Janet Chapman (1) (1956–2017)

Really fun book. I spent a large portion of the book laughing out loud at the conversations and other antics that went on. Jesse has been envious of his brothers' happiness in their new lives and decided that he wanted the same thing. But his busy life in New York didn't seem to lend itself to finding Ms. Right, so following in their footsteps he has headed to Maine. He bought an island (Hundred Acre Island) and planned the perfect house for his future family. Six months later he has come show more back to Castle Cove to check on the progress of the plans. What he gets is a series of unfortunate events that throws all his plans into turmoil.

Cadi Glace is the woman who makes the 3D models for the firm owned by her father and his partner. Shortly before her father's death, she and the partner got engaged, and she has continued doing the models. Cadi has grown up in Castle Cove, only leaving to go to college, before coming right back home. As Jesse arrives in town, he sees Cadi watching her car burn. Being a gentleman, he stops to assist her, and gives her a ride. She is headed the same place he is - the architectural office. He's a couple days early to see his model and she's got a surprise birthday party planned for her fiance. The surprise is on her, as what she finds rocks her world.

This event sets the tone for the whole book as it turns out things aren't quite like they appear. I felt for Jesse as his house models are destroyed before he really gets a look at them. Cadi is understandably distressed by what she found, but not for the reason you would think. As she seeks to escape the pitying looks of the townspeople, she ends up hiding in Jesse's camper, where he finds her after driving to the harbor. She's quite drunk, and Jesse's protective instincts have him taking care of her.

Jesse is smitten by Cadi from the beginning. She is so different from the women he dates that he is intrigued by her. But as far as he knows, she is still engaged, so she's off limits. When he finds out that she has ended the engagement, he is determined to pursue her himself. Cadi is wary, because she sees herself as a small town girl, with no experience outside her small town. She doesn't see how he could truly be interested in her. SHe also sees that she has spent her life being what other people need, to the point where she has lost sight of her own needs. She takes the opportunity for some soul-searching and plans to set out on her own, to experience all those things she has missed out on.

Before Jesse can make his interest known, a business emergency calls him out of the country. I loved the conversation with his brothers, as he tries desperately to get one of them to deal with it. While he is gone, Cadi's boss and ex-fiance discovers that his brother has gotten involved with crook, and that he is the same man that Stanley has committed to designing a house for. Unfortunately, this same man has taken a shine to Cadi and has made it clear that nothing will keep him away from her.

Suddenly Stanley is no longer the mild-mannered architect, and I loved seeing how he takes charge of making sure that Cadi understands just what kind of danger she is in. His instructions to her were great, and her reactions were fun to watch. But Cadi also has a mind of her own, and is a lot more independent and capable than she believes. While she takes the need to disappear to heart, the way she goes about it was unexpected.

I loved how Jesse arrived back in Maine earlier than expected because he was so anxious to see her again. He was disturbed to discover the danger she was in, and determined to find her and protect her. I thoroughly enjoyed his efforts in tracking her down. His stunned surprise in finding out just where she has been hiding was hilarious, especially the way he found out. I loved seeing how the early misunderstanding continues, with Cadi taking advantage of it by pretending to be Jesse's wife to all the townspeople. The scene in the beauty salon was hysterical, with Jesse playing the loving husband to the hilt.

Once they are back on the island, Jesse has his work cut out to show her how he feels. Cadi's self image issues have her convinced that he is only playing house with her. I enjoyed seeing them get to know each other. Jesse finally starts to understand some of her issues and tries to figure out how to overcome them. Cadi has an amazing talent for understanding what people need, even when they don't realize it themselves. There are some really funny scenes where Jesse tries to stand up for what he wants, only to find that Cadi has out-argued him and gotten him to see things her way, everything from treehouses to home offices to where a house should be built.

When Jesse's assistant, Nathaniel, arrives with some information about not just the man who caused the problems, but Stanley too, Jesse has some decisions to make. I loved the discussion that he and Nathaniel had. There was a lot more to Nathaniel than I had expected, and I liked him more every time I saw him. I liked the interaction between Cadi and Nathaniel, though each looked at it differently. I felt bad for Cadi, who thought she had insulted him, while Nathaniel thought she was wonderful. I loved his comments to Jesse about her.

The story concluded with Jesse's brothers and their wives arriving because of a family crisis. I loved seeing all their reactions to Jesse's "wife", though his sisters-in-law nearly wrecked what progress he had made with Cadi. I loved seeing Jesse finally win an argument with her, as it was the argument of his life.

The only thing I didn't like is that things with Stanley were left hanging. We definitely get the idea of what he had done about the problem, but then there's nothing else about him. Do he and his new partner come back or just disappear?

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review show less

This is the second Janet Chapman book I’ve started, though only the first I’ve finished. I attempted to read The Seduction of his Wife because it sounded so delightfully batshit insane, but within 20 pages of the hero losing his shit with the heroine over the most minor of things I had to put it down. At the very least, this one didn’t start that way.

Charming the Highlander begins with a 13th century druid trying to send a 13th century highland laird (it’s always a laird) to the show more 20th century so he can marry an as-yet-anonymous/unknown 20th century lady and produce lots of babies so the druid can eventually have his protegee. But then Greylen MacKeage (Greylen being a totally classic 13th century Scottish name, so many Greylens), along with a few of his men, are ambushed by a rival clan, the MacBains. Long prologue short: everyone gets flung into the 20th century.

Flash forward four years and Grace Sutter is saying goodbye to her dying sister Mary. Mary ran away from the father of her baby when he proposed marriage and explained that, oh, as an aside, he’s actually from the 13th century? Several months later, Mary gets into a fatal car accident (trying to get back to him once she realizes she loves him enough to deal with him being a time traveler), leaving her slightly premature baby to her sister with the promise that Grace will take the baby back to its father.

This is the set-up, but before I go further with my thoughts, I will say that this book suffers from a common problem of throwing a million plot ideas at the wall and just kind of half-assedly dealing with all of them. I might be in the minority here, but I honestly don’t need much of a plot at all if the relationship is strong enough to carry the novel along. Which is all set-up to talk about the rest of this book.

Grey(len) and Grace end up on the same six seater bush plane to Pine Creek, Maine. It crashes. Greylen uses CPR to bring Baby back to life. Oh right, because Mary makes Grace promise to let the baby’s father name him, Grace continues to call the month old baby Baby for 3/4s of the book. Which is delightful, you can imagine. Naturally, because of magic and science, Grey falls in love with Grace at first sight and in true Highlander Laird fashion becomes super possessive.

Though, I will say, Grey’s possessiveness and other associated 13th century Man Traits are almost an afterthought. As if Chapman was concerned that maybe he was little TOO modern and forward thinking, so there should probably be a part where he curses at her and screams he loves her while grasping her shoulders almost painfully. It’s all very paint by numbers in that respect, but since the author wasn’t terribly committed to the accuracy of Grey’s characterization, he’s not nearly as intolerable as one would expect.

Then there’s another near death experience where Grace almost freezes to death before she finally makes it back home after Grey saves her life. (Again.) But there’s a massive ice storm! This is where there starts to be a million plot threads that are just tossed out left and right.

Grey’s family is opening a ski resort and the ice storm MIGHT ruin their ski lift. Baby’s father’s Christmas tree farm is in danger of being ruined. Grace abandoned her job in Virginia to come here, and her almost-sort-of-boyfriend-and-boss shows up more than halfway through the book in order to tell her that her project (she’s a rocket scientist) has been sold to a Japanese firm that is going to use it to build a weapon of mass destruction. But wait! She can’t pull out because agents from that company are coming to kidnap her and will probably kill her!

It was such an unnecessary divergence that I was just aggravated. The book developed a totally different tone and plot for all of about 75 pages in the latter half of the book and distracted from what the rest of the book was about. There’s also a whole backstory of the MacKeages hating Baby’s dad because of a whole mess that went down back in the 13th century.

It’s exhausting, honestly. I can’t even remember all the stuff that got brought up and dismissed in the blink of an eye. But it resulted in the book just getting terribly messy and convoluted by the end of it. Between the magic plotline that was also in the background but never fully committed to, and the rocket ship/WMD plotline that was never fully committed to, and the 13th century personalities and adjustments that are never fully committed to, it just felt like a novel that was trying to be everything, but not achieving much of anything.

All this to say, I didn’t hate the book. Certainly not like I hated The Lion’s Lady that I reviewed previously. I gave this one 3 stars on goodreads, because on the whole, it’s inoffensive and silly and certainly a quick read. But it’s honestly more somewhere in the range of 2.5-2.75.

Oh! But I almost forgot my favourite part! Grace had to hide Baby’s feet from his father for a long time because she wasn’t ready to give him up (and thought the father was insane because he thought he was from the 13th century) because —- the both had twelve toes. At that point, I just had to put my head down and laugh. show less

Another fantastic book by Janet Chapman, full of her trademark humor, heat, and family. Alex has been away in South America working as an engineer. Unfortunately, he was caught in a rebel attack and reported to his family as being killed in the attack. Imagine his surprise when he makes it out of the jungle and home again, to find himself married to a woman he's never met.

Sarah grew up on an isolated island where she ended up running her family's B&B after her parents' deaths. She also show more married quite young to a bully of a man. After his death and that of her mother-in-law, she was very happy to accept Grady Knight's offer of employment as housekeeper and nanny. Quickly growing to love the family, she was happy to marry the deceased son by proxy to protect the children, gaining the children she's always wanted without the inconvenience of a husband. Alex's surprise resurrection plays havoc with her plans - and her emotions.

The first meeting between Alex and Sarah was funny and a little heartbreaking. Alex's confusion over being confronted by his "wife", and held at bay by gunpoint, had me chuckling, while Sarah's fear at being confronted by a wild-looking and angry man made me ache for her. With the rest of the family away, Alex and Sarah are left to deal with explanations on their own - with the help of some whiskey-laced lemonade and the resulting poor decisions. One romance novel inspired dream results in an alcohol-enhanced passionate encounter, and equally passionate regrets a short time later. Alex makes a first class idiot of himself, shouting wild accusations and kicking Sarah out of the house. I loved his father's reaction when he showed up in the morning and how he made Alex feel like the jerk he was. All Alex has to do is find her and convince her to come back so that they can then figure out what to do. I loved that Sarah didn't make it easy for him, setting the tone for the development of their relationship.

I liked both Sarah and Alex. Both have been hurt in the past, making each of them reluctant to marry again. Finding themselves married to each other is not what either wants, but they have to let it play out for a little longer. Alex is actually a pretty nice guy, a terrific father, and feels guilty for the way he treated Sarah. He'd really like to change her opinion of him, but he'll have to get her to trust him first. That's going to take a little doing because he has a hard time keeping his hands off her. Sarah doesn't have much in the way of life experience, having been isolated for most of her life. She tends to base her thoughts and actions on the characters in the romance novels she reads, which gets her into trouble when Alex doesn't quite fit that mold. I found it especially amusing that the romance novels that Sarah quotes are other books that Janet Chapman wrote. I laughed out loud at this: "He's not even real," Sarah ground out "He's the figment of some demented woman's imagination."

I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Alex and Sarah's relationship. Both of them get a great deal of enjoyment out of pushing each other's buttons, creating sparks of all kinds. Sarah is determined to resist the attraction she feels for Alex, fearing the loss of her hard-won independence if she gives in to him. Alex quickly realizes that he doesn't want to lose her, and tries to seduce her into staying. I also liked how quickly Alex came to understand Sarah and what made her tick. She was an intriguing mix of naïve and worldly. I ached a bit for her cynicism over the way men treat her and her wish for a romance hero of her own. From driving lessons to ice fishing, so many of their encounters had me laughing out loud because they didn't go the way they expected. But there were also some really sweet times, such as the way that Alex cared for Sarah when she was injured and Sarah insisting that they accept her help when it's needed. An unexpected complication gives them extra motivation to work things out, but even that isn't enough for Sarah if Alex can't convince her that he really cares. I loved the ending, as both of them finally take the risk of confessing their feelings.

There is also a bit of suspense running through the book. Strangers in the woods and vandalized equipment have everyone on edge. I loved Alex's protectiveness toward Sarah when she runs afoul of those strangers. But it is Sarah who saves the day in an intense, though somewhat amusing, rescue mission to keep Alex from walking into a trap.

The secondary characters are terrific, too. Alex's kids, Tucker and Delaney are adorable. Tucker is the little boy who is thrilled to have Sarah as his new mom. Delaney is Alex's eleven-year-old daughter who is smarter and more observant than he realizes. I loved some of the things she said, and the way she helped take care of Sarah. Alex's father, Grady, is something of a schemer. He has multiple plans goings, most of which he keeps to himself until he's ready to spring them on the family. From the sports camp to the mill, he has his reasons. I also liked Alex's brothers, Ethan and Paul. There is plenty of teasing, but the love and support are also evident. There's a bit of a teaser for the next book, with a contentious encounter between Ethan and the mill foreman (forewoman?). show less

Fantastic book. Classic Janet Chapman, with a strong female and very alpha male, who strike sparks off each other from the beginning. I laughed out loud so many times during this book, as Jane and Mark would go head to head, each trying to get their own way. Jane is hunting in the woods when she witnesses a plane being shot out of the sky. It lands in the water, and she immediately dives in to save the pilot. She has to give him air a couple times via a lifesaving kiss before she can get him show more free of the wreckage. She leads him through the woods to safety, evading their pursuers along the way. Jane, who is quite confident in the woods that are her home, has no trouble bossing Mark around. Mark, who is obviously more accustomed to bossing rather than being bossed, has no choice but to allow it while he recovers from the crash, but he obviously doesn't like it. By the time they have reached safety, he has recovered and refuses to leave his "guardian angel" behind, at the mercy of those who are after him. When she resists, he simply kidnaps her.

I loved both Jane and Mark. Jane is an intriguing mix of confidence and insecurity. In the woods, and working as a guide, she is confident in her abilities. But outside of that, she sees herself as less than a nobody. She is an orphan, raised first by nuns, then by an older couple who weren't especially loving. She limps from a childhood injury and doesn't consider herself attractive at all. This isn't helped by the way she is treated by the men she encounters. She is also stubborn, kind, smart and curious. Mark is the oldest son of the king of a newly emerging country, who is soon to become the king himself. He was in America looking for a bride when he encountered Jane. He is just as stubborn as she is. And extremely protective of his "angel."

I loved the relationship that developed between Mark and Jane. He was intrigued and captivated by her from the very beginning. She also frustrated the daylights out of him. He is determined to keep her safe and drags her off to Shelkova to do so. He is also determined to make her his queen, but convincing her is an uphill battle. Jane doesn't believe that she is the type of woman a man like Mark would want. She's certainly attracted to him, and believes that he's attracted to her, but that it will end as soon as she gets him to safety. Once she finds out exactly who he is, she is doubly certain that she has no place in his life. She fights against his plans with all her might, feeling completely out of her depth. I loved their interactions, as she stands up against his bossiness, treating him just like any guy who gets on her wrong side. At the same time, Mark really wants to win her over. I loved the way that he slowly begins to understand her and how her mind works. There are some fantastic scenes on the aircraft carrier, with the push and pull of their relationship heating up. I also loved Jane's down-to-earth attitude around all the pomp and circumstance, and the reactions of those around her to her treatment of Mark. She also had incredible compassion and kindness in the midst of adversity that drew Mark to her even more.

Once they arrive in Shelkova, the pressure really heats up. Mark is determined she'll be his wife, and Jane is equally certain that she is not what he needs. His family gets into the act, with his father leading the way. Reynard is just as much a rogue and charmer as his son and is enchanted by Jane. I loved his efforts to show Jane how wonderful she is. Mark's three brothers are great, and I loved them all. Mark's aunt Irina is fantastic, as she becomes a true friend and confidant for Jane. All of them together work hard to show Jane that she's loved, wanted and needed by them and by the country. Jane still has her doubts, and I loved Mark's understanding of those and her actions as she tests those doubts. The story doesn't end with the fairytale wedding, but we also get to see them settle in to married life and Jane into being Queen. There are awesome scenes of Jane as she breaks traditions right and left and helps move the country into the modern age.

But not everything is sunshine and roses, and trouble strikes a few months into the marriage. Jane and Irina are kidnapped, then kidnapped from the kidnappers. The following days are tense, but also have some lighter moments. There's a fun twist to the end, once Mark arrives on the scene. The epilogue is fun, as Jane plans her revenge on one of the second kidnappers. There was one question left hanging (the sex of the expected baby) but I have a feeling I know the answer. I can't wait for the next book. show less