Kate Hardy (1)

Got the book from We Hear You, Harlequin's survey program. Lovely story. The title is stupid (it would be better if it were the other way around, but not much better), and for some reason although it's copyright 2008 the book is an ARC - white cover, floppy paper, and no publication info. That aside - the story is wonderful. I like both Bel and Alex; they're independent, clever, intelligent, nice, and have very interesting jobs. I'd love to have either job (though Alex's sounds like more show more fun). It's a girl-next-door story, with (of course) complications - the obvious ones of ages out of synch, plus one bad love affair and one bad marriage. And the usual romance stupidity (realistic, but still stupid) of 'Oh, I can't tell him/her that I'm falling in love - she/he might not reciprocate!' One amusing thing - I just finished a Harlequin from 2000, by a different author, that used the same Apache blessing as in this book. The sex is explicit and just a little clinical in language - technical terms for his and hers parts - but not so much that it turned me off. There are a lot of cliches used here - the aforementioned girl-next-door and secret feelings, plus family interference (positive - positively pushy, even), want-a-baby (with miscarriages), previous bad experience, etc., etc., - and I still enjoyed the story tremendously. I really like the characters, and even when they're acting out the romance cliches they stay real-feeling. Their mutual love of history rings a bell for me - both of their holidays sound wonderful to me, just as trips. I spent a lot of the last half of the book crying - it touched me deeply enough for that. I like - and I'll be looking for more from this author. For that matter, there might be three previous stories in this series - Alex has three married sisters. I'll have to hunt them up (another sign it's an ARC - no convenient series lists in the front!). Very nice. show less

Lovely, heartwarming Christmas story. Quinn has just moved into his new home when Carissa stops by to welcome him to the neighborhood. He's distracted because he's working on a new computer program, and isn't very friendly. Carissa is bright and cheerful, even in those circumstances. When she gets a chance she looks him up and discovers he's a computer guy, so she goes to ask him to help with a charity project. In talking to him she discovers that he doesn't like Christmas at all, whereas show more Christmas is her favorite time of year. She's determined to change his mind about the holiday.

I loved Carissa's enthusiasm for the season. She is determined to make Quinn see the magic of the season and sets out to convince him. She takes him to everything from light festivals to ice skating trying to show him how wonderful it is. As she gets to know him she discovers that Quinn doesn't talk about his past at all and wonders if that has to do with his dislike of Christmas. Carissa herself has known pain of her own, but deals with it by trying to do good for others.

I liked Quinn a lot. He has terrible memories of his childhood, which have really affected his adult life. He was abandoned by his mother and raised by his aunt and uncle, but always felt as though he was a burden to them. While he was in college he fell in love with a young woman who it turned out didn't care for him and broke his heart, adding to his feelings of being worthless. By the time he meets Carissa he has gotten in the habit of keeping everyone at an emotional distance. But there is something about Carissa that he doesn't seem to be able to say no to, and he finds himself doing things he'd had no intention of doing. I loved seeing him start to loosen up and have fun, even if he was still having trouble believing in her magic of Christmas. I also liked the way that he was able to get her to talk about her painful past and gave her the support and understanding that she didn't expect. I also loved what he did with that knowledge.

It was great to see how Carissa's determination started to break through Quinn's defenses. Thanks to her he got to see what loving families were like. I also loved seeing the attraction that built between them. Both of them had painful pasts, but Carissa is more open to seeing what might come of it. When their attraction gets the best of them, it scares Quinn and he tries to pull back. Carissa finally succeeds in getting him to talk to her about his past, but then lets him know that he needs to deal with his demons if he wants a chance at happiness with her. I loved what he did with what she told him, and the difference it made to his entire outlook. His final push to show her how he feels was really sweet and romantic. show less

Terrific book about two people who have been hurt in the past and are reluctant to risk their hearts again. I enjoyed seeing both Toni and Ben overcome their fears and open their hearts.

Ben moved to the small village of Great Crowmell for a fresh start. After finding out that his wife and the baby she carried belonged to his best friend, he needed to get away from the memories and the pitying looks. He has no interest in entering any new relationships.

Toni moved back to Great Crowmell to show more care for her grandmother and stayed after her grandmother's death. After a series of relationships with men who turned out to be selfish jerks, Toni no longer trusts her judgment and has sworn off men.

Ben and Toni got off to a rough start when he tripped over her therapy dog, Archie. After Ben comments about dogs not belonging there, and Toni snaps back, both retreat to their corners. Fortunately, neither one holds a grudge, and they clear the air the next day. Toni is a friendly and kind-hearted woman and wants Ben to feel at home in the village. After inviting him to dinner, where he gets to know both her and Archie, the beginnings of a friendship form. I loved watching Toni and Ben spend time together, getting to know each other, and sharing the hurts of their pasts.

Neither expected the sparks of attraction they felt. After an evening of Ben comforting Toni after losing a friend turned into much more, they had to make a decision. Do they allow past hurts to rule their lives, or take a chance and explore whatever is between them? I loved how they were open and honest about their wants and needs and decided to move their relationship ahead slowly. It was sweet to see the things they did together, from dinners to sightseeing to quiet movie nights. Their romantic weekend away was incredible.

Everything moved along quite nicely, then Toni became pregnant. I wanted to shake Ben, who let his past get into his head and cause him to make a boneheaded mistake. I ached for Toni, who suddenly felt her past happening all over again. Fortunately, Ben's idiocy didn't linger too long, helped along by an emergency with his sister's family. I loved Ben's big moment at the end, with his heartfelt apology and admission of his feelings. I didn't blame Toni for being wary at first and making him work for her forgiveness. The epilogue was fantastic, with a nice little twist at the end.

I loved the view of life in Great Crowmell. Like small towns all over, everybody seems to know everybody else and all of their business. I loved how quickly Ben felt at home. I would love to live/visit there myself, especially during their nineteen-forties weekend. Archie was another big part of the book. His obvious joy at being around people and ability to sense what they needed made him an excellent therapy dog. I loved how he turned Ben from an anti-dog person to a dog lover.

On a personal note, I loved Ben and Toni's trip to Vienna. Having been to the SiSi Museum, I agree entirely with Toni's love of what she saw. From their carriage tour to the concert to the pastries they ate, it all brought back wonderful memories. show less

Good book. Tia and Antonio first met when he brought her and her mother word of her brother Nathan's death in action. Tia was not impressed, as Antonio was brusque and cold in his delivery, and barely stayed long enough to deliver the news. He claimed that Nathan was his friend, but didn't show up for his funeral. So when Tia saw him again at a charity gala where she was working, she was not inclined to be friendly.

When Antonio saw Tia, he was wracked with guilt. Nathan's death had show more devastated him, but as a member of the royal family, he had been taught to keep his emotions under control at all times, so he knew he hadn't handled the visit to the family well. To make things worse, he was immediately sent on another mission, so he hadn't been able to attend Nathan's funeral. He knew how much Nathan loved his mother and sister and felt terrible that he hadn't checked up on them.

I liked seeing Antonio try to get Tia to talk with him. I liked that he understood her attitude, yet persisted in requesting her presence. Tia tried to resist, but when Antonio invoked Nathan's name, she gave in. I loved that encounter in his rooms, as he didn't behave at all like she expected a prince to behave. I was glad that she finally listened to his reasons and forgave him. Her own grief and empathy made it easy for her to give him a comforting hug. What was unexpected was the passion that flared between them, and the form that their comforting of each other took.

Six months later, Tia shows up in Casavalle, after trying for months to reach Antonio. She has been stonewalled all along the way, mostly because she won't tell anyone WHY she needs to talk to him. After all, that kind of news should be delivered in person, not through a third party. I liked that Tia stood her ground until she finally got to see him. To say he was shocked would put it mildly, and not too happy that she had so much trouble reaching him. Unfortunately, the timing of her news isn't the greatest, as the royal family has already been rocked by several scandals. While Antonio tries to figure out how best to handle it, he and Tia head for his private hideaway.

I loved the time that Antonio and Tia spent at his chalet. It was mostly just the two of them, giving them a chance to get to know each other. I loved the effect that Tia had on Antonio, helping him open up to his emotions, learning how to show them. There were some sweet scenes of the two of them together, being almost like ordinary people. I loved how the people of the village, although aware of his royalty, treated him (mostly) as just another man. That said, I enjoyed their surprise when he filled in as Santa at the village holiday party. Even better was Antonio's surprise at how much he enjoyed it. It didn't take long for Tia to realize that she had fallen hard for Antonio, but she was determined to stand on her own two feet. The last thing she wanted was to feel like yet another duty to him. I ached for Antonio because it took him so long to realize that what he felt for Tia was love. Then he had to figure out how to convince her of his feelings. I liked the advice he got from both his brother and his mom. The ending was sweet and romantic. I can't wait for the third book and the story of the surprise sister. show less