Kate Walker (1) (1950–)

Oh Kate, when Diego was driving his motorbike in the first few paragraphs I had hope for the book, but honestly, that hope started to diminsh quite rapidly and my suspension of disbelief started to corrode quite quickly afterwards.
Yes, I should have guessed from the "powerful motorbike" without any qualifications, but let me give you a few pointers.

Paniers and top boxes on motorbikes are essential to carry anything, unless you're carrying stuff in a backpack, now seeing as she was able to show more snuggle up to him, this suggests no backpack. Some big expensive bikes have built in panniers. He has clothing with him and he didn't offer her it? Bad biker, no cookie. Waterproof leggings would have gone on quite easily on her exposed legs and would have afforded her some sort of protection.

He gave her his helmet, any biker would tell you that you'd get away, just about, with going to the next village or town doing this and about then the cops would be all over you like a rash, not debating stopping, you'd stop. Even if the bike is a rental, even if you have enough money to do this, the fines are huge, the cops will lecture you for a while about stupidity.
Bikers have wet weather gear in Ireland and England. If they don't they stop. Biking in the wet is a miserable, nasty experience and driving rain, actually hurts through jeans, and jeans don't dry all that quickly. Your hero would have ended up in the hotel damp through to the skin. Uncomfortable and chaffing in places that would make a shower a top priority, and getting out of the damp clothes an even bigger priority. You talked about a freezing fog and him giving his jacket to her would mean that if he continued driving through rain for a while, we're talking hypothermia if he's not careful.
While driving rain is pretty uncomfortable in jeans, and even, speaking as a regular motobike pillion, through kevlar jeans, and you'll feel heavy rain through the waterproofs, it would be sheer torture in stockings. Lets not get into some of the practicalities of small country roads and chippings and exposed legs and feet, that would be getting into the realm of serious nitpicking.
So, if I was on the back of a motorbike, in driving rain, in the remains of my wedding dress, and his jacket and his helmet (wasn't she lucky it fitted! More not over-nitpicking!) and no gloves, in damp cold weather with freezing fog in the afternoon, clinging on to a male who is now soaked through, I would be wondering where the nearest town was and once I got in would be plunging my hands into warm water, not being exhilirated and liking his warmth. He wouldn't be warm, he would be cold, miserable, shivery and grouchy.

See, this all happened in the first few pages. I read a few excerpts out to my husband and he was wondering why I kept going, I can only claim masocism. A strange hope that the story was going to improve and the fact that the book was only 184 pages long. The story stretched my credulity, it just didn't make me convinced that things were going to work between the two characters and I think that without the motorbike eyebrowraising events I would have been more charitable about the whole thing. It all felt rushed and short-storyish rather than full book and I would have felt cheated if I had paid for it rather than borrow it from the library. show less

The superb storytelling skills of author Kate Walker are richly displayed in “Indebted to Moreno”, a stirring and passionate contemporary romance. Rose Cavalliero is a talented dress designer, working to firmly establish her business while caring for her ailing mother. Heartaches from the past have left Rose determined to make their future secure, and she needs a spectacular wedding commission to put her name and business at the top of the list of sought-after designers. A potential new show more client from an aristocratic Spanish family would seem to be the key to making her dreams come true. However, the family member who visits her shop is not the bride to be, but her brother, Nairo Moreno, the man who stole Rose’s heart and innocence a decade ago. Nairo is as shocked as Rose by their unexpected reunion—he had no idea that the young woman he had known as “Red” had now become the designer whom his sister wanted to create her wedding gown. As a young man, Nairo had tried to escape his own family issues, living in a poor section of London, and going by the name of “Jett”. He and Rose had met under trying circumstances, each on the run from their true identities, and their youthful passion was too powerful to resist. A misunderstanding had led Rose to betray Nairo all those years ago, and the emotions between them are turbulent and full of mistrust. Nairo is very devoted to his sister, though, and he vows to see that her wishes for a perfect wedding come true at all costs—even if his personal cost is high. He makes it all too clear that Rose has no choice but to accept his offer, but will she once again give him the heart he broke so long ago? The passion between them is more potent than ever, but is a lasting love possible for these two seeking spirits? “Indebted to Moreno” is highly recommended for lovers of grand romantic tales filled with deep emotions, undeniable desire, and the love of a lifetime.
Book Copy Gratis Author show less

The Konstantos Marriage Demand

Sadie Carteret goes to the man she left standing at the altar five years earlier to beg for help for her mother and brother. He has obtained his revenge of her family for the way he was treated and now owns all of the Cateret's holdings which include the family mansion. What she's met with when she finally meets up with Nikos Konstantos is a man full of hatred for what her father did so many years ago to his family, the very same thing leaving them with show more nothing. Now he's had his revenge and he's going to rub her face in it.

Nikos Konstantos is stunned when he sees Sadie. She is still lovely and has the power to attract him. However, the sensual pull between them is too much and then he can't help himself during their meeting, he kisses her and the tension, need and want is still the same for them both. He offers her a proposition, a demand, that she must accompany him to Greece as his hired wedding planner to plan his wedding. Can Sadie survive planning a wedding for the man she once loved and who is making her crazy? Is Nikos really getting married? Talk about a roller coaster with charged emotions!
While reading the first chapters of the book, I just waited for the lies to come out and it was obvious that this couple had been deeply hurt and manipulated by their families past lies, hatred and revenge. Their time spent in Greece is extremely rocky, with accusations , yelling, name calling and on and on. However, under it all, we can just tell that they are confused and still care for each other. And then it happens, truths are told......they kiss, they make love and it gives us hope until a picture appears in a newspaper and Nikos feels betrayed all over again.

The Konstantos Marriage Demand with its emotional plot and intense passion is a book to be added to the "keeper" shelf. It's reunion/reconcilation theme and the way it was executed by the author(Kate Walker) was exceptional. It is an emotional roller-coaster of a ride! show less

I have to say it's been a long time since I read a series romance book but for some reason, I felt compelled to pick one up at the store and read it. I should have remembered why it had been so long. The only good thing I can say about this book is that it didn't suck up too much of my valuable reading time since it was so short and such a quick read. The premise is that Alexa's sister leaves her groom (and her father's business partner), Santos Cordero, at the altar. This is a terrible show more thing since it turns out that Alexa's father has embezzled money from his future son-in-law and the wedding present was for Cordero not to press charges, nevermind that the bride herself was a wedding present of sorts to Cordero (ie not a love match). Alexa, of course, doesn't know these circumstance and is horrified by Cordero's seeming lack of devastation by his unceremonious jilting. He, on the other hand, thinks she knows and vows she will be the one to pay her father's debts, in his bed. The two tumble into bed on after the mock reception. Hello, your sister was supposed to marry this man only a few short hours ago and you are so overcome with passion that you can't keep away? Obviously this plot twist bothered me but as ridiculous as the instantaneous lust storyline was, the writing in this was appalling. I've already posted my favorite line on my blog ("Swiftly and expertly he freed the clasp at the back, easing the soft material from her swollen breasts and replacing it with the heat of his palms, cupping and lifting her in a way that no underwear could ever do.") but rest assured there are other equally laughable bits in here. I also wonder at the lack of an editor. When Alexa flees Cordero and he ultimately follows her, he ends up leaving her home in a raging storm, bad enough to bring down a massive tree that crushes his car. And yet after the two of them traipse off in this fury of nature to prove to Alexa that he wasn't lying about not being able to leave, they are overcome by passion so dire that they must again immediately jump into the sack so Cordero carries her into her room, which is illuminated by the light of the moon. A storm so fierce trees are toppled has a moon shining brightly through it? Really? England's storms (and specifically Yorkshire) must be far different than those I've seen here in the US. Where, oh where, was Walker's editor and why was this not somehow altered or completely struck from the manuscript? ::sigh:: Obviously I won't be heading back into series romance again any time soon since this has cured me of the desire for quick, easy happy endings in the near future (not that I'll eschew all romance but the short serials will not darken my door again too soon). show less