Cathy Gillen Thacker

Good friends to lovers story. Sage and Nick have been good friends for months, adding "with benefits" not long after they met. Sage has wanted a baby for a long time, but her previous relationship didn't work out. She's decided to have one on her own, but isn't thrilled about using a donor - she'd rather know who the father is. She comes up with the idea of asking Nick.

Nick was surprised by Sage's request. He's always wanted more from Sage but went along with her wishes while waiting for his show more chance. A baby hadn't been in his plans just yet, but he's willing to go for it. At least it will guarantee that they'll have some kind of long-term relationship.

I enjoyed the development of Nick and Sage's relationship, even if I did spend a fair amount of time wanting to shake them both. Their friendship was strong, having taken the time to get to know each other. The addition of "benefits" suited them both at the time, when neither one was ready to move to anything permanent, and brought them closer still. There were times that I felt that they were getting too much satisfaction out of fooling their friends and families rather than being happy to share their contentment, especially once Sage found out she was pregnant. I did understand their desire to avoid the pressures from their families but felt they were strong enough to stand up to them. And everything would have likely gone the way they wanted it to if it hadn't been for unexpected interference.

At the same time all of this is happening, Nick is in the process of expanding his business, something he's wanted to do for a long time. Unfortunately, the lead contact for the venture capitalists that he is working with insists that Nick and Sage need to be married to portray the right image for the stores. He's willing to stand up to them, but Sage doesn't want to be the cause of his losing out on something so important, so she agrees. She has come to realize that she wants something more from their relationship, but she is afraid of making Nick feel trapped and ruining their friendship, so she insists that nothing about their relationship will be done differently.

From the moment the wedding takes place, Nick is as all-in as he is permitted to be. He has Sage right where he wants her and looks forward to showing her what they could have together. I loved the way that he takes such good care of her when she is ill. There are also some amazingly romantic moments that he comes up with. Sage is warier, still haunted by her fears. It doesn't help that there is constant interference from MR, the business contact. It was obvious to me from the beginning that MR had an agenda of her own, and it wasn't all business related. She was very good at manipulating both Nick and Sage, and it really affected Sage. I was a bit worried that Nick was blind to it, but he was more aware than I realized. I loved seeing him stand up to MR more and more often as the book went on.

As the book went on, both Sage and Nick realized that their feelings for each other had grown and that they wanted more out of their marriage. The problem was, neither of them was willing to take a chance and talk to the other about how they felt and what they wanted. I ached for them both as Nick felt that Sage was pushing him away, and Sage was desperately trying not to interfere with his business dreams. Unfortunately, their level of communication had dropped since they got married, and they no longer talked about the things that were important to them. This caused a dangerous situation near the end of the book that opened their eyes. I liked the ending a lot, especially the steps that Nick took. The epilogue was great. I loved seeing them a couple of years later and what they had accomplished.

I also enjoyed seeing the parts that their families played. There was no question about the love that was there, even if there was occasionally some tension. I liked the way that Sage's mom wanted the best for her, even if she didn't always agree with the way Sage went about getting it. I also liked that Nick's siblings were behind him in his ambitions, though it took Sage to get them to express it. I adored Sage's reaction to MR's plans for the grand opening and loved seeing her stand up for what was right. show less

Sweet story. Dan is a cowboy deputy who is ready to settle down. He's been the focus of a lot of women who want the same thing, but none of them seem right. That is until he meets Kelly and her adorable kids. However, no matter how hard he tries, he can't get her to go out with him. Kelly likes Dan just fine but refuses to go past being friends. She gave in to a sexy, charming man once and it got her nothing but trouble - and three babies.

I liked both Dan and Kelly. Both of them are warm, show more loving people. Dan takes his work as a deputy very seriously, believing in the importance of rules and order. He's recently returned home to Texas, after several years working in Chicago. He left when the woman he was engaged to tried to use him to protect her criminal father. Because of that, he has some trust issues with anyone who wants him to bend the rules. He is also fun-loving, patient, and kind-hearted. Kelly is a woman whose children are the center of her world. She has put her life back together after divorcing their father and is happy with the way it is. She loves working with children and giving them a happy start to their school careers. I loved her determination to help the kids of single parents when it came to holiday celebrations. Her biggest blind spot is when it comes to social services workers. She spent a lot of time in and out of foster homes, thanks to her mother's illness and what she saw as uncaring social workers.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Kelly and Dan. Because they are friends, Kelly goes to him for help regarding one of her students. I liked Dan's willingness to help, and also enjoyed how he used it to tease her into finally going out with him. The attraction between them was obvious from the start, but Kelly desperately tried to resist it. She'd been burned by passion once before and doesn't want to risk it again, but Dan won't give up. I loved seeing Dan bond with the kids at the same time he and Kelly grew closer. That closeness with the kids helped soften Kelly's resistance, and it wasn't long before the chemistry between them heated up. The road didn't run smoothly though, as Kelly's emotional responses to problems would butt up against Dan's cooler, more logical ones. When a crisis with the mother of one of her students brought Kelly's issue with social workers up against Dan's duty as a deputy, both of them reacted badly. Thanks to some well-timed advice from Dan's mother and Kelly's friend, both of them realized that they were close to losing something very special. I loved the ending and seeing a mature discussion of what they'd done wrong and where they wanted to go from that point forward. The epilogue was adorable, with a very interesting twist.

The secondary characters were terrific. The triplets were adorable, sweet, but not too much so. They also had their troublesome moments, and I had to laugh about the goats, the boots, and the poop. And like most kids that age, they have no filters on their mouths. Some of the things they said were hilarious (though not necessarily to their mother). I also liked Sharon and her daughter Shoshanna. I ached for what Sharon was going through with her boss and her friends from her old home. I really liked how she and Kelly became friends. Mirabelle was the character I had the hardest time with. Her refusal to bend on the picnic was infuriating, and I really understood Kelly's problems with her. Of course, that put Kelly's back up also, and I wondered what was going to happen. I ended up feeling a little sorry for her.

I hope there will be more McCabe stories, even though the Harlequin Western line is done. show less

Good book about two people brought together by a baby and a puppy. Bridgett is a nurse who has big dreams of adopting a baby. When she discovers an abandoned baby, she believes it is destiny. But a note found with the baby gives him over to the care of Cullen McCabe. Social services approves Bridgett as a foster parent, but when she experiences a housing crisis Cullen offers to have her, the baby, and the puppy move into his ranch with him.

I liked both Cullen and Bridgett, though each had show more their frustrating moments. Cullen is honorable, gruff, and more sensitive than is obvious at first. He grew up not knowing who his father was until after his mother died. His childhood was rootless as his mother went from one job and one man to another, without any feeling of security. Even after being claimed by his father, Cullen tends to hold back on his emotions. I ached for him as he still felt like an outsider in his family, but also felt that he caused some of that himself. With his history of buying and selling ranches and moving on, it felt like he kept one foot out the door at all times. I liked that he takes his responsibility to the baby seriously and does everything he can to support Bridgett in her care of little Robby. But he wants to find Robby's birth parents before any decisions are made, which puts him a bit at odds with Bridgett.

Bridgett is caring, nurturing, and a bit stubborn. She has wanted a baby for a long time and has her plans made. She's found the perfect house, is on the foster-adopt list, and is now waiting for fate to deliver the perfect baby. Finding Robby is a dream come true, but with the question of his parentage up in the air, she could still lose out.

I enjoyed the development of Cullen and Bridgett's relationship. The first encounter at the hospital was a little rough, with Bridgett not exactly trusting that he's telling the truth about Robby not being his. I liked that he stepped up right away to be involved anyway and was there to help Bridgett when her landlord kicked her out of her apartment. I liked how there was an almost immediate feeling of family once Bridgett, Robby, and Riot arrived at the ranch. Both Cullen and Bridgett connected with little Robby right away. I especially enjoyed seeing the sweet moments between Cullen and the baby, as his walls began to crumble. Those moments added to Bridgett's growing feelings of family. When the sparks of attraction that flared between Cullen and Bridgett burst into flame, both were ready to see where it led. I was a bit frustrated with them both as their feelings grew more intense, but neither would talk about it. When their insecurities pushed them apart, it took straight talk from family members and some serious soul searching, before both Cullen and Bridgett could see where they'd gone wrong. I loved seeing them finally open their hearts fully to each other. The epilogue was terrific.

A big part of the story was the relationship between Cullen and his father and the McCabe family. There was obvious strain between Cullen and his dad, plus the way Cullen still felt like an outsider. I grew very frustrated with Cullen because the more I saw, the more I felt that he was doing it to himself. I especially liked Cullen's stepmother and the unconditional love she showed him. I wasn't sure how Bridgett's plan was going to turn out and held my breath as it played out. show less

Sweet story. After the death of a former patient, Gavin and Violet find themselves named as foster parents for a newborn baby girl. They've been coworkers and friends for awhile, but this is something entirely different. The question is whether they can co-parent the baby without getting emotionally involved with her or each other. Violet is certain they can, Gavin is not so sure.

Violet came home to Laramie to work in the hospital there, after she lost her fiance to cancer. She's put her show more heart and soul into her work and avoided any kind of personal relationships until little Ava worked her way past Violet's walls and into her heart. Added to the attraction she feels for Gavin, Violet's life has gotten very complicated. She started out convinced that the best thing for Ava was to find the perfect set of adoptive parents for her, but was soon dreaming of making Ava her own. Having a pseudo-family with the three of them has her wishing it could be real.

Gavin came home to work in the hospital in order to be closer to his family. He's carrying some guilty feelings over not having been there enough after their parents were killed just as he was starting medical school. Being named as guardian for Ava just reinforces his fears that he doesn't have what it takes to be emotionally responsible for another human being. He's determined to keep things practical while they search for the perfect family for Ava. He doesn't count on falling for the little girl himself.

I loved seeing the connection between Gavin and Violet and how it grew. Gavin had been attracted to Violet for awhile, but saw that her grief for her fiance wasn't letting her move on. Being forced into close proximity with her gave him the chance to show her what she was missing. Unknown to him, Violet had finally reached the point where she was ready to move on. Her attraction to Gavin gives her the perfect stepping off point. They first agree that they will have a "fling" for as long as they are caring for Ava, but soon realize that they don't really want it to end. I loved seeing how quickly they became a family. Ava has brought them together and shown them how much love they have to give, both her and each other, but they have to be willing to accept it.

But they have a big obstacle between them to overcome. Violet is ready to open her heart and take a risk again, to keep Ava and raise her, even without Gavin by her side. Gavin refuses to believe that he has what it takes to give Ava everything she needs and insists that giving her up is the best thing to do. I loved seeing Violet stand up for what she wants and what she needs from Gavin, finally putting her past behind her. Gavin takes a bit longer and it takes a pretty straight conversation with his younger brother to show him the truth. His actions at the end are quite romantic and sweet for a guy who considers himself pragmatic. The epilogue was a nice glimpse at their future.

I liked the inclusion of the issues Gavin and his family were having with his younger brother Nicholas. It was a good way to show the effect of his parents' deaths on all of them, and how each dealt with it. Nicholas's actions showcased the changes that Gavin was going through thanks to Violet's influence. My only problem with the story was with Violet's parents. In each book of this series I have been very disappointed in their attitudes towards their daughters. They always seem to have poor opinions of the girls' abilities to make the right decisions regarding their relationships. I also felt that Violet's father crossed a line when he talked to Gavin, since he is also Gavin's boss. I know it works out in the end, but I'd rather see them supporting from the beginning. show less