Knox - Christie Ridgway (Christie Ridgway - Nov 2016)

Series: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Book 4)

When super-wealthy father of seven Colin Brannigan dies and leaves each of his sons a bequest, Knox Brannigan believes he scored big and best with his legacy—a vintage Indian motorcycle. He’s made a life out of rebelling against his father’s focus on high-powered business and high-powered people, but this time Knox follows the old man’s edict and takes it for a spin up the Pacific coast. When the machine breaks down he brings it to the shop listed in the owner’s manual—the closest place in California that can find the right part and repair the bike. It means three days of loafing at a rundown surfside motel, but that means three nights of getting under the skin—and with hopes, the clothes—of the lovely but disapproving owner of the yoga studio next door.

Erin Cassidy practices yoga to discipline her heart, mind, and body. But all three go wild in the presence of confident, charming, and much-too-handsome Knox Brannigan. She knows his type. He claims to be a part-time bartender but Erin’s sure that’s code for fun, flings, and never settling down. After being burned before, she set strict guidelines about the men she lets into her life. Knox, with his sexy smiles and laid-back attitude breaks every one of them. It’s only three days, she tells herself. If only they weren’t followed by those three steamy nights…

Knox has always been a man who takes his pleasures where and when he can find them and to hell with the rules. Yet when it comes to his feelings for Erin, he discovers he’s much more traditional than he ever imagined. It won’t take deep breathing or mindful meditation but only being in her arms to turn the rebel into a lover.

Good book with lots of humor mixed in with the romance. Knox is the fourth of the Brannigan brothers to accept his inheritance from his father and try to figure out what it means. The story opens on New Year's Eve, a few months after Knox's father died. Knox is known as the carefree, fun-loving Brannigan, but lately, he hasn't felt like himself. After a New Year's Day conversation with his brother Max, Knox finally checks out his legacy and is stunned to discover a vintage motorcycle. There's only one thing to do - hit the road and see if he can lose the dark feelings and resurrect his happy self. He stops for a break at a local bar/café, where he meets Erin.

Erin and her two (married) best friends are at the bar celebrating Erin's birthday. They are fussing at her over her lack of a social life. Erin was burned pretty badly by a previous relationship which has left her with some pretty big trust issues. It was fun to see them teasing and pushing her to put herself back out there. Their efforts take a pretty hilarious turn when her pregnant friend really gets into the act, sending Erin to try talking to the hot guy who just sat at the bar - Knox.

The first meeting between Knox and Erin was hilarious. The attraction between them was instant and strong, which flustered Erin. Erin's first words to Knox are taken as a pick-up line, which flusters her even more and amuses Knox. What follows is a very funny exchange about cheesy pick-up lines, and moves on to an evening spent in fun conversation. The sparks between them also flustered Knox, who is a bit surprised at the strength of the attraction. After a superhot kiss, they parted ways, not expecting to see each other again. However, Fate had different plans for them. When his bike breaks down, Knox shows up at Erin's yoga studio, in another very amusing scene, looking for help contacting the repair shop. In an unexpected twist, the owner of that shop is Erin's dad.  With the discovery that the bike needs a part that will take a few days to arrive, Knox is stuck in town, and in a perfect position to explore whatever it is that has flared between them.

I really enjoyed the development of the relationship between Knox and Erin. The attraction was instant and strong, which surprised both of them. One of the things I liked best was that neither one tried to deny it was there. Erin is wary, knowing that Knox is not interested in anything permanent and she's had enough of people walking out on her. But as she spends time with him, she realizes that there is more to Knox than his good-time, party animal reputation. I loved how she saw that he was still grieving for his father, even though he couldn't see it himself, and that she helped him see it and deal with it. Knox is continually surprised by how deeply Erin has gotten under his skin. It was sweet to see his patience as he waits for Erin to overcome her fears of getting involved with him. He also senses her insecurities about herself, and his actions when she talked about her mother were great. I loved how he realized the depth of his feelings for her, but in typical man style, he isn't so good about sharing those feelings. She's still trying to protect her heart when his bike is fixed, and can't bring herself to believe that he really wants her. I loved his big moment at the end, and how he enlisted her friends to help him pull it off.

I liked Erin's friends and their husbands and the way that they all connected so easily with Knox. It was pretty easy to see the wheels turning in Knox's head as he got to know them. I loved how he got so involved in helping Erin when her friend when into labor. His natural charm and kindness really came through. I also liked the scenes between Knox and his various brothers as they all deal with their father's death. I love how they grow closer with each book, being there to support and encourage each other.

Hunter - Melody Anne (Eternal Dreams - Nov 2016)

Series: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Book 3)

When Hunter Brannigan loses his father and is sent a map, he doesn’t know what to think. Is it a joke? Was the old man going senile at the end? The attorney sending the map assures him the piece of paper was definitely from his father and he must follow the clues to find himself.

Hunter has been running from anything even remotely resembling responsibility for a very long time. He’s a world renowned Photo Journalist, traveling the seven continents in pursuit of the next great shot. He’s been in the heart of the trauma during war time, natural disasters, and life-altering moments, always on the other side of the lens, never getting emotionally involved. His father’s last wish for him is to put himself within the pictures he’s famous for.

Deciding to humor his father’s last request, he stumbles upon Rebekah Kingsley III, an uptight History Professor who desperately needs to let her hair down. Though he has his doubts she can get dirty long enough to help him, something about her won’t let him walk so easily this time. Will she be enough to make him settle down, or will he leave her with nothing but a picture of what could have been.

The third book in the series, and another second chance story. In this book, Hunter, who is Gabe's twin brother, receives a treasure map as his inheritance from his father. He's not sure what to make of it, or the instruction to seek the assistance of a college history professor to solve the clues on the map. Hunter is shocked to discover that the history professor is none other than Bekka, the girl he'd had a summer romance with ten years earlier. Bekka had fallen hard for Hunter during that summer and had been heartbroken when he left without looking back. She moved on with her life, following her detailed one-, five-, and ten-year plans, and was not too happy to have Hunter burst back into her life.

Hunter and Bekka were interesting people. Hunter is just as much of an adrenaline junkie as his brother Luke, with no situation too dangerous for him to go into looking for the perfect photograph. He's constantly on the move, never getting too deeply involved with anyone or anything. Thanks to his father's withdrawal after his mom's death, Hunter doesn't trust anyone, except maybe his brothers. Bekka is very intelligent and had been raised by her mother not to trust emotions, encouraged to pursue academics. She had one brief summer of rebellion, where she allowed adventure into her life, falling in love with Hunter as they shared those adventures. But when he broke her heart, she locked adventure out of her life.

The development of the relationship between Hunter and Bekka was interesting. The attraction between them was still as strong as ever. Hunter was more than willing to give in to it and see what happened. He made no secret of that to Bekka, showing her at every chance how much he wanted her. Bekka was far more interested in protecting her heart. She knew it would be way too easy to fall for him again, and she wasn't sure she could survive another heartache. As they followed the various clues on the map, they couldn't help but grow closer. Hunter found himself more and more willing to put off his next photography jaunt if he could spend the time with Bekka. This made him both happy and scared to death. I liked how he could see under her buttoned up exterior to the girl he used to know, and how much he enjoyed bringing that girl back to the surface. I also liked the way he showed how much he cared, even though he wouldn't admit it to himself. The scenes following the snake bite were awesome at showing the depth of his caring. Bekka spent a fair amount of time fighting against the attraction she still felt for Hunter. She's afraid to trust that, if she gives in to him, he won't walk away and break her heart again. It was interesting to see her slowly loosen up and begin to enjoy life again, including giving in to the heat. But she also had trouble holding back the hope that this time it would be different. I ached for her when they came to the final clue, and what Hunter found sent him running again. I thought he deserved every bit of the misery he felt, and was thoroughly delighted by the advice he got from his brother. He redeemed himself quite nicely with his big moment at the end.

I loved seeing more of Luke and Lizzie, and Gabe and Josie in this book. It was great to see how they have both changed for the better since falling in love, without losing who they are. I also enjoyed seeing how the brothers have gotten closer since their father's death, and how they are there for each other. Their interactions are fun, especially when they get a little snarky. 

Luke - Barbara Freethy (Barbara Freethy - Oct 2016)

Series: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Book 1)

Luke Brannigan lives for the adrenaline rush, which makes his job as a filmmaker of extreme sporting adventures the perfect career choice. He loves to travel the world, risking life and limb to capture the most amazing shot. Some might say he's running away from something…or someone.

When Luke's billionaire father Colin Brannigan dies unexpectedly, Luke is shocked to receive title to the mountain lodge where his parents first met. Having been estranged from his father for years, Luke has no idea why his dad picked him to inherit this very personal piece of property…until he realizes the pretty blonde manager is Lizzie Parker, his former college girlfriend.

Luke and Lizzie have an emotional and heartbreaking past, but will they have a future? Will love be Luke's greatest adventure yet?

Good first book in the series. The beginning sets up the backstory of the seven brothers, where the death of their mother fractured the family, especially when it came to their relationships with their father. The brothers are all shocked by the unexpected death of their father, and more so by their inheritances. This book is about Luke.

Luke is big into extreme sports, both doing them and making films about them. For the past ten years, he has been all over the world and done just about everything. He is stunned when he receives a mountain resort as an inheritance. He's the last person who would want a piece of property tying him down. He has no idea why his father left him this property - until he arrives to check it out before deciding whether or not to sell it. There he discovers that the resort manager is his former college sweetheart, Lizzie.

That first meeting was quite a shock to both Luke and Lizzie. They had been deeply in love while they were in college until Luke's restlessness caused him to quit school to pursue his dreams. He wanted Lizzie to come with him for the summer, joining in his adventure. Hurt and angry when she didn't show up, Luke forged ahead and never looked back. Lizzie had been on track for a career as a concert pianist. She was just as in love with Luke but chickened out of going with him, afraid that if she did she would end up giving up her own dreams to follow his. Though she later tried to contact him to explain, he refused to listen. Though Luke's career is going strong, Lizzie's came to a dramatic end when her sister died, leaving Lizzie as guardian of her thirteen-year-old niece, Kaitlyn. Luke's dad gave Lizzie the job at the resort so she could better care for Kaitlyn.

I enjoyed seeing the rekindling of the relationship between Luke and Lizzie. Luke has kept his emotions bottled up for a long time. The attraction that still burns between the two of them starts to break down the walls around Luke's heart. Likewise, Lizzie had thought she was long over Luke and is dismayed to discover otherwise. It isn't easy for them to spend time together at first, but Lizzie is determined to show Luke the benefits of keeping the resort. I enjoyed the scenes of Lizzie showing him around. The descriptions were vivid enough for me to be able to picture them. As the chemistry between them continued to grow, they needed to come to terms with their past before they could move on with their lives. Though each tended to bring up the same points multiple times, they were able to discuss them in a relatively adult manner. But it was a crisis involving Kaitlyn that opened their eyes to the other's point of view and served to finally bring them together. I liked the solution they came up with, and look forward to seeing more of them in future books.

I liked both Luke and Lizzie. Luke is a good guy, whose success has not gone to his head. I enjoyed the scenes with him interacting with various people at the resort. I also liked the way that he connected with Kaitlyn and understood her grief over the deaths of her parents. I loved the way that Lizzie willingly gave up her career for Kaitlyn. Her patience with Kaitlyn and her attitude was fantastic, especially with some of the horrible things Kaitlyn said. Though there were times I wanted to shake Kaitlyn until her teeth rattled, I also ached for her, especially as more of her story came out. The scenes with her on the trail had me on the edge of my seat until it was all over.

 

Gabe - Ruth Cardello (Smashwords - Nov 2016)

Series: 7 Brides for 7 Brothers (Book 2)

Gabe Brannigan is a Californian real estate mogul who is used to seeing property in terms of dollar signs. When his father dies unexpectedly and leaves him the family ranch, he’s annoyed rather than grateful. The conditions of his inheritance include living on the ranch for six months before being able to sell it.

He’s ready to walk away from the deal until he meets the sexy, motorcycle-riding ranch caretaker. She’s brash and outspoken, rough around the edges. Definitely not his style, but that doesn’t stop him from wanting her.

Craving her.

Throwing all caution aside and deciding to have her.

Josephine Ashby has found the perfect place to hide until Mr. Sexy Eyes shows up and announces he is moving in.

A man who doesn’t believe in anything, finds himself believing in her.

But will it be enough?

Good book with a nice blend of romance and intrigue. Gabe and his brothers recently lost their father. Gabe has inherited the family ranch, a property that he has no intention of keeping. However, before he can sell it, he is required to live on it for one month. He's ready to walk away from it until his aunt coerces him into spending a weekend at the ranch. There he meets Josie, who acts as the ranch caretaker while the regular one is away.

Josie is hiding out on the ranch after her father's death. She believes that he was murdered and the company he worked for has covered it up by accusing him of stealing and embezzlement. Now she believes that they are after her. She is determined to finish her father's work and clear his name. Having Gabe underfoot is not in her plans.

I liked both Gabe and Josie. She is a brilliant woman, feisty, independent, and determined. Her father was her parent and her best friend, and without him, she is a little bit lost. She doesn't trust easily. Gabe is equally determined, focused on his business, and avoids relationships. After the death of their mother, Gabe's father buried his grief in work, leaving his sons in the care of nannies. As a result, the boys grew apart from their father and each other.

From the moment they met, there were sparks between Gabe and Josie. I laughed out loud at their first meeting, with Gabe distracted by his attraction to her, and Josie taking him down and holding him at gunpoint. Gabe is determined to get her into his bed, but it isn't long before the woman herself fascinates him. He also realizes that she's keeping secrets and is determined to uncover them. Josie is equally attracted to Gabe but doesn't want him to get caught up in her troubles. I enjoyed seeing them dance around each other at first, then give in to what was happening to them. It was fun to see the business-only Gabe making time to spend with Josie. And I love how Josie helped Gabe remember the good times on the ranch and look at his father through new eyes. I loved it when Josie got to the point where she trusted Gabe enough to tell him the truth, and the way that Gabe discovered unexpected feelings of protectiveness. There are a couple of hiccups due to communication and trust issues, but in the end, Gabe and Josie realize that they belong together. Gabe loved Josie just the way she was, and Josie was the piece of Gabe he didn't know was missing. The last chapter was sweet, romantic and heartwarming.

The intrigue of the story was good. I loved the project that Josie was working on and her determination to finish it and clear her father. I also understood her wariness around Gabe and his about her. I liked how he took her concerns seriously once he believed. I liked seeing him take steps to protect her, though his take-charge attitude did create a few problems. I hurt for Josie when she thought he'd betrayed her, and loved that she didn't just wallow in her pain. The scene on the ranch with Josie and the security guys was hilarious. I loved Gabe's part in the resolution.

I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series.