Category / Toe Curler!!

by mvbookreviewer

Review: When Strangers Marry by Lisa Kleypas

Format: Paperback
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Vallerands, Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero:  Maximilien Vallerand
Heroine: Lysette Kersaint
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: January 1, 1992
Started On: March 19, 2010
Finished On: March 23, 2010

Murder, mystery, romance and politics play a vital role in one of the first novels by Ms. Kleypas. This title was previously released as Only In Your Arms. However, Ms. Kleypas later gave this book a new title and re-wrote it a little bit and voila “When Strangers Marry” came about. Though this book seems to lack certain elements which makes Ms. Kleypas’s novels hard to put down, the story of Maximilien and Lysette nonetheless enchanted me till the end.

Lysette runs away from her step father who is trying to marry her off to someone she despises for the sake of the money that would bring. Lysette encounters Max’s twins Phillippe and Justin while trying to steal something belonging to the Vallerand’s  to make her escape. Bedraggled, dirty and exhausted more than she would admit to, all fight leaves her when Max confronts her and finds the truth about her within a matter of minutes after meeting her. And it certainly helps that Max feels the sudden flare of attraction for Lysette and the fact that she was betrothed to the man who stole Max’s wife from right under his nose which makes the package Lysette presents more attractive.

With vengeance on his mind, Max sets out to seduce and marry Lysette. Labelled as the man who murdered his previous wife in a town where gossip and half-truths linger way too long, Max is surprised by the ultimate trust Lysette places in him. Inevitably Max finds himself less interested in the vengeance he set out to achieve, but rather embrace the second chance at love he has been given.

A story which could have been told better, but still managed to set my senses afire.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo 

goodread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: All Jacked Up by Penny McCall

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Microsoft Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Publisher: Penguin Group
Hero:  Jack Mitchel
Heroine: Aubrey Sullivan
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: April 3, 2007
Started On: March 13, 2010
Finished On: March 17, 2010

Its being a busy couple of days since I started work after a stretch of staying at home and hence the delay in finishing up this book. This is also a first read for me by the author and I as a reader would have to say that there is nothing more a gal could ask for in a romance once  you have read this one.

There is a hotter than sin hero in Jack and a feisty as they come heroine in Aubrey Sullivan who just has a mind of her own which lands both of them in the most darning of situations. This book is packed full of  humor and you can’t help but smile at the impatience in Jack when Aubrey keeps talking a mile a minute and land them both in a hefty load of trouble when they are barely out of the latest stint of trouble Aubrey has landed them both in. And yeah, I have noticed that I seem to be the one who seem to be “All Jacked Up” these days since all my heroes are ending up with the name Jack these days.

Aubrey works in the state congressman’s library in Washington D.C. With an eidetic memory, Aubrey has always been sort of a loner and thus her preference to be with books which do not tend to have minds of their own. She is just having another one of those quiet days at the library when Jack literally crashes into her life, holds her at gunpoint until all hell breaks loose and Aubrey is running for her life with bullets chasing her and one very suspicious looking character as her rescuer.

With her eidetic memory and tons of books in her memory, Aubrey is hardly the typical demure librarian that Jack expected. Rather her incessant chatter about next to nothing grates on his nerves and without Jack even realizing it, he is lusting after the not-so perfect curves of Aubrey. Danger tends to bring these two into close proximity, though both of them try to deny the simmering attraction between them.

Meanwhile a bounty hunter, all cops across the state and a team of two very mismatched thugs are after these two and they are on the ride and adventure of their life trying to dodge all parties after them and get to the bottom of what it is exactly that Aubrey knows that has landed her in this shit load of trouble. Ms MacCall has done a tremendous job in creating two characters who are so different in nature, but in the end complement one another perfectly. The sex is steamy, the adventure is action packed and fun and you would never have a boring moment when reading through this book.

Great read, recommended for those who love romantic comedies, thrillers and hell just anyone who loves a good bout of romance.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

greatread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Blue Bayou by JoAnn Ross

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Callahan Brothers, Book 1
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Hero:  Jack Callahan
Heroine: Danielle Dupree
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: April 2, 2002
Started On: March 12, 2010
Finished On: March 13, 2010

This is JoAnn Ross’s first book that I have ever tried out and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised at how good this story is. I think I picked up the “scent” of this novel in some discussion forum in Amazon and this book certainly does seem to have got its fair share of good reviews which the story certainly deserves.

This is the first book in the “Callahan Brothers” series. The Callahan brothers are Finn, Jack and Nate, three of whom have individual stories of their own. I don’t think I am going to venture into the stories of Finn and Nate’s, because most of the time when a series starts off with a big bang like this one where the reader is really captivated by the story, the rest of the books in the series seem to pale in comparison and rarely gives the satisfaction that the reader craves from the series.

Though I may or may not read the rest of the books in the series, I bet that its Jack’s story that has enthralled readers the most because there is a history between the hero and heroine in the novel. Danielle or Dani is the daughter of the town’s judge. Jack’s father was the town sheriff who was shot and killed whilst trying to save Judge Dupree from being killed. Ever since then Jack’s mother Marie has worked as a housekeeper and surrogate mother for the Dupree family at their home.

Ever since the death of Jack’s father, Jack has always been a bit of a hell raiser which finally lands him at a sort of rehabilitative jail for youngsters. Having done his time and learnt his lesson, he returns home to find that Dani was still after him even though he had told her several times that she was too young to know what a guy like him would need and want. Pretty soon these two are hot and heavy in an affair which ends up in no good when Judge Dupree discovers the fact that Jack and Dani were having the time of their lives without his knowledge. Suddenly these two lovers are wrenched apart and by the cruel manipulation of the Judge, these two lose so much more than just the kind of love that people search for a lifetime looking, but rarely find.

Its years later and Dani returns home with her son Matt, older and wiser than ever before. With her father, the judge in jail, Dani is surprised to find that Jack had also returned home and is now the owner of her previous home. Sparks start to fly between the two as soon as they meet one another. Though Jack tries to deny that he still loves Dani, it is inevitable that these star crossed lovers would eventually yield to the red hot passion that flares between them every time they are within each other’s vicinity.

However, secrets from the past tends to  haunt these two, until they both learn to trust one another, to forgive and let go. Beautiful love story with enchanting characters and steamy sensuality that’s sure to be a winner for any romance novel lover.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard

greatread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Pride and Passion by Jenna Bayley-Burke

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Hero:  Jake Tolliver
Heroine: Lily Harris
Date of Publication: March 9, 2010
Started On: March 11, 2010
Finished On: March 11, 2010

Upon receiving the monthly newsletter that I get from Samhain Publishing and reading the synopsis of this book, I sort of had expectations that this book would turn out to be a delicious read. Though the story ain’t half bad it just felt like reading a Harlequin romance where petty jealousy and trust issues are pretty much the core material for the book which otherwise could have been made into a great romance.

Lily Harris is a woman who has nowhere to turn to. With her father dead leaving her with a mountain of debt and noway to crawl out of the mess with life as she knew it intact, Lily is surprised and shocked when her father’s business partner Jake Tolliver steps into clear away the mess and keep her safe. Lily has always felt apprehensive around Jake and this time round no less when Jake proposes that she marry him so that she could go on living the rich heiress lifestyle Lily has been accustomed to.

Whilst the truth of the matter is that Jake has always wanted Lily by his side ever since he saw her one year back and had been working towards making her his, Jake has his issues to deal with as well. Growing up with a mother who continually had to justify to Jake’s father that she wasn’t being unfaithful to him but rather trying to make a living for her and her son and getting beaten up for it has left its mark on Jake. Jake hasn’t ever done commitment to a woman and it would take some doing before he would explain his comings and goings to a woman and justify his associates and friends to a woman in his life like his mother had had to do everyday of her life.

Lily doesn’t understand all this when she is thrust into the cutthroat world that Jake inhabits. Jake and Lily enters into a wager that Jake would let Lily work at and learn the ropes of the business that her father so much loved, and if she does it before the new year rolls in, she wouldn’t need to marry Jake unless she comes to him on her own terms.

I don’t understand why Lily couldn’t trust Jake. I mean yes the guy was a Casanova before he tried getting together with Lily, but all she sees are the various pictures of the models and voluptuous women on his arm whilst being photographed all over the world. Of course it doesn’t help matters when Jake doesn’t come forward and explain that he is just a business partner and friend of Dee, the woman whom at first Lily tries to throw at Jake to ward his attentions off from her.

Anyhow by the end, as any typical Harlequin style romance novel, the hero manages to give and give and the heroine manages to thwart every effort of his until some calamity supposedly takes his life, or so the heroine thinks which makes her admit her feelings to the hero and that’s  the first thing that she does when she finds out he survived.

Ah, I guess I am just disappointed that this novel didn’t turn out to be what I expected. It could have been so much more. Really!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Samhain

fairread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Something About You by Julie James

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Standalone
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: Penguin Group
Hero:  Special Agent Jack Pallas
Heroine: Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde
Date of Publication: March 2, 2010
Started On: March 7, 2010
Finished On: March 8, 2010

Its been ages since a book has been good enough to warrant that I stay up all night to finish it. Yes, this book was that good. Since I haven’t ever read a book by Ms. James I would have to say she has hooked me onto her writing style which is a mix of suspense, murder, mayhem, red hot passion that sizzles between the two lead characters with a bit of humor thrown into the mix to make a helluva of a story.

FBI Special Agent Jack Pallas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had a falling out three years ago. Jack blames Cameron for ruining his career and thinks that she is the one who made the Justice Department send him off to Nebraska after Jack badmouthed Cameron all over the national media.

Now, three years later, Jack is back and Cameron finds herself as the only potential witness in a high stakes murder of a call girl involving a senator. Whilst Cameron only saw the back of the killer, he is not taking any chances to lead all this back to him and he pulls all the stops to eliminate Cameron and wipe her away from the almost perfect crime that he committed.

Though at the beginning Jack is all but pulsating with anger at Cameron, he slowly starts to find out that there might be more than what meets the eye in what took place three years back. And there was that simmering sexual tension between him and Cameron that no matter how hard Jack tries to ignore, seems to blaze hotter and hotter with every encounter.

This is one delicious book for fans of romantic thrillers can never go wrong with. I absolutely loved every fricking minute of it!

Till next time!

P.S. I guess this is one of those rare times when the cover of a book actually depicts something described in the book. The cover filled my head with all these hot images during one  of  the most delicious mouthwatering scenes in the book. *wink* *wink*

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Facing It by Linda Winfree

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Hearts of the South, Book 8
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing Ltd
Hero:  Deputy Chris Parker
Heroine: Ruthie Chason
Date of Publication: April 7, 2009
Started On: March 5, 2010
Finished On: March 7, 2010

This is the first book that I tried from Ms. Winfree and I would have to say she is pretty good at writing romantic suspense. I seem to have started from her last book of the Hearts of the South series. I loved the characters of this series, many of whom you encounter in this story as well.

The most striking thing about this novel is how Ms. Winfree juggled two equally beautiful blossoming romances in one novel. Unlike most authors if and when in a book there are two budding romances, one tends to take the center stage and the other romance would take the backstage and any issues if any between the couple would be resolved pretty quickly. However I was delighted that this wasn’t the case in this novel.

Facing it is the story of Chris, a man who has scars left over from being in domestically abusive relationship which had nearly cost him his life. Chris doesn’t handle women in his personal space well. However all of that changes when he offers to help his friend Tick Calvert, Ruthie’s brother and Chris’s boss in looking after Ruthie and her adorable three kids who need protection from Ruthie’s controlling husband.

Ruthie had tolerated being under Stephen’s thumb as long as she could. Finally it took its toll when she saw how his controlling attitude towards everything in their family lives had taken its toll on her three children, with whom any reader is bound to fall in love with.

Unknown to Ruthie and Stephen, Stephen has been under surveillance by the FBI for shady money laundering and this is where the delicious second romance comes in. Harrell Beecham and Jennifer are the agents that have been occupying the house across from the Chason’s and keeping an eye on the family’s activities for the past year, pretending to be a married couple. The pretending stuff has been playing havoc on both Harrell and Jennifer, so much that the simmering attraction between them breaks out onto the surface when Jennifer decides to take matters into her own hands and confront Harrell with it.

Harrell is leery of commitment from growing up with a mother who has 8 failed marriages under her belt. Reluctant in believing that any relationship that Harrell is part of could end up in any other way except in disaster, Harrell doesn’t want to give into the intense feelings that Jennifer tends to rouse in him. However in Jennifer, Harrell has met his match for stubbornness and ultimately Harrell has no choice but to give in to the need that has been hounding him ever since they became partners. However the road towards ultimate happiness between these two characters isn’t a smooth one either. I loved how Ms. Winfree gave time for each of her characters to work through their issues so that the ending was sweeter and better for the reader.

Meanwhile, Chris and Ruthie slowly find one another as well. Ruthie having witnessed how cruel a controlling man in her life could be, is still willing to give Chris with his gentle yet skittish nature the chance to get to know her and ultimately give into the hot attraction that flares between these two and catches both of them unawares. Chris has his own frightening issues to work out and Ruthie remains patient throughout all this, which made me really admire Ruthie as a heroine, which is a rare thing for me.

I liked the fact that Ms. Winfree didn’t try to garner the reader’s sympathy for Ruthie by going on and on about how Stephen’s abusive behavior had shattered Ruthie and so on, but gave Ruthie a fighting chance to become a beautiful and strong character that any reader would empathize and root for.

Great book, I might give a go at reading the other books in the series some other time.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | Samhain

goodread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Deception by Sharon Cullen

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Series: Love on the Edge, Book 1
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Hero: Lucas Barone
Heroine: Kate McAuley
Date of Publication: July 22, 2008
Started On: March 3, 2010
Finished On: March 4, 2010

This is the first book in the Love on the Edge series. Got me interested in reading this after reading the second book in the series which I reviewed yesterday. I have got to say that this series is quite good and I will most probably read the third book in the series as well. Though I wish to read Eric (Kate’s brother’s) story, I don’t think that book has yet been published or written even although I hope that it would be sooner rather than later.

So onto the review. Lucas Barone is close friends with John Callahan. They served together in the top secret anti-terrorist organization for the government and it is in this story that the extent to which they were both betrayed comes to light.

Lucas and Kate has a history together before the novel starts. They had been dating and living together for over a year. Kate knows Lucas  to be a forensic accountant, Lucas’s thinking that the lesser Kate knows the better it would be for her. Although Lucas and Kate professed to love each other, Lucas just one day upped and left never leaving a clue as  to where he went off to.

Eighteen months later, Lucas turns up on Kate’s doorstep, injured and nearly at his knees from injuries received during an attempt to murder him at his home. Although Kate is reluctant to let Lucas once again into her life, she cannot turn away from Lucas when he is so vulnerable. So she nurses him throughout the night whilst Lucas promises Kate that no one would ever find out that Lucas was at Kate’s place.

However, the person who is out for Lucas’s head is way smarter and has more resources than Lucas thinks. Suddenly in the middle of the night, Lucas finds himself taking Kate along and running for their lives as someone tries to murder them at Kate’s home. Suddenly Kate is framed for murdering Lucas and everything goes haywire. Lucas takes Kate with him to the one place that no one except John knows about and hides out there with Kate.

Though Kate doesn’t want to be pulled into the life of someone who had deceived her so well in the past, she can’t help but be pulled towards Lucas and the attraction that has always simmered between them. Lucas has his own demons to fight, to forget the torture that he underwent at the hands of the terrorist organization that held him captive for three months in Peru. Kate too has her own secrets, a tragedy that has made her unable to be the person who she was 18 months earlier. Lucas and Kate together find the strength to forgive, heal and in turn give one another a second chance at what they had going between them.

However, when the moment of reckoning with the traitor comes calling, Kate nearly loses her life. In the end, its a sweet ending for these two characters who managed to wiggle their way into my heart. Lovely story.

I highly recommend for those who love romantic thrillers to  give this series a try.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Samhain 

greatread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Redemption by Sharon Cullen

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Series: Love on the Edge, Book 2
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Hero: John Callahan
Heroine: Hope Stewart
Date of Publication: October 21, 2008
Started On: March 2, 2010
Finished On: March 3, 2010

I came across a couple of good e-books on Samhain Publishing, and this is one of the new authors that I tried out after my interest was piqued reading the synopsis of the story. Sharon Cullen is definitely an author worth looking out for. This is the second book in a series termed as “Love on the Edge”.

John Callahan is a man who has got nothing to live for. Having worked for a top secret government terrorist organization for his country and being betrayed by fellow countrymen, and having suffered through indescribable torture at the hands of the enemies for a period of 3 months and losing the only woman he ever cared about to the hands of the despicable group of terrorists who had held him hostage, John was ready to give up his life and choose the sweet oblivion of death when Hope comes literally crashing into his life.

Hope wakes up from the car crash to find out she has no memory of who she is or how she got to the remote mountain cabin where John Callahan lives. At first John is suspicious that all Hope is putting up is an act when he hears that the one who betrayed his country and lured him into the trap with the terrorists had broken out of jail. But slowly John comes to realize this is not so as he tries to unravel the mystery behind the 5 months pregnant woman who has literally landed in his lap.

John has a lot of demons to slay before he could even think about caring for another woman. With scars on the outside as well as the inside, John keeps his emotions tightly reined in and a tight fortress around his heart. However, Hope with her vulnerability and her sweet caring attitude manages to crumble this wall bit by bit until John cannot deny himself any longer.

I liked the fact that the author didn’t just make John end up with Hope on the first encounter but rather gave John enough time to get himself acquainted with the feelings that were blossoming inside of him rather than just going straightaway to hot burning desire when he has been so locked up and remote in his emotions for over a long period of time.

Recommended for those who love a good romantic thriller. Though this book is termed to be an erotica, it only falls under contemporary romance with little bit of sensuality thrown into the mix.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo | Samhain

greatread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Cheyenne Amber by Catherine Anderson

Format: E-bookcheyenneamber
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: HarperTorch
Hero: Deke Sheridan
Heroine: Laura Cheney
Date of Publication: March, 1994
Started On: February 26, 2010
Finished On: February 28, 2010

This title seems to be one that is pretty popular with Catherine Anderson’s fans. Maybe because I started reading the book with a lot of high expectations based on the raving reviews this book has received, I found myself sort of perplexed as to why readers found this title to be such a great romance. Believe me the book was interesting enough, but it just doesn’t seem that remarkable a story to me though the story had its good moments.

Laura Cheney comes from gentle breeding and a rich family. Tristan, then her husband married her thinking he could get his grubby hands on Laura’s money but her father, who had always been cold towards Laura ever since Laura’s mom died during childbirth cut all ties from her after she wed Tristan. Then everything went downhill for Laura, where Tristan turned abusive physically and emotionally towards her just to get her money’s worth from her body and soul. He moves her from all that’s familiar to her to Colorado and sets her up in the rough countryside where stories of Indians butchering and torturing the whites seem to echo throughout the mountains that surround her home.

Laura is left to her own vices and she gives birth to her son Jonathan all alone. Meanwhile Tristan goes for mustang rounding with a couple of rough Mexicans who bring a whole new meaning to the word cruel. Tristan who always had a thing for gambling, gambles away and offers his wife as the prize when he loses to Gonzales the head of the rough Mexican crowd. Gonzales kills Tristan without thinking twice about it to claim Laura and sell her across the border for pretty a penny, after all his gang members have had their fill of the pretty lady.

However a turn of events end Gonzales and his gang with Jonathan to lure the pretty white haired Laura into their clutches. Frantic and fatigued beyond anything Laura tries to find someone who would help her track down those who snatched away her baby and the sheriff points her towards Deke Sheridan. Though he is white in origins, he was brought up by Cheyennes and is named Flint Eyes. Rough around the edges with an air of danger always around him, Deke is the best tracker around. Though Deke at first refuses to help Laura, something about her reaches into the cold realms of his heart and before he knows it he is saddled with a woman whose determination to find her baby is unlike anything Deke has ever encountered before.

Suspicious by nature about white people in general, whilst Laura is more than suspicious about anyone who has an Indian heritage, these two make a striking team when they start off on the rough and unforgiving barren land towards tracking those who kidnapped Jonathan. As much as Laura would like to wash her hands off of Deke, she knows that he is her only hope and thus has no choice but to trust him with her life.

Laura’s stubbornness in not admitting that she is sick after her childbirth nearly kills Deke and Laura to be saved in the nick of time by Deke’s Cheyenne tribe. There within the Indians, Laura comes to learn the real man behind the rough facade that Deke puts up to the rest of the world and comes to treasure the way of life of the Indians about whom Laura had always heard the worst things possible.

What irked me the most in this novel was the fact that Deke who deserved her utmost trust when he did nothing to deserve otherwise had to work the hardest to gain it. Whilst at the beginning of the novel, Laura was thinking of trying to make her marriage to the undeserving Tristan work, Laura doesn’t want to trust Deke, who nurses her back to health when she was on the brink of death after childbirth. I just found the notion kind of difficult to swallow. If someone such as Deke treated me the way Deke treats Laura I wouldn’t have hesitated to embrace him with all I have got. Maybe that’s just me. But I guess this whole novel didn’t rate so highly with me because of that.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

goodread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Annie’s Song by Catherine Anderson

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Standalone
Sensuality: 3
Publisher: Avon
Hero: Alex Montgomery
Heroine: Annie Trimble
Date of Publication: January 1, 1996
Started On: February 25, 2010
Finished On: February 26, 2010

Goodness me! This is one of the sweetest and most adorable romances that one could ever read. The story of Alex and Annie is one that is bound to stay with the reader for a long period of time as one of the best and most touching romances a reader could come across. This is a re-read for me and I assure you that after sometime I would be picking up this novel once again just to feel those tugs at my heart and get the warm feeling deep in my tummy that you are guaranteed to get after reading this beautiful story.

Annie lives in her own lonely world labeled as a crazy person after she had a fever when she was young. Though no one understands her, Annie roams freely across the forests that surround her home. During one of her excursions and at the age of around 18, Douglas Montgomery, Alex’s step brother who has a mean streak in his nature a mile wide comes across Annie and brutally rapes her just because he thinks that he could get away with it. Alex had always let Douglas get away with all sorts of behavior but his latest crime gives Alex a  bad taste in his mouth and so cuts off all ties with Douglas and asks him to move out of their home.

Alex approaches the Trimbles (Annie’s parents) and offers to make matters right. When Annie’s parents discover that she is pregnant and four months along, Alex offers to marry her till the babe is born and divorce her so that no scandal would touch the Trimble family since Annie’s father had political aspirations that wouldn’t survive a scandal of Annie becoming pregnant since people ridiculed Annie as it is.

Alex installs Annie at his home never thinking for a minute that Annie would have the power to bring him down to his knees. Annie’s odd behavior suddenly starts to make sense to Alex when he realizes that rather than being crazy as she is labeled to be, Annie had lost her hearing due to the ravaging fever she experienced when she was young.

What proceeds is so heartwarming and so very beautiful that any reader with even an iota of romance in his or her heart would be totally captivated by the lengths that Alex goes through to give Annie everything he could possibly give her within his power.

The love between these two grows so beautifully throughout the novel that you can’t help but fall in love with these two characters that Ms. Anderson has created so well.

Very highly recommended.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble

outstandingread