Judy Duarte

Good conclusion to this year's Fortune series. Graham works on the Galloping G ranch with his best friend's father, as they turn it into a place for at-risk boys. Sasha has returned to her uncle's ranch after the end of her marriage, hoping for a place to raise her daughters and to repair her relationship with her uncle.

I loved Graham. He's one of the Robinson side of the Fortune family, and sort of a black sheep. He wants nothing to do with his father's business, in spite of his MBA. He's show more much happier ranching and helping turn the ranch into a place for at risk boys. When he was a teenager, he and his friend Peter made some bad decisions during their rebellious phase. Peter died because of one of those decisions, which sobered Graham right up. Since then he has joined with Peter's father to make the ranch a tribute to Peter. He remains at odds with his own father. Graham was surprised to hear that Sasha was coming back to the ranch, and even more surprised when he saw her. He remembers her as the little girl who used to be a pest, but she's a beautiful woman now. She also has a daughter and is pregnant. Graham is also determined to make a difference to the boys who come to the ranch. I loved seeing how good he was with them, just the right mix of discipline and friendliness.

I liked Sasha too. She had married a man she thought she loved, even though her uncle didn't like him and said that he wasn't what he seemed. This caused a rift between them, not a total break, but certainly plenty of awkwardness. She hopes that she can mend their relationship while she's there. When she arrived she was surprised to see Graham there. She had had quite the crush on him when she was a teenager, and she discovers that he still has the power to stir her. Her seven year old daughter Maddie also falls under his spell.

I really enjoyed the development of their relationship. They quickly slid back into their old friendship, but this time there was an added zing to it. However, both of them have some relationship insecurities. Graham thinks that there is a good chance that Sasha will end up going back to her husband, so he's reluctant to risk his heart on her. He thinks she still loves him, plus they have the two kids. That doesn't stop him from thinking about the possibilities and wishing they were real. Sasha also has her doubts. She doesn't think that a rich cowboy like Graham could be interested in a single mom like her. A couple of hot kisses have them both thinking toward the future, until a visit from Sasha's soon-to-be-ex occurs. Graham jumps to conclusions about the visit, cutting things off with Sasha in a very confusing (to her) phone call. She jumps to some conclusions of her own, and blows off some steam at him. It takes a determined little girl to get them to actually talk to each other, with the expected happy results.

Through the series there have been two ongoing storylines. The first is the question of whether or not Gerard Robinson is really Jerome Fortune, and whether he'll ever admit it if he is. The previous book had him telling his story to his daughter Zoe, though some of the kids are skeptical. In this book the truth is finally revealed. The second one is the decision by Kate Fortune to look among her relatives for someone to take over as CEO of Fortune Cosmetics. She has been visiting them all, looking for her ideal. She shows up at the ranch to talk to Graham and gets a tour of the ranch. I loved the real interest she showed. At the end of the book she makes her decision and it really is perfectly done. show less

"The House on Sugar Plum Lane" was another novel that I picked up at the Friends of the Library semi-annual book sale. I'm trying to broaden my reading genre, and this romantic, religious story was interesting and a bit different from my normal reads. I found the novel to be well-written with realistic characters and a plot that kept me engaged. The lack of profanity and explicit scenes was refreshing. I look forward to reading additional novels by Ms. Duarte.

A good book about two people from vastly different backgrounds competing for the same business award. Sofia is a self-made woman from a poor family. She worked hard through school and setting up her financial planning business. She watched her mother and grandmother struggle to make ends meet as she grew up while watching those with more money have all the advantages. Then she suffered through the betrayal of her wealthy college boyfriend, who disrespected her because of her past. This left show more her with a bad taste for anyone with money. At the top of the list are the members of the Fortune family, who seem to be taking over the town of Rambling Rose.

Beau Fortune and his brother Draper have opened a branch of Fortune Investments in Rambling Rose. They work hard to give their clients the best service possible. Rather than living in the exclusive section of town, they rented a house in a "normal" development. Beau is aware of his advantages growing up but hasn't let them go to his head.

At the end of the previous book, A Soldier's Dare, Beau and Sofia had a brief conversation at the Valentine's Day dance. As she was there with someone else, Beau backed off when the other man seemed to have a problem with him. But he has never forgotten the beautiful woman in the red dress. At the beginning of this book, they meet again while dog walking and quickly connect though still without exchanging names. Beau's subsequent encounter at the dog park is with Sofia's grandmother, who, after a not-so-subtle interrogation, invites him to Sunday dinner. In the meantime, Sofia and Beau are notified that each has been nominated for a prestigious business award. But in an awkward scene, Beau overhears Sofia complaining to a friend about how those prosperous Fortunes seem to walk away with all the accolades because of their unfair advantages. That puts a damper on the budding relationship between them. Complicating matters further, as part of the competition, they are assigned to work together on a project to benefit their community.

At this point, I wanted to give Sofia a good, hard shake. She is such a reverse snob, looking down on anyone who hasn't had to struggle to succeed. Beau is hurt by her attitude but doesn't let it get to him. He is determined to do his best in the competition and let his actions speak for themselves, while Sofia takes every chance to take potshots at his job, background, and lifestyle. I loved the project they decided on - teaching high school seniors about financial responsibility. They covered budgeting, saving, taxes, loans, and even investing. (I wish my school had offered something like that!) I loved watching the students get involved in the subject and seeing how Beau and Sofia brought their personal experiences into play. I liked seeing how Sofia and Beau learned a little about each other during those classes.

I enjoyed watching the relationship between Beau and Sofia develop. Beau is a great guy, down-to-earth and good-hearted. He is attracted to Sofia and ready to show her that he's nothing like she thinks. Something proves her wrong whenever she thinks she has him pegged as a spoiled rich guy. I got to the point where I couldn't wait to see which preconception got blasted next. I especially enjoyed seeing her reaction when she discovered that he and Draper clean their own house, cut their grass, and make their meals. I liked how Beau and Sofia came to respect each other and their abilities during their time together. I was initially not very happy with the judging for the award but felt the judges redeemed themselves with their creative solution.

Their relationship is also helped by Sofia's grandmother, Maria, and her mother, Camila. From the moment she met him, Maria was sure that Beau was The One for Sofia. I loved her first meeting with Beau and her not-so-subtle interrogation before inviting him to dinner. She takes every opportunity to throw them together. She's a source of great advice for both characters when trouble arises. I ached for both Beau and Sofia when the mysterious delivery of a pink baby blanket brought Sofia's fears and insecurities back to the surface, driving a wedge between them. I felt like Sofia had earned her misery but hurt for Beau. I loved watching Beau try to find a way to show Sofia that she could trust him, but none of the "grand gestures" that other people suggested felt right. I loved the one that finally hit him as just right because of the way it showed how much he respected and admired her. I also liked that Sofia realized how wrong she'd been and that her issues, not his actions, caused the problems. I loved seeing Sofia face up to her mistakes and her scene with Beau. The ending was terrific.

The book has a secondary romance between Beau's friend, Dan, and Sofia's mom. I loved seeing them meet and experience an unexpected attraction to each other. Both have painful pasts, and I liked seeing them take their time to get to know each other. Maria is over the moon with happiness at having helped with two successful relationships.

In this third book, another mysterious gift is given to a Fortune. The first book had a sculpture; the second was a picture and a pink baby blanket in this one. No one has any idea who sent them or what they mean. I'm looking forward to reading the other books and solving the mystery. show less

Good book. Ellie is the young and popular mayor of Rambling Rose. She loves the town and its people and is determined to do what is best for them, even if that means standing up to the wealthy Fortunes and their plans. She has had more than one run-in with Steven Fortune and his hotel plans. There's more than antagonism causing sparks between them, but she won't be seen consorting with the enemy.

But Ellie is also in a bit of a predicament. She recently ended her relationship with a man, show more only to discover she was pregnant with his baby. He made it plain he had no interest in being a father and left the country to pursue his career. That leaves Ellie pregnant, unmarried, and worried about the reactions of her constituents. Ellie always holds herself to very high standards and feels she's letting everyone down.

Steven is the oldest in his family, charming, good-looking, and used to things going his way. He has his vision of where he wants the Fortune properties to go, and nothing will deter him from making it happen. Clashing with Ellie is frustrating but also stimulating, and he looks forward to winning her over.

I enjoyed seeing Steven and Ellie's encounters. She focuses on the town's residents, while Steven seems more interested in the high-end tourists he envisions spending time there. I could feel her frustration as her efforts to get through to him fell on deaf ears. I especially enjoyed seeing her take him to talk to ordinary people. He's charming and easy to talk to, but he still doesn't get it.

One thing he does get is his attraction to her and how much he enjoys her company. While she resists dating him, she isn't opposed to the idea of being friends. As a friend, he offers her a marriage of convenience, giving her the cover to preserve her reputation with the town. Ellie is hesitant to accept, fearing that their chemistry could lead to heartbreak. I liked Steven's feelings of protectiveness toward Ellie and his desire to take care of her. But as they start their married life, Ellie realizes she wants more than Steven agreed to when they hatched this plan. I wanted to shake Ellie when she ran instead of talking to Steven and risking rejection. I hurt for Steven, who had no idea she was unhappy until after she left. An unexpected visitor helped Steven see the truth of his feelings. I loved the ending and seeing them finally admit their feelings to each other.

I loved the importance of family in this book - family of the blood and the heart. Both Steven and Ellie were adopted, which had a significant impact on their lives. Ellie's history made it easy to see the impact on her life and actions and why she made her decisions. Steven's backstory was easier but still profoundly affected his life. I loved how close he was to his parents and siblings. show less