Nancy Gideon

Good second chance story. Zach and his siblings grew up in an abusive home, looked down on by most of the people in town. Zach reacted by living down to their expectations. The only person who saw through his façade to the vulnerable boy underneath was Bess. She was his tutor for several classes and got to know him well, going from wary to in love with him. But Zach disappeared the same night his father was murdered, leaving people believing he was the murderer. His mother claimed to have show more done it and went to prison.

Bess grew up with a straight-laced and controlling mother. She was raised to be a "good girl" and constantly warned about protecting her reputation. That didn't stop her from loving Zach despite her mother's objections. When Bess discovered she was pregnant after Zach's disappearance, it was her mother who took control.

Seventeen years later, Bess's mother is dead, and Bess inherits the family bookstore. She runs the store, dresses conservatively, is on many committees, and does her best to evade the local matchmakers' attempts to find her a husband. The high points in her life are when her niece, Faith, comes to visit. The last thing she expected was for Zach to return to town.

Zach returned to town to be there when his mother returned from serving her sentence. He also wants to find out the truth about who killed his father. He's sure that his mother didn't do it. He also wants to see Bess again.

I ached for Zach and Bess. Zach's return sets the entire town on its ear. They still treat him as though he's guilty of murder. But Zach has a surprise for them all when he shows up for the first day of his new job. I laughed out loud at the shock and consternation of the residents and loved seeing him trample over their expectations. Bess is shocked at his return and stunned to discover she still has feelings for him. She also fears him discovering her secret. But her mother's influence is still strong, and she is torn between those feelings and her fear of others' opinions. It takes an eye-opening conversation with her niece for Bess to break free of the chains that have held her back. I loved her big moment at the end.

Zach stirs up a hornets' nest when he starts asking questions about his father's murder. As he and Bess dig into his father's past, they find themselves the target of someone who doesn't want them to succeed. Escalating attacks kept them on edge, while the twists of their investigation kept me guessing. The final confrontation was intense and not who I expected. show less

I wanted to like this book better. It had a lot going for it. The writing was well done. The werewolf part was interesting. The way he had been manipulated as he grew up to keep him emotionally dependent on the mob boss was interesting although it made him a bit too beta for my taste. The way he was so crazy about her was nice although it caused him to forgive her for all her doubts and betrayals. It seemed there was no real reason for him to love her beyond hot sex.

I didn't care for the show more heroine's character. Not only did she keep betraying and doubting him, she could not commit. Her being a cop covering for a mob boss (Max once he inherited the position) was just problematic for me and she didn't seem real strong, all her strength seemed to be mere posturing. We are also told she is really physically strong but not given any reason that she has iron fists.

The biggest thing I have against it though was it was one betrayal after another. Mostly Charlotte telling Max she loved him then betraying him. This must have happened 6 or so times in the book. I just got to skimming at the end because I was so sick of it.

When the book ends they have made up again but considering the way the book went, that reconcilliation will last at most 2 days. Where is the HEA in that. I don't believe this relationship will last. Surely as some point, he will get tired of her doubting crap.

At the back of the book there is an excerpt of the next book and the first thing she does is doubt him when a girl turns up missing. I won't be reading any more of this series. I don't really care for series where the main characters repeat and I certainly don't care to read about characters who waffle on trust and commitment over the course of several books. show less

Bound by Moonlight
4 Stars

With the relationship between Charlotte Caissie and her lover, Max Savoie, out in the open, the detective and former crime boss are hopeful for their future together. Unfortunately, their fledgling happiness is put to the test when a serial killer targets the daughter of a fellow officer and Charlotte puts a strain on their romance by asking Max not only to accept that outsiders are aware of his secret, but to use his abilities to aid a hated enemy. Will their love show more for each other prevail?

Although Max and Charlotte are more open and honest about their feelings for one another, there is still a great deal of tension and hurtful words thrown about, which suggests they still have a long way to go before they are a truly unified couple. Nevertheless, their relationship is intense both physically and emotionally, and you cannot help rooting for their happily ever after (if it ever comes).

There are few developments in the overall story arc as the majority of the plot focuses on the serial killer investigation and on Max’s insecurities regarding Charlotte’s past with her partner, Alain Babineau. The murder mystery is well-developed and it is exciting to see Charlotte in all out “cop mode”. The friction between Max and Alain is also compelling and a great deal is revealed about each man. Suffice it to say that Babs does not come off well and my annoyance with him, which began in the previous book, increases exponentially. Similarly, my affection for Tina has diminished as a result of her actions, and it is clear that she and Alain deserve one another...

A couple of new characters are introduced and the series will be moving in a new direction with the next book. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens. show less

Police detective Charlotte Caissie has been trying to get evidence enough to bring down crime lord Jimmy Legere for years, but her investigations hit a snag when the attraction she's felt towards Legere's 'enforcer, Max Savoie, finally breaks loose.

I had some real problems with this book. The main characters are a police detective who's father, also a detective, was murdered in front of her because of his investigations into the crime lord, Legere's, business. Complicating matters is the show more fact that Charlotte and her best friend were kidnapped, raped, tortured and held for ransom when they were 18 or 19 yrs old, but men in Legere's investigation. Clearly a woman who has been through a lot and who's driven by vengeance. She also claims to have a strong sense of right and wrong, being fiercely devoted to her job of finding and punishing those who do wrong, yet when Legere's muscle, Max, murders two men in front of her, she's simply so relieved that he's saved her that she falls even more in lust than before. AND THEN COVERS FOR HIM WHEN HIS NAME COMES UP IN THE INVESTIGATION.

I simply cannot buy a police detective and a guy HEAVILY involved in underworld crime being so much in love that they can overlook the fact that their jobs - who they are - are on opposite sides of right and wrong.

Character motivation is completely off, and I spent sooo much of this story scoffing with disgust over the character's justification of the moral and ethical implications of their lust affair.

However, if you're willing to overlook the vast improbability of the romance (and the fact that this guy's a shape-shifter), the chemistry and sex scenes are VERY hot!

And yes, I understand the silliness of my being able to accept a character being a shape-shifter, but not the relationship itself. Oh, well... show less