Cavanaugh On Duty-Marie Ferrarella

Cavanaugh On Duty

Marie Ferrarella

Harlequin Romantic Suspense, May 7 2013, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373278213

 

Chief of Detectives Brian Cavanaugh informs Detective Esteban Fernandez that his three years stint undercover as Juan Dominguez ended when Jorge Lopez learned that his dealer was a cop.  With a bounty on his head, Brian reassigns Esteban to Homicide in Aurora to replace a retiring veteran.  His partner is Brian’s newly discovered niece Detective Kari Cavelli-Cavanaugh.

 

Esteban broods over his failure to take down the cartel who killed his mother and stepbrother and sent his stepfather to prison; and now is assigned to what he deems is a “demotion” especially partnering with Kari which seems like nepotism.  Kari prefers working alone, but being flexible she plans to make their teaming a success.  She also wonders if Esteban is Steve from high school.  As they work cases together, they begin to fall in love, but he knows firsthand that love hurts.

 

The latest Cavanaugh Justice romantic police procedural (see Cavanaugh Surrender) is an enjoyable suspense; as fans will feel how depressed Esteban is from the onset.  Fast-paced and filled with angst, Cavanaugh On Duty is an engaging entry.

 

Harriet Klausner

Second Chance With the Rebel & Her Royal Wedding Wish-Cara Colter

Second Chance With the Rebel & Her Royal Wedding Wish

Cara Colter

Harlequin Romance, May 7 2013, $5.99

ISBN: 9780373742424

 

“Second Chance with the Rebel.”  Years ago, Lucy Lindstrom and Macintyre Hudson were an entry, but their different backgrounds and demeanors ended their relationship; especially when he could not commit.  Lucy serves as the chief fundraiser for the Mother’s Day gala; where Harriet Freda will be honored.  She asks Mac to be there for his foster mom.  Though he failed her, he would do anything for his beloved foster mom.  As they work together to make this the best gala ever, each realizes they remain in love with the other, but though they know so much more about their partner’s motives, neither wants to take a second chance on love.

 

“Her Royal Wedding Wish.”  The B’Ranasha royalty hires personal protection expert Jake Ronan to provide additional security for the guests at the wedding of Princess Shoshauna.  However, an attempt on her life leads to Jake keeping her safe at a secret location for a week.  As the Australian soldier and the B’Ranasha princess fall in love, duty supersedes the heart.

 

Second Chance with the Rebel starts slow and muddled, but once the lead characters begin working the event, the storyline accelerates into a wonderful contemporary romance.  With a nod to Roman Holiday, Her Royal Wedding Wish is a reprint of an engaging tale in which love may not be enough.

 

Harriet Klausner

Keeper of the Shadows-Alexandra Sokoloff

Keeper of the Shadows

Alexandra Sokoloff

Harlequin Nocturne, May 7 2013, $5.75

ISBN: 9780373885695

 

Courier crime reporter Barrie Gryffald, like her two cousins Rhiannon Gryffald (see Keeper of the Night by Heather Graham) and Sailor Ann Gryffald (see Keeper of the Moon by Harley Jane Kozak), is a Keeper of the Los Angeles’ shapeshifters.  When World International Pictures head Saul Mayo dies from an overdose, she thinks good riddance to this former human slug. 

 

However, she changes her tune when she connects his demise to the filming of Otherworld; as fifteen years ago the shooting of that movie led to the murder of an actor that never was solved.  More deaths follow while newbie reporter Mick Townsend seems everywhere she goes.  He suggests they team up but hides from his partner that he is a shifter who had a part in the original filming of Otherworld and one more personal secret.

 

The third Keepers: LA romantic urban fantasy is an engaging investigative thriller starring two fascinating protagonists.  Their hunt for a diabolical killer makes for a fun paranormal whodunit with kissing interludes.

 

Harriet Klausner

Taming The Demon-Doranna Durgin

Taming The Demon

Doranna Durgin

Harlequin Nocturne, May 7 2013, $5.75

ISBN: 9780373885701

 

At night her boss Sawyer Compton sends his personal assistant Natalie Chambers to an address in the southwest quarter of Albuquerque that frightens her.  While she mumbles to herself, several bad asses accost her.  Devin James and his Demon Blade arrive to rescue Natalie.

 

Compton hires James to protect Chambers.  However, he conceals his agenda from his two employees.  He hired the thugs who assaulted her to bring Devin into his sphere.  His goal is to kill the Demon Blade owner in order to gain control of the power; as Compton denies that the Demon Blade controls Devin equally if not more so in a sort of codependency.  However Natalie has modified the equation by providing her rescuer with a needed anchor fueled by love.

 

This Demon Blade romantic urban fantasy is an exciting thriller that grips the reader from the moment Natalie encounters the first thug and never loosens that hold until the final confrontation.  Action-packed, readers will relish this entertaining tense tale story, as love may not be enough to prevent Devin from falling to the same fate as his sibling.

 

Harriet Klausner

The Wyoming Cowboy-Rebecca Winters

The Wyoming Cowboy

Rebecca Winters

Harlequin American, May 7 2013, $5.50

ISBN: 9780373754557

 

At Walter Reed, three wounded warrior marines (Lundgren, Buck and Ross) suffering from survivor guilt and respiratory problems caused by their Afghan deployment agree to convert Carson Lundgren’s spread into a dude ranch for the families of fallen servicemen and women.  When the trio completes the renovation step, they begin to invite surviving family members of deceased comrades in arms.

 

In Sandusky, Ohio, Widow Tracy Baretta and her elementary school aged son Johnny accept an invitation to visit the renovated Wyoming ranch for a week where the mom hopes her son will heal somewhat over the loss of his father.  Tracy and Carson are attracted to one another upon their first meeting while over the next few days Johnny worships the kind and patient ranch owner.  As they fall in love near the Grand Tetons, both adults consider the future with the child’s needs most important.

 

Though the romance is a somewhat standard contemporary, the insight into the mental health of returning soldiers and surviving family members brings freshness to the warn storyline.  The lead couple and the child seem real with each struggling to deal with varying degrees of PTSD as Rebecca Winters opens her Daddy Dude Ranch series with a tender family drama.

 

Harriet Klausner

Jane’s Gift-Abby Gaines

Jane’s Gift

Abby Gaines

Harlequin SuperRomance, May 7 2013, $5.75

ISBN: 9780373718504

 

Driving to Pinyon Ridge, Colorado, Jane Slater is late to the funeral of her best and only friend Melissa who had beaten cancer in her twenties only to die at thirty-one when her date crashed in a DUI accident. Melissa wanted Jane to be in her young daughter Daisy’s life over the objection of the child’s father Pinyon Ridge Mayor Kyle Everson who has full custody.

 

Kyle has always felt that Jane and her kin were bad influences.  However, he admires her gumption as she refuses to quit on her late BFF’s request while both place the interests of Daisy over their own desires.  As the adults fall in love, each remains in denial while Daisy disagrees with both adults as she has different dreams for the future.

 

Although the early denying feels overdone, readers will enjoy this romance as Melissa’s gift to Jane is love.  Character-driven, fans will relish visiting Colorado as Abby Gaines provides a warm family drama.

 

Harriet Klausner

April Showers-Holly Jacobs

April Showers

Holly Jacobs

Harlequin SuperRomance, May 7 2013, $5.75

ISBN: 9780373718528

 

Former marine Sebastian Bennington takes his injured body and mind home to Valley Ridge, New York to attend his friend Colton’s wedding (see You Are Invited…).  He also plans to spend time with his grandfather Hank who still runs the diner in town.

 

However, living in the apartment above the diner is nurse Lily Paul, who loves Hank like a grandfather though she never had anyone like him when she was a child.  When Lily and Sebastian meet, she yells at him for ignoring his grandfather who she knows adores his grandson.  However, Sebastian is filled with rage and nothing like the happy child his grandfather describes.  Lily tries to help him with his mental and physical traumas while he soon loosens up enough to tell her what happened.  As they fall in love with Hank’s blessing, each has major doubts.

 

The second VALLEY RIDGE WEDDING contemporary romance is a warm drama starring two wonderful hurting (in different ways) protagonists, a kind grandfather and a caring town overlooking Lake Erie (a Holly Jacobs’ delightful trademark).  Readers will relish the relationship between the wounded warrior and the wounded nurse series while looking forward to the story of the third amigo.

 

Harriet Klausner

A Prior Engagement-Karina Bliss

A Prior Engagement

Karina Bliss

Harlequin SuperRomance, May 7 2013, $5.75

ISBN: 9780373718498

 

New Zealand attorney Juliet Browne is elated to learn that her deceased “fiancé” New Zealand SAS officer Lee Davis was coming home after being reported dead in Afghanistan as the Americans rescued him.  However, Jules also is concerned over misleading everyone into believing she and Lee were engaged including wearing his ring.  In truth she said no to his proposal before he deployed and became a POW.

 

At the airport, Jules thinks Lee has PTSD-driven amnesia and accepts his latest proposal, but ponders how to tell him the truth.  However, she soon concludes he does not suffer from memory loss; but instead is avenging her rejection of him.  As each knows they remain in love, Jules and Lee wonder how to tell the other they want the engagement to be real.

 

The latest New Zealand combat veteran romance (see Bring Him Home) is an engaging second chance at love tale.  Lee comes back from the dead (see Here Comes The Groom for his reported demise) to see his family, renew friendships and get even with the woman who hurt him more than the enemy ever did.  He and readers learn what he missed while the key to this welcome home party is Lee’s PTSD feels genuine and accentuates his ire at Jules.

 

Harriet Klausner

Rocket Man-William Hazelgrove

Rocket Man

William Hazelgrove

Koehler Books, May 1 2013, $16.95

http://www.Koehlerbooks.com

ISBN: 9781938467585

 

A decade ago, Dale Hammer, Jr. was a successful author.  That was ten unproductive years ago as he has lost his place as a writer though he unsuccessfully tries.  He, his wife the breadwinning lawyer (except for an apartment building rental with pain in the butt renters) and children move to the burbs where he is the househusband.

 

Dale’s welcome to the expensive financial trap called a subdivision is his angry neighbors accusing him of tearing down the distasteful sign that identified the boundary.  Adding to his depression besides his wife hammering him for his inadequacies as a househusband is Dale, Sr. moves into the house while waiting to find his quadrillionth bride.  However, the most egregious affront is when the neighborhood assigns Dale the unpopular ignoramus job of Rocket Man organizing the scout troop annual show.

 

Rocket Man is an intriguing look at when the American dream turns into a nightmare.  Filled with a De Mille size cast, but focused on Dale and his interactions with them, readers will enjoy this satire; as bitter Dale learns the hard way what Ferris Bueller tried to show Cameron: “Life moves pretty fast. You don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”.

Cowboy Fever Series-Karen Wiesner

Cowboy Fever Series

Karen Wiesner

Whiskey Creek Press, May 2013

ISBN: 9781105199165

 

“Wings of Love.”  In Fever, Texas Mac falls in love with interior designer Amanda and asks her to join him on his ranch.  However, he finds himself frequently working away from home until an injury forces him back on the ranch only Amanda gave up on him.

 

“Losses and Gains.”  Four years ago, rancher Lance lost his wife Colleen and infant in a fire.  Like his sister-in-law Janaya, he grieves his loss until each finds comfort (and guilt) with one another.

 

“For Always.”  Ranch foreman Jared and Alana loved one another but she married Holt.  However, when she needs help from her abusive husband, Jared wants to be there for her.

 

“Taming April.”  Rancher Shawn is a ladies’ man until his former classmate April comes home for her dad’s funeral and asks him to train her father’s only possession a horse.

 

“The Only One.”  Five years ago, ranch owner Ken and his wife Karla lost their unborn child and their relationship when he acted silently aloof while she anguished.  Now Karla comes home seeking either a divorce or his opening up he feelings.

 

These five fabulous Triple Acres Ranch romances contain strong protagonists struggling with issues while falling in love.  Karen “the wonderful writing wizard” Wiesner provides her fans with a terrific Texas anthology.

 

Harriet Klausner