July 15, 2018

Dan by Leigh Duncan
Series: The Hometown Heroes Series #3
Published by Gardenia Street Publishing on July 13, 2018
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More than hooks and lines are in the lesson plans when an upcoming fishing trip with his new business partners forces a hunky thoracic surgeon to work hand-in-hand with a feisty fly fishing instructor.

Dan Hamilton is a foster care success story who lives for the day he can help give kids stuck in “the system” a good start in life. His wildest dreams are finally within reach when Dan is asked to join in building an exclusive medical center on Florida’s east coast.

Widowed Jessica Cofer wants little more than to help her young son grow into an honest man and preserve the natural beauty of Phelps Cove.

When Dan and Jessica meet, their temperatures rise faster than mercury on a summer day...until she learns the handsome doctor has his eye on more than her curves—he plans to steal the land from under her feet.

*This book was originally published in 2011.

An oasis among the Florida coastline is the draw in the next book in The Hometown Heroes Series. While not nearly my favorite in the series so far, Dan’s story was still an emotionally heartfelt journey into the heart of a widowed mother, an adorable little boy and the man who can’t imagine his life without them in it once they carve their place into it. The series so far has been a pleasure to read, but I do find it surprising we’re not really seeing interaction between the main characters of each book. We see a small mention of them, but so far no meeting up.

Jessica Cofer has been doing it all on her own for a few years now. It’s not easy being a single mother after her husband’s death, but she’s doing her best raise her son to be a strong, honorable little man. Her fly fishing business on the Florida coast is getting by, but her true passion lies in getting the conservation of a local favorite spot Phelps Cove completed.

Dan Hamilton is a successful surgeon, but he’s looking forward to the day when he can make a change in the way foster kids age out of the system. He has an opportunity dropped into his lap that will allow him to raise the funding he needs faster than he ever thought possible, but when he goes to tour the proposed building site of a leading edge medical facility, he realizes it’s in the midst of the land Jess wants to save. As circumstances lead him to grow closer to her and her son, will he change his mind on trying to buy the land out from under her, or will the opposite sides situation be more than their fledgling relationship can bear?

* Review * FREED by Carly Phillips

Freed by Carly Phillips
Series: Rosewood Bay Series #3
Published by CP Publishing on July 10, 2018
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Juliette Collins is privileged and isolated from the world by her over-protective father. She thinks she knows the truth about her history until a file in her father’s safe reveals she has sisters she never knew about. A family she’s never met. Betrayed, she realizes there’s a life waiting for her outside the walls of her daddy’s New York City penthouse and Juliet is determined to live it. Against her father’s wishes, she heads to a small beach community to meet her siblings… and finds herself way out of her depth instead.

In the personal protection business, Braden Clark thinks nothing of taking on a job to watch over a city girl in town for the summer. If her father wants to know his daughter is safe, it’s no problem and an easy way of earning a paycheck. Except Braden doesn’t count on falling for the sheltered Juliette. Watching her experience her firsts, getting an apartment, finding a job, meeting up with her lost sisters, soon Braden’s brand of protection becomes a little too personal. He’s mixing business with pleasure and lying to a woman he’s coming to care deeply about.

Sexual attraction burns bright between them and Braden is by her side as she finds herself, her family, and what it means to love... but what happens when she discovers his secret? That he’s been paid to watch over her all along?

Secrets exposed! With the next book in the Rosewood Bay series, we get to meet the long-lost sister Juliette. After discovering she has sisters out there, she makes her way to town and connects with Phoebe and Halley. It’s fun to watch these two sisters who have been so close since they reconnected be able to share memories with the sister who didn’t even remember they existed. Emotionally gritty and powerful!

Sheltered heiress Juliette Collins has lived her life as Daddy’s Little Girl and it’s the only life she knows, but when she stumbles across a file in her father’s safe that informs her she has half-sisters she never knew about out there, she’s shocked. She never imagined her father would lie to her, but here’s proof that not only did he, but he’s been keeping her tethered to his side when she could have had more family to share in her life. She’s not going to stand by and watch the world pass her by anymore … she’s heading to Rosewood Bay to find her sisters!

Security expert Braden Clark figures it will be easy money when he gets a call from Andrew Collins requesting he keep tabs on his daughter while she’s in town. Follow up on the rich girl and report to Daddy on occasion about her comings and goings … no problem. Until he meets her and becomes taken with her. She’s such an authentic person, and he enjoys watching her come into her own self as she’s getting to enjoy so many little things in life … her first job, her first apartment, meeting her sisters for the first time. It doesn’t take long for him to be in deep with her … but she doesn’t know her father has been paying him to spend time with her!