I hadn't planned to come until about three hours ago. I've been in New Mexico, painting. Who's the couple ahead to our right?" she asked.

"The Winstons. They're probably on your guest list because they bought a painting recently."

"Now how do you know that?"

"I sold it to them," he said, smiling at her, causing creases to fan from the corners of his blue eyes. "I still think you should move your gallery nearer mine. Our galleries would complement each other."

Sophia smiled at the familiar conversation that always ended with her saying no. "I do appreciate your gallery carrying my art. You were the first and I'll always be indebted to you for that."

"You would have been in a gallery anyway whether it was my place or another's. You have a fine talent."

"Thank you, Edgar," she said.

Sophia glanced around the room again and was slightly surprised when she saw another unfamiliar face. Except this one took her breath away.

Perhaps the tallest man in the room, he stood in profile. His brown hair had an unruly wave to it and his hawk nose and rugged looks made her think instantly that he would be an interesting subject to paint. He held a champagne flute in his hand as he looked at a painting.

"There's someone else I don't know," she said.

"His name is Garrett Cantrell. We talked awhile. He has a property management business here and he's a financial adviser. He, too, bought one of your paintings last week. Another satisfied customer."

A woman approached Edgar, who excused himself, leaving Sophia to contemplate the tall, brown-haired stranger, strolling slowly around the gallery. She suddenly found herself crossing the room to stand near him.

"I hope you like it," she said.

"I do," he replied, turning to look at her with thickly lashed eyes the color of smoke. Her breath caught. Up close he was even more fascinating—handsome in a craggy way—and his gray eyes were unforgettable.

"That's good," she replied, smiling and extending her hand while still held in his compelling gaze. "Because I'm the artist. I'm Sophia Rivers."

"Garrett Cantrell," he said, shaking her hand. His warm fingers wrapped around hers and an uncustomary tingle ran to her toes. She gazed into his smoke-colored eyes and couldn't get her breath. Her gaze slipped lower to his mouth. She wondered what it would be like to kiss him. The temperature in the room rose. She knew she should look away, yet she didn't want to stop studying him.

"The artist herself. And even more beautiful than your paintings," he said as he released her hand. "You've caught the atmosphere of the West."

"It's New Mexico, around Taos. And thank you," she added. Her pulse jumped at his compliment and she was keenly aware of him as they moved to view another painting.

"You're very good at what you do. I look at these and feel as if I'm there instead of standing in a steamy metropolitan city."

"That's what I hope to achieve. So this is the first time you've been to my gallery."

"Yes, but I own one of your pictures," he said, moving to the next painting. "You must spend a lot of time in New Mexico. I assume you have a gallery there?"

"Actually, I don't. I intend to open one early next year, but I haven't launched into that yet. It will take time away from painting."

"I understand." He sipped champagne and moved to another painting. "Ah, I really like this one," he said and she looked at a familiar work. It was an aged cart in front of a brown adobe house with bright hollyhocks growing around it. A small mesquite tree stood at one corner of the house.

He looked at the next series of paintings. "These are my favorites. The Native American ones," he said, indicating a man with a long black braid standing beside a horse in an open stretch of ground dotted with mes-quite. Overhead, white clouds billowed against a blue sky and a large hawk sailed with widespread wings.

"That's a great painting," he said. "The light and shadows are an interesting contrast." Happy with his compliment, she smiled. "I'll take this one. Any chance the artist will help me decide where to hang it? A dinner is in the offering."

Again, she had a flutter in her heartbeat. "We're strangers, Mr. Cantrell."

"It's Garrett. We can fix the 'strangers' part. When you can get away tonight, why don't we go around the corner to the hotel bar and have a drink? Tomorrow evening we'll hang my painting and then I'll take you to dinner."

"You don't waste time. I'd be delighted to have a drink tonight. I should be through here in another hour."

"Excellent," he said, glancing at his watch.

"I'll get one of my staff to wrap your painting and we can deliver it tomorrow if you'd like."

"That will be fine. The delivery person can leave it with my gatekeeper."

She smiled and left to find one of her employees. "Barry, would you help Mr. Cantrell? He wants number 32. Please take care of the sale and get the delivery information."

She had to resist the temptation to glance over her shoulder at Garrett.

Instead, she strolled around, speaking to customers and friends, meeting Edgar again.

"I see Cantrell bought a painting."

"Yes. I'm having a drink with him after this."

"That was quick," he said, glancing across the room. "Seemed nice enough. Wealthy enough, too. Last week he bought your painting from me without hesitation. Now, a week later, he's buying another one. The man knows what he likes."

"I see the Santerros. I have to speak to them."

"Have fun this evening," Edgar said as she left him.

"I intend to," she stated softly. "Garrett Cantrell," she repeated, glancing back to see him at the desk, handing a business card to Barry. Her gaze drifted over his long legs while her heartbeat quickened. Dressed in a navy suit with a snowy dress shirt and gold cuff links, the handsome man was a standout even in the well-dressed crowd.

She spent the next hour all too aware of where Gar-rett stood.

When she saw him talking to a couple she recognized, she waited until he moved away, then worked her way around to them.

"How are the Trents tonight?" she asked.

"Fine," Jason Trent answered.

"We love your new paintings," Meg Trent said. "Thanks for the invitation."

"Thank you for attending. I saw you talking to Garrett Cantrell. I just met him, but it looked as if you two already know him."

"We do," Jason replied. "I lease a building from his company. He keeps up with whether everything is going smoothly, which it is. Good bunch to work with."

"We're getting one of your watercolors for the family room," Meg said. "It's the one with the little boy and the burro."

"I'm glad you like that one. I hope you enjoy having it in your home."

"You're a prolific painter," Jason remarked.

"I enjoy it."

"More than the financial world," he said, smiling.

"I have no regrets about changing careers."

"That's what I keep trying to talk Meg into doing— She'd love to have a dress shop."

"Accounting seems to hold fewer risks. You're established now, but weren't you nervous when you started?" Meg asked.

"I suppose, but it was absolutely worth it," Sophia said. "It was nice to see you both," she added, moving on, aware of Garrett across the gallery talking to two people. She wondered whether he knew them, too.

She stopped at the desk to look at his card. "Cantrell Properties Inc." It was a plain card with a downtown address, logo and phone number, but little else. She returned it to the drawer.

Garrett appeared at her side. "Can you leave? You still have quite a few people here."

"I can leave. My staff can manage quite well. They weren't expecting me to be here tonight anyway."

"I'm glad you are," he said.

"We can go out the back way and it'll be less noticeable." She led him through a door, down a hallway that opened onto offices, a mailroom and a studio and out the back into a parking lot where five cars were parked. Four tall lampposts illuminated the area as brightly as if it were day. A security guard sat in a cubicle watching a small television. He stepped to the door.

"Good night, Miss Rivers."

"I'll be back after a while to get my car, Teddy."

"Sure thing. Evening, sir," he said, nodding at Gar-rett who greeted him in return.

"My car is in fr...

Most helpful customer reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Meh... not her best work by a long shot...
By Todd C. Spears
The basic story is that our heroine Sophia is the illegitimate daughter of an extremely wealthy man who treater her and her mother very badly during her childhood. This did not stop him from leaving her some of his many billions. A successful artist in her own right, she rejects anything to do with the man who hurt her and her mother so much. This irks the siblings she's never met to no end because they stand to lose some of their inheritance if she refuses hers! How dare she!

In rides Garrett, our hero, to sweet talk Sophia into accepting her inheritance before it's too late and her brothers lose out due to the time limit on the will. Once our two heroes meet sparks fly and within 72 hours she's flying off for a weekend away with him (and surrendering her virginity). During their whirlwind courtship he finally comes clean about who he is and why he was sent... they fight and breakup before she realizes he was right about everything (of course) and they ride happily into the sunset.

I just couldn't quite get into this story - the hero is manipulative and during their big fight rather cruel to her. He keeps telling her how selfish she is because she's cheating her half siblings out of their billions (even though they are already fortunes of their own). And then he claims she's cheating her niece out of a future with her selfishness (apparently, this little girl cannot be raised with less than several billion dollars for her upkeep). It was just too much. He came off as a tool and she came off as something of a doormat for kowtowing to him.

While I've enjoyed Ms. Orwig's work for sometime this is not one of her better books.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
another in this series with 'consent issues'
By EllenB
So he wasn't some attractive guy she just met, but one who sought her out to try and persuade her to accept an inheritance she didn't want. So far, fair enough. But then he seduced her (and it's not as though she was into casual sex, though it still would have been bad enough, but she was a virgin), and THEN she found out his real agenda - besides getting her into bed.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
book
By Claire Hobbs
Great book. Kept me interested and wanting to read more. I always wish the book could keep going on to see how things turn out.

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High school physics teacher Lucy Savage is finally getting rid of Bradley--and his hideous green recliner. In fact, her front lawn is littered with her cheating ex-husband's belongings. Because despite standing her up in divorce court, Bradley is out of her life for good. Or so she thinks.

When her sister takes her to lunch to celebrate Lucy's single status, all their talk of a no-good louse named Bradley catches the attention of a cop--who wants to arrest the very same Bradley for embezzlement. And O[fb03] cer Zach Warren figures the lovely Lucy can lead him straight to his target.

When someone shoots at Lucy and then blows up her car, Zach insists she needs twenty-four-hour protection. What does he think her three dogs and attack cat are for? Still, he insists on moving right in to Lucy's house....

Now there's danger lurking outside and in her own kitchen, bathroom-- and bedroom. Or maybe Zach, who looks like a bad boy with that shaggy dark hair and black leather jacket, is really one of the good guys, and just what Lucy needs.

• Sales Rank: #1641413 in Books
• Published on: 2008-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 7.50" h x 1.70" w x 5.40" l, .77 pounds
• Binding: Hardcover
• 336 pages

Review
"Jennifer Crusie has a marvelous writer's voice -- funny and dead on realistic at the same time." -- Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

About the Author
Jennifer Crusie is the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author of Tell Me Lies, Crazy for You, Welcome to Temptation, Faking It, Fast Women, and Bet Me.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"I've never known anyone who was stood up for her own divorce before," Tina Savage told her sister. "What's it feel like?"

"Not good." Lucy Savage Porter tried to smooth her f lowered skirt with a damp hand. "Can we go? I'm not enjoying this." She gave up on the skirt and clutched her lumpy tapestry bag to her as she glanced around the marble hallway of the Riverbend courthouse. "Bradley signed the divorce papers. We don't even need to be here."

Tina shook her head. "Psychologically, we need to be here. You had a ceremony when you got married, you need one when you get divorced. I want you to feel divorced. I want you to feel free. Now sit over there on that bench while I find Benton to tell me why this is taking so long."

I'd feel a lot freer if you'd stop ordering me around, Lucy started to say, and then blinked instead. She'd been having rebellious moments like that a lot lately, but they were hard to hold on to, especially since the only time she'd actually followed through on one, it had been a disaster. Right now she was sitting under a brassy head of curls because she'd decided to go blonde as a symbol of her freedom. Some symbol. She looked like Golden Barbie with crow's-feet.

Maybe the problem was that she wasn't an independent kind of person. Other than the hair fiasco, every time she'd decided to be more independent, logic stopped her cold. After all, Tina was right. She did need the closure of hearing the divorce decree. And the bench was the best place to sit. It would be illogical to disagree just for the sake of disagreeing.

No matter how good it would have felt.

She went over and sat down on the bench.

Tina was gone already, trying to find her hapless attorney in the f lood of suits that washed around her. Poor Benton. He'd gone beyond the call of lawyerhood in ramming Lucy's divorce through the courts in two weeks, but that wasn't enough for Tina. Tina wouldn't be satisfied until Benton brought her Bradley's head on a platter. Lucy had a momentary image of Tina, dark and svelte and dressed in her white linen suit, standing in front of a f lustered Benton who was offering her Bradley's handsome head on a turkey plate.

She liked it. Tina always did have the best ideas.

Tina suddenly appeared before her, parting the suits before her like the Red Sea. "There's some kind of delay. It'll be another hour, but then we'll go have lunch."

Another hour. "All right. At Harvey's Diner?"

Tina shrugged. "Whatever you want."

"Thank you." Lucy dug her physics textbook out of her bag.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to teach Planck's constant tomorrow." Lucy paged through the book. "It's a tough one to get across. I'm reviewing."

"You know, the next thing I'm getting you is a new job," Tina said, and disappeared back into the suits.

A new job?

"I like my job," Lucy said, but Tina was already gone.

Okay, that's the last straw." Lucy closed her book with a thump. Nobody's ordering me around anymore. From now on, I'm going to be independent even if it is illogical. I'm going to be a whole new me.

That's it.

I'm changing.

"OKAY,THAT'S IT.I'M quitting," Zack Warren said to his partner. His shaggy dark hair fell across his forehead, almost into his eyes, but he was too mad to brush it back.

"Don't tell me, tell Jerry." Tall, cool, and controlled, Anthony Taylor nodded toward the man who had just pulled a gun on them.

Zack turned back to the gun, wavering now in the hands of the balding, middle-aged embezzler who stood quivering in his bad suit behind his empty desk. Jerry watched them warily, as warily as a cautious man might regard two big guys he was holding a gun on.

"I'm quitting, Jerry," Zack said. "You can let me go because I'm not going to be a cop anymore. You can have the badge."

He started to reach into his worn black leather jacket, and Jerry squeaked, "No!"

Zack froze. "Okay. Fine. No problem." He gauged the possibilities of taking Jerry there in his office. They weren't good. Jerry was very nervous and the office was very small, leaving them no room to maneuver and nothing to take cover behind. It was furnished only with a metal desk, two plastic chairs, and Jerry. The furniture was marginally more interesting than Jerry, or had been until he'd reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the gun.

They deserved this. Just because the guy was pathetic, they'd gotten careless. Zack looked at the gun wobbling in Jerry's hand with respect. A .45. The office currently had no windows, but Zack knew it could have a couple at any minute, a .45 being the kind of gun that left large holes in walls.

And people.

"Why do we do this?" Zack asked Anthony, scowling at the gun. "Life isn't depressing enough, we have to do this, too? I'm not kidding, I'm quitting."

"Stop complaining." Anthony carefully picked a speck of nonexistent lint off his tailored tweed sleeve, keeping his eyes steadily on Jerry the whole time.

"You're the probable cause of this anyway. You walked in here in that black leather jacket, looking like you hadn't shaved in a week, and Jerry probably thought you were some lowlife." He smiled at Jerry, an oasis of perfect calm in a very sweaty situation. "I'd have pulled a gun on him, too, Jerry. I understand. Why don't we talk about this?"

Jerry shook his head, but he kept his eyes on Anthony, listening to his even, relaxed voice. Zack moved very slowly a few inches to his right, taking care to seem as if he were only shifting on his feet.

Jerry suddenly shifted his eyes to Zack, so Zack picked up the conversation. "Oh, and if we'd both been dressed in pimp suits like you, he wouldn't have pulled the gun. I ask you, Jerry, was it the jacket that made you pull the gun? Or the badge?"

Jerry narrowed his eyes at Zack, and Anthony moved slightly to the left.

"Just don't move," Jerry said as he swayed back and forth. "Keep your hands up."

"We're not moving, Jerry," Anthony said soothingly.

"You are. Relax. You'll feel better."

"Don't get smart," Jerry said, and the gun wavered between them again. "I'll shoot."

"You don't want to shoot us, Jerry." Zack spread his hands apart. "The hassle from shooting a cop is enormous. You wouldn't believe it."

"Oh, yeah." Jerry looked at Zack as he talked, distracted by the movement, and Anthony eased another couple of inches to the left. "And the hassle from stealing thirty thousand from your boss is nothin'."

"Well, it's not like shooting a cop," Anthony said, and Jerry's eyes darted over to him. Zack moved a little more to the right. "Shooting a cop?" Anthony shook his head slowly. "They throw the key away. We don't want that. Put the gun down, Jerry."

"I don't think so." Jerry breathed a little faster and shifted his eyes to Zack. "I don't think so. And you guys are moving." He closed his eyes as he aimed the gun at Zack and squeezed the trigger.

Zack dove for the f loor as he fired, and Anthony yelled, "Jerry!" and Jerry swung the gun toward where he'd been. Zack threw himself over the desk as Anthony f lattened himself on the f loor, and Jerry put a bullet neatly through the center of the door.

Then Zack slammed Jerry down on the f loor.

Anthony rolled to his feet to help. "You all right?"

"Me? Oh, I'm as good as I get," Zack said, breathing a little heavily as he reached for his handcuffs. "Which is a hell of a lot better than Jerry is right now. How about you?"

"There were people in that hall." Anthony went out the door to see what Jerry had hit on the other side while Zack cuffed him.

"You have the right to remain silent, you jerk," Zack said and finished reciting Miranda sitting on top of him. Anthony came back and lounged in the doorway. "Congratulations," Anthony said to Jerry when Zack was finished. "You shot a water fountain."

"Up yours," Jerry said, but it came out more embarrassed than defiant.

Zack stood and glared down at him. "We've got to start hanging out with a better class of criminals."

"Actually, this is the cream," Anthony said, checking his jacket for damage. It was, as always, spotless. "You want to work Vice or Homicide?"

"No," Zack said. "I want to arrest polite people who don't point guns at me. In fact, I don't want to arrest anybody anymore. I want to hang out with good people. Is that possible? Are there any good people anymore?"

"Well, there's you and me," Anthony said patiently.

"We're supposed to be the good guys. Are you sure you're all right? You've been acting strangely lately."

"Could you guys hurry this up?" Jerry whined from the f loor. "I'm not real comfortable down here."

"You know, Jerry—" Zack was suddenly soft-spoken as he looked down at him "—I could kick your brains out very easily right now." He gently nudged Jerry's head with his foot. "Resisting arrest. Don't push your luck."

Jerry shut up.

"Here's some advice, Jerry." Anthony reached down and hauled him to his feet with one hand. "Don't get smart with a guy you just pointed a gun at. He's likely to be feeling hostile. And frankly, Jerry, we didn't like you much before you pulled the gun."

Jerry closed his eyes. "I was kind of hoping he'd resist arrest," Zack said. "No, you were not," Anthony said. "You have plans for lunch. You're arresting a master embezzler at Harvey's Diner. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Zack pushed Jerry into the hall. "The weather. I hate February. And I hate office buildings." He looked around at the smooth gray walls. "Maybe I will quit. Get a nice job out in the open someplace. No guns. You think I'd make a good forest ranger?"

"You know, you worry me," Anthony said.

"That's your problem." Zack moved down the hall, prodding Jerry in front of him. "So, Jerry, what'd you do with the money?"

LUCY SAT SLUMPED across from her sister in a battered turquoise booth in Harvey's shabby diner and tortured her salad.

Tina scowled down at her own salad. "Are you sure it's safe to eat here? I think turquoise Formica is bad for you, and I'm positive this lettuce is. It's white." She tapped a cigarette from the pack on the table and lit it smoothly, like a forties' movie star.

Lucy leaned forward to put her chin in her hand so she could prete...

Most helpful customer reviews

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
Yes!
By Susan
I love Jennifer Crusie! I highly recommend anything she writes and this is my favorite of her work.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Charming!
By D. Rizzo
I like Jennifer Cruisie books, which are rather more intelligent romantic fiction than most of the alternatives available right now. This book is a charming example of what she can do best, which is create believable characters while avoiding stereotype and putting them in believable and authentic situations that somehow retain a sense of humor and sense of the absurd.
It is an accomplishment most modern romantic fiction writers somehow avoid, to their eternal detriment.
In this particular missive, Cruisie chronicles a take on the time-honored mistaken-identity plot, in which our hapless heroine, recently divorced and swearing off all but the most irrelevantly physical of relationships, gets intertwined with the the town's police officer who's investigating her former husband on charges of embezzlement. Of course, the two have a disproportionate attraction to each other, which interferes with the task at hand. Of course, there are myriad opportunities for confusion and conflict. Of course, this being a Cruisie novel, there is a dog (or, in this case, three dogs, including Heisenburg, the moppish dog who has coined his own joke).
This is a great example of escapist modern literature. While Cruisie might not be Shakespeare or Homer, she aims for another chord altogether... it's a worthwhile, fun, intelligently wrought chord. Try it!

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful.
love jen
By Ermelinda Pacheco
I love all this authors books. Dialogue is snappy, the characters are quirky and funny.

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It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching-hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That's the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his identity as the conservative Donovan. The "good one."

But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he can't forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared a night of love. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he can't be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being didn't burn to call him back.

• Sales Rank: #241577 in Books
• Brand: HQN Books
• Published on: 2011-10-25
• Released on: 2011-10-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 6.62" h x .90" w x 4.21" l, .35 pounds
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 336 pages

Features

• Great product!

Review
"Sparkling, special and oh so sexy-Victoria Dahl is a special treat!"
-New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips on Talk Me Down

"Sassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down is one delicious joyride of a book."
-New York Times bestselling author Connie Brockway

"Dahl smartly wraps up a winning tale full of endearing oddballs, light mustery and plenty of innuendo and passion." -Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down

"[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story filled with memorable characters."
-Booklist on Start Me Up

About the Author

Victoria Dahl lives with her family in a small town high in the mountains. Her first novel debuted in 2007, and she’s gone on to write seventeen books and novellas in historical, contemporary, and paranormal romance. Victoria's contemporary romance, Talk Me Down, was nominated for both a RWA Rita Award and the National Readers' Choice Award. Since then, her books have been nominated for two more Rita Awards, and she hit the USA Today Bestseller list with the anthology Midnight Kiss.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.


Beth Cantrell hadn't thought about him in almost six months.

Well, that wasn't exactly true.

Beth cleared her throat and shifted, glancing around as if everyone in the brewery could feel the lie she was telling herself.

The truth was that she'd thought about Jamie Donovan plenty of times. She'd remembered the hour or two they'd shared, she'd fantasized about what might've happened if she'd stayed the whole night in that hotel room.

But in the past six months, she'd never once let herself think about seeing him again. She hadn't considered calling him or making contact in any way. That had been their agreement, after all. One night. One time. no strings attached and no expectations. She'd had to abide by that, because she would never have let herself meet him in that hotel room otherwise.

He wasn't her type. He wasn't part of her social circle. And she definitely wasn't part of his. Beth Cantrell managed the White Orchid, the premiere erotic boutique in Boulder. Her friends were her employees: women she loved like sisters. They were bold and powerful and sexually progressive. And they dated people like themselves: tattooed, pierced, educated and cool.

Absolutely cool, even when they'd only reached the pinnacle of cool by being so incredibly nerdy that they actually circled around to cool again.

Beth, on the other hand, wasn't cool. She was just…Beth. But that was okay, because she was their manager and they loved her, and they did their best to pull her into their sphere. They fixed her up with guys. Friends of theirs. Men they knew and liked. Men who were cool and hip and progressive. And not one of those guys had ever pushed her buttons the way Jamie had.

She still flushed when she thought about him in his tidy polo shirt and khaki pants. His wide white smile and broad shoulders. He'd looked even better in a business suit. The perfect vision of middle-class preppy beauty. And Beth had wanted him so much it hurt.

They'd been strangers, despite this small town. But in that hotel room, with the promise that it would happen only once…the isolation of the act had made it safe. Yet she couldn't stop thinking about him.

And right in the middle of the first good date she'd had in years.

"Hey," her date said as he waved a hand in front of her face. "You okay?" He smiled, taking any sting from the words.

"Sorry." Before she'd started thinking about Jamie, her date had been talking about…something. She racked her brain. Something artsy and important about Robert Mapplethorpe's early career.

"I'm really sorry," she finally said. "I didn't realize how tired I was until the glass of beer hit me. I'm not usually so rude."

He smiled in a way that told her he hadn't taken offense. "I'm glad you didn't mind coming to the party with me. Faron and I have been friends for years. I didn't want to miss it. And I figured you knew her, too."

"Yes, we have mutual friends." The party wasn't the problem. Or the guest of honor. The problem was that Beth had had no idea the party would be at Donovan Brothers Brewery. Not until her date had pulled into the parking lot, and Beth's heart had sunk to her toes.

It wasn't his fault that the party he'd decided to take her to just happened to be at Donovan Brothers.

She'd spent the forty-five minutes since scanning the line of customers and servers at the bar, but Jamie wasn't there. It was pure luck on her part. Jamie Donovan was an owner of the brewery, but he was also a notoriously friendly bartender. Or so she'd heard. When she'd spent time with him, he'd struck her as serious and intense.

She didn't want to see him again like this. Didn't want him to think she'd bring another man to his brewery. She kept expecting Jamie to walk by at any moment, and she couldn't think past the torture of that.

"I'm going to run to the restroom," she blurted out. She watched as her date took a beer from the waitress, giving her a warm, open smile as he said thank-you.

"Do you want me to order you another beer while you're gone?" he asked Beth.

"No, thank you…" Her mouth hung open for a moment. Oh, God, she'd forgotten his name. Yes, it was their first date, but he'd been so nice. "No, thank you," she repeated, grabbing her clutch purse and sliding out of her chair so quickly that she nearly stumbled. "I'll be right back."

Unfortunately, she had to walk past the bar to get to the restroom, and her knees felt as if they wanted to buckle under her weight. She scanned the bar, noting that the guy behind the tap was the same slender young man she'd spotted before. Then her eyes raced over the whole room again, her heart drumming a terrified beat.

He wasn't here, thank God. When she reached the short hallway that led to the bathrooms, she nearly broke into a run. She pushed open the door, said a quick prayer of thanks that the bathroom was empty and pressed her hand over her eyes.

"He's not even here," she told herself.

Once her heart had stopped its mad gallop, she set her purse on the counter and washed her hands in cold water. The icy shock made her feel better. "It's going to be fine," she whispered, trying to convince herself that she was ready to go back out. But when Beth met her own wide eyes in the mirror and saw just how pale her face was, she knew she'd need a few more minutes.

She put her hands on the sink and leaned closer. "It's going to be fine," she repeated.

Two minutes, and then she'd walk out with her head high and her heart back in the right place. And she wouldn't think about Jamie Donovan again tonight.



God save him from the sexually liberated.

Eric Donovan crossed his arms and frowned at his shoes, trying to process what he'd just heard from his brewmaster. "Wallace, I don't understand. Faron is here with her husband. Her husband. How can you be upset about that? She's married to the man."

"He's a philandering scoundrel!" Wallace yelled, shaking his fist toward the front room of the brewery as his face flooded red with rage.

A scoundrel? Eric ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry. I don't understand. They have an open marriage. As a matter of fact, you're dating Faron, so how can her husband be cheating on her?"

Wallace Hood, a bearded giant of a man who looked like he went home to a log cabin every night, gave Eric a look of prim horror. "I'm not dating her, man. I'm in love with her. And of course her husband can cheat on her. Don't be an idiot."

Eric probably should've felt irritated at being called an idiot, but he was too confused by the conversation. He glanced around the tank room of the brewery as if someone else could help. But they were alone amongst the brewing tanks and mash tuns. Eric shrugged and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I don't get it."

The brewmaster sighed and ran an impatient hand over his thick beard. "There are ground rules in open marriages, and her bastard of a husband has stopped even pretending to follow them. He cheats on her. He lies about it. And then he vetoes all the men she wants to see, claiming that he doesn't like them. That's what he did to me, despite that I've known them both for years. And then tonight he brought her here on purpose"

"Why?" Eric asked carefully.

"He's taunting me, because he knows I see him for what he is. I tried to tell her a few months ago. Faron is a queen, and he's not worthy to even kiss her feet. But she's loyal and sees the best in people. She wants to give him a chance."

"She seems really sweet." And she had, the one time that Eric had met her. In fact, he'd been startled by her quiet voice and shy smile. The tiny girl with gentle brown eyes hadn't fit Eric's assumptions about that lifestyle at all.

"She is sweet." Wallace sighed. "And she was falling for me. And now that bastard is taking her away to California, and he purposefully arranged this farewell party for her friends at my brewery."

Technically, it was Eric's brewery, but Wallace was as possessive and passionate as any owner, so Eric just rolled his eyes. "You can't leave right now, Wallace. I need—"

"Well, I can't stay here, can I?"

What was Eric supposed to say to that? He gazed into the kitchen through the glass wall of the tank room. Despite the late hour, there were still workmen out there, laboring overtime to cut a ventilation hole in his wall. Eric grimaced.

"She's right there, man," Wallace grumbled. "I know it's a bad time, but…she's right there."

It was a bad time. The bottling line was acting up for the third time this month, they were behind on branding for the winter brews, and the kitchen had been invaded by outsiders. Granted, the outsiders had been brought in by Eric's brother and sister, but still… These changes to the brewery weren't Eric's idea, even if he'd approved them, and he wanted nothing to do with them. "I really need you here tonight. You promised to stay late and transfer that small batch of amber to the new oak barrels."

Wallace looked so heartbroken at Eric's words that he wished he could take them back. "But…" Eric finally conceded. "I guess it's just a few hours."

"I'll be in early tomorrow. I swear."

Eric sighed. "Maybe it's a good thing she's moving to California."

"She's a good woman," Wallace said, his voice suspiciously raspy. "She wants to trust the man, and she won't walk away until she feels it's really over. But he's going to break her heart."

Eric still couldn't understand what marriage meant to someone who dated at the same time, but he'd never really understood Wallace's lifestyle. Despite the man's intimidating mountain-man looks, Wallace dated men, women and some people who seemed to skate between genders. But this was the first time Eric had seen Wallace in anything other than complete control. Love had hit him hard, it seemed.

Eric stole another look around the tank room, trying not to feel a sense of greedy anticipation. "All right. I'll take care of the barrels. You—"

"Oh, I don't know if I want you to—"

"Wallace," Eric snapped. "We're already off schedule."

Wallace narrowed his eyes. The man was protective of his beer. Almost obsessively so. But it was Eric's beer, too, and he'd lost enough control over his life this year. He wasn't going to let Wallace think he could snatch a little more.

"Fine," the brewmaster finally said. "Just don't screw it up." Wallace tossed his work gloves on the table and stalked out, slamming the door behind him. He paused for a moment, his eyes locked like lasers on the double doors that led to the front room and Faron, but then he shook his head and stalked out the back door.

"Jesus," Eric muttered. Everyone around him seemed to be controlled by love and sex these days. His brother and sister were both in serious relationships, and now Wallace, a man who treated dating like a professional sport, was miserably in love with a married woman. Eric felt like the only person untouched by the craziness.

Not that he didn't have any experience with it. He'd had his brush with it a few months ago, and even that brief encounter had left him shaken. He couldn't imagine being faced with that kind of emotional intensity every day. Maybe he could forgive the fact that his siblings seemed to have lost their minds.

Eric rolled his shoulders, trying to dislodge the weariness that had settled in. He was always tense at work. But the stress usually didn't bother him, if only because he couldn't imagine life without it. He ran a business; of course he was stressed. What he didn't like was the gnawing uncertainty that had taken him over in the last couple of months.

It had been one nightmare situation after another. Lost deals, theft and fraud, and now this mess in the kitchen. His brother, Jamie, was turning the family brewery into a pizza-serving brewpub, and Eric felt as though he'd lost complete control.

Grimacing, he watched masonry dust puff from the kitchen wall like a tiny cloud. Eric would much rather stay hidden in the peace of the tank room, but unfortunately, the casks would have to wait a couple of hours.

When Eric stepped into the kitchen his scowl faded away despite the roar of the masonry saw. The place might be chaotic and dusty, but Jamie stood watching it all with a grin on his face. This wasn't Eric's dream, but it was Jamie's, and Eric would do everything he could to make sure it happened.

Jamie glanced over with a quick smile. Things had been easier between them for the past few months. Thank God. It still felt tenuous, but Eric was relieved as all hell that their years of fighting seemed to be behind them.

He walked over and slapped Jamie on the shoulder. "How's it going?"

"Great!" Jamie shouted.

Eric turned to watch the progress with his brother for a few seconds, but he knew nothing about ovens or restaurant equipment, so he eventually slapped Jamie's back again. "I'll go check on the front, make sure everything is running smoothly."

Laughter roared from the front room as he drew close. Eric glanced toward the crowd as he pushed through the doors, keeping a close eye out for Faron and her scoundrel of a husband. Before the doors had swung closed behind him, someone crashed into Eric's shoulder. He grabbed for the woman, trying to steady her before she stumbled. She reached out, too, and her hand slid along his side just as she looked up.

Her face was so close to his that, for a moment, Eric thought he was imagining things. He smiled even as the nerves of his fingertips seemed to activate one by one. The wash of stark feeling progressed slowly up his fingers, his hands, his arms. By the time she pushed away with a gasp, his whole body felt as if an electrical shock was running through it.

Beth. His hands were on Beth Cantrell. His brain flickered through panicked thoughts.

Holy shit. His hands were on Beth Cantrell in his brewery.

Most helpful customer reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Great ending to an overall amazing trilogy!
By Ramblings From This Chick Blog
It's always the quite ones that are the most freaky, which was definitely the case with Eric and Beth. Six months ago Eric Donovan had incredible one-night no strings attatched sex with Beth Cantrell. So incredible that he hasn't been able to forget her or the steamy night they spent together. When Beth shows up unexpectedly at the Brewery, Eric can't believe his eyes. He's excited to see Beth but there is just one problem. Beth thinks he's his brother Jamie. When Beth does find out the truth, she is beyond upset. It brings back feelings of rejection she felt as a teenager. Did Eric only sleep with her because of a bet? Was it a joke between him and his brother?

Even though Beth is hurt, she still can't stop thinking about Eric. When she slept with him six months ago he awakened something in her that she's only felt with him and she just wants to experience that feeling again. She decides that maybe they should have another one night stand. Then one night turns into another and another, until they both find themselves in a relationship neither saw coming.

When these two come together, no one or anything else seems to exist. They are just so focused on one another and the sexual feelings that they bring out in each other. Let me tell you these two were muy caliente together. Sex on tables, on the floor, against the office wall, in restaurants, they just couldn't keep their hands off of each other.

But This book was just so much more than a coming together for Eric and Beth. This book was quite serious compared to the past two and at one point had me in tears. Both are vulnerable and are dealing with a lot of issues and demons that they have been carrying with them for years. Both are just trying to figure themselves out and what they really want to do with their lives while trying to figure out what they want from one another. They both seem to be singularly focused on the other and can't think of anything but the other, but Beth can't trust Eric and Eric just isn't ready for their relationship to be public. He just wants everything to be between the two of them.

Beth and Eric were just so good together. I felt like they both seemed to bring out the best in the other and seemed to help each other with their personal demons. They were able to be themselves with one another. They both put off this persona that they know what they are doing and they don't need anyone else's help, which is just so far from the truth.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I'm actually quite sad to say goodbye to the Donovans. I feel like they've become family and I've really enjoyed reading about their lives. I honestly wish there were more books in this series. I'm not ready to say goodbye. I am so glad that I stepped outside of my comfort zone and picked up these books. They have become some of my favorites of the year and definitely made me realize that contemporaries can be good too.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful.
Not my favorite in this series
By Patti TheLoveJunkee
Eric Donovan is the oldest of the three Donovan siblings. When their parents were killed in a car accident, he stepped in took over running the family brewery and raised his brother and sister through their late teens. He's always been responsible, and lately it just seems like that's all there is. Now that his brother and sister are taking on more responsibilities at the brewery and have significant others in their lives, he's feeling lost...and alone.

Beth Cantrell is the manager of The White Orchid, an adult novelty shop that also carries sexy clothing, runs an advice column in the local paper, and holds classes on a variety of sexual subjects. Beth does't feel like a sex expert, but feels like the men in town view her as such, which is hard to live up to when dating. She wants to find someone she doesn't feel like she needs to perform for or prove anything to, someone she can be herself with.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed the first two books in this series, Good Girls Do (Tessa's story), and Bad Boys Don't (Jamie's story). Eric was kind of a jerk in both books, but I thought he was misunderstood and was at heart a pretty good guy. While this did turn out to be true, I just couldn't warm up to his story.

For me, there was just too much angst - between Eric's midlife crisis and Beth's past chasing her into the present, and I had a hard time with this book. Don't get me wrong - they each have a good story, but I think both of their stories together were overwhelming. Eric is battling childhood demons related to his parents, as well as dealing with the changing dynamics of the brewery now that his siblings are taking on more responsibilities. His back-and-forth with his brother Jamie, which has been a constant throughout the series, is frustrating.

Beth's history was traumatic in a different way and she definitely has her own issues to resolve. She's stressed in her personal life in part because of her job, and I couldn't figure out why she didn't just quit. Even after learning her reasoning for working at The White Orchid, I just didn't get it. Also, her relationship with the Kendalls, the villains who have been a constant in the series, felt weak. Based on her personality and social standing, the extent of their interactions seemed convenient for the story.

Would I still recommend the series? Absolutely. Victoria Dahl has a gift for writing witty, sexy scenes and characters you grow to care about. I think Eric and Beth will resonate with some readers as a couple who overcomes their fears to grab their HEA.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Real Men Will
By M. Whitmore
When I finished reading Bad Boys Do, book 2 of the series, I knew there was no way I could ever like Eric. He was such a sanctimonious prick! That is so not sexy. But it turns out, Eric's book was the sexiest, the steamiest out of the three. Shocking considering that Jaime is supposedly the bad boy of the family who sleeps around. Like they say, it's always the quiet ones that surprise you.

Real Men Will is my favorite book of the series. It was much sexier than the previous two books and we got to see a side of Eric that we hadn't seen before. There was still the sibling bickering that drove me crazy. Seriously, this family needs therapy. It seems like they don't even like each other. And we learn something about Eric that I didn't see coming. I won't mention what because it's spoilery because I don't think it's mentioned until this book. But either way, if something this big is going to be revealed and used as a way to explain Eric's motives, it needs to be fleshed out more. The tidbit about Eric was never mentioned in the first two books and it kinda ticked me off that we're just finding this out but not given more information about it. There was a lot more I wanted to know about Eric and his relationship with his parents. How things came to be, the hows and whys. We got none of that. Again, can't say anything cause it's spoilery.

Eric and Beth have great chemistry. I never understood why they wanted to keep their relationship secret. Beth has her own issues with something that happened in her past and her trust issues. Her connection with the Kendalls could have been left out. I didn't feel that there was any real meat to that aspect of the plot and it annoyed me more than anything. I think there could have been a better way to force Beth to admit to her dad what she did for a living. And why that was such a big secret, I have no idea. I understand her dad is old school conservative but it's not like she's a prostitute! Beth claims to be proud of what she does but she keeps that part of her hidden from the important people in her life.

Even though it may not seem like it, I enjoyed Real Men Will. I didn't think I'd like Eric, but it turns out, I really did. He is much sexier than his brother Jaime and I felt that this book had a lot more heat than the previous two. I found myself rooting for him and hating his siblings because I felt that they were being selfish and wouldn't give Eric a break. I don't think they realize how much he gave up at the age of 24 to raise his two young siblings.

The series as a whole is good. I think it gets better with each book. Definitely check it out if you're a fan of Victoria Dahl.

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