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The Valentine Bride (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Liz Fielding HR 3932 Feb 07 This book was so good it’s going on my Top 10 list. The author first introduced Louise in Book 4 ‘Wanted: Outback Wife’ when we found out she was adopted. The next time we ran into her was in Book 6 ‘Crazy About the Boss’ when, in a state of rebellion, she appeared at the family Christmas party in a red mini-skirt, white angora crop top and flashing belly button ring with an Aussie hunk hanging on her arm. Her cousin Max looked like he wanted to shake her. And I couldn’t wait for their story. When The Valentine Bride starts, it’s only a few weeks past the infamous Christmas party and Louise is over her public display of rebellion. Still reeling from her parent’s recent disclosure of her adoption, Louise has broken from the family and submerged herself in the work of her PR company. But her mind is filled with thoughts of Max Valentine. Raised as cousins, Louise and Max have fought a physical attraction since...

The Nanny and the Sheikh (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Barbara McMahon HR 3928 Jan 07 After not reading a ‘sheikh’ romance for years, this book was a great one to show what I’ve been missing. A sweet romance, it’s a modern version of those Harlequins I used to read as a teen but much better. Very believable. You could say Melissa Fox is the latest ‘acquisition’ to the Valentine family since her mum has just become Wife #4 (Her father did divorce the others first.). In between jobs as a professional nanny, Melissa has a couple months before her new nanny job starts in Boston, so she accepts a job as assistant to her new step-brother who’s in charge of the Bella Lucia restaurant chain. The business is expanding into a French speaking Arabic country on the Persian gulf and Melissa’s job entails translating the French documents into English. As a treat for a job well done, her boss/step-brother invites her to accompany him to the small country of Qu’Arim while he checks out the site of th...

Crazy About the Boss (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Teresa Southwick HR 3924 Dec 06 This great book is your typical employee falls for the boss book with a twist. So what’s the twist? Well, after 2 years of working together, the boss is put into an emotionally threatening situation and his employee’s suppressed feelings for him surface when she realizes he’s not so shallow after all. But is he really vindictive enough to allow his family to fall into financial ruin just because he can? You see, Jack Valentine walked away from the famous Valentines of the Bella Lucia restaurants when he was only 18 after a dispute with his father and he’s never gone back. And now, 12 yrs later, he still doesn’t want to got back but, his younger sister is pleading with him to make a Christmas appearance. The family is in financial trouble and they need Jack and his money to bail them out. Jack doesn’t want to bail them out but with some perverse sense of showing off, he decides to attend the Christmas ga...

Married Under the Mistletoe (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Linda Goodnight HR 3920 Nov 2006 Any book by Linda Goodnight is an auto-buy for me and this excellent book did not disappoint. It’s going straight to my Top 10 list. Horrid fascination is probably the best way to describe this story. You know realities like this exist but you don’t really want to know about them. As the manager, Stephanie Ellison lives above one of the famous Bella Lucia restaurants. It’s a large, luxurious living area for one person. So when the boss’s son comes for a visit and has nowhere to stay, Stephanie allows him to become her new roomie but past scars inhibit her from getting too close to him. In fact, she’s terrified to have him there and almost changes her mind when she sees how big and strong he is. Plus, she has a secret she can't bear anyone to discover. Daniel Stephens never knew his father while growing up and to be told as an adult that his father wants to get to know him now after all this ...

Wanted: Outback Wife (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Ally Blake HR 3916 Oct 2006 I just love stories set in Australia. Although this book is about the family that owns the famous Bella Lucia restaurants in London, the story is about Jodie - the sister to Louise who suddenly learns she’s adopted. (Louise’s story is the final book in the series.) Both girls are visiting Australia but as Jodie’s visa gets closer to it’s expiry date, Jodie decides she doesn’t want to go back to England and her clingy, emotionally disturbed mother. The only way Jodie is guaranteed to stay in Australia is to marry an Aussie, but how can she find a husband in a month? Her flat mates start up a website at www.ahusbandinahurry.com and start lining up the candidates. After watching the losers stream past, Jodie practically falls out of her chair when big, blonde Heath volunteers for the position. Heath Jameson is a rich farmer from the outback who wants a life change. After his sister-in-laws funeral, he decides ...

The Rebel Prince (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Raye Morgan HR 3912 Sep 06 This was a great fairytale story of a common modern girl falling for the crown prince knowing she has no hope of having her dreams fulfilled. Or does she? I like the way the author handled the question of responsibilities thrust upon a person who never expected it. In this case, the prince. There’s always the question of whether he wants the best for his people or just himself. We first met Chef Emma Valentine in the previous Bride of Bella Lucia story. At that time, we knew Emma was going to the Kingdom of Meridia to preside over the prince’s coronation feast. This book starts off with Emma in the pool area and getting knocked unconscious by a wayward water polo ball thrown by the crown prince himself. When she comes to, Emma doesn’t realize that the man hovering over her is Prince Sebastian of Meridia. Born into royalty as the second son, Sebastian was never expected to assume the throne but when his father di...

Having the Frenchman’s Baby (The Brides of Bella Lucia) by Rebecca Winters HR 3904 Aug 06 I enjoyed reading this book set in the vineyards of France. It’s the story of a woman who’s been busy with her career while waiting for the perfect man. And, it’s the story of a man who uses everything in his power to try to assuage his guilt. When these 2 people meet, they see themselves and their lives as if a curtain has been opened. Rachel Valentine is a wine buyer for the exclusive Bella Lucia restaurants in London. She has an estranged twin in the US, a dying grandfather in England, and a father she can’t please. Her family is bogged down in strife. Add to that, the guilt she feels because she couldn’t make it back to the States in time to say a final farewell to her dying mother. But, even with all this going on, Rachel looks the picture of perfection. When she reaches the province of Alsace with its terraced vineyards, Rachel feels like she’s come home. Add to that her physical reaction to...

The Rancher’s Runaway Princess by Donna Alward Harlequin Romance 4074 – Jan 09 This is another excellent book from Donna Alward and it’s going on my 2009 Top 10 list! Using the majestic Rockies as a backdrop, Donna Alward weaves lonely despair and heartbreak together into an emotion-packed story that had me crying on pg 46 no less. In the past few months, Lucy Farnsworth’s world has been ripped apart upon the death of her mother and she’s been expected to settle half a world away with strangers. The only thing that Lucy finds familiar are the palace horses where she shines in her knowledge. Not knowing what to do with his newfound daughter, the king sends her on a business trip to an Alberta ranch. Lucy wants to hide out and doesn’t tell anyone she’s really a princess. And there, in the stable, Lucy finds the daughter of a familiar horse from when her mother was alive and it threatens to be her undoing. And who happens to witness the scene but the ranch owner, Brody Hamilton who believ...

This Saturday, Harlequin Romance author Donna Alward becomes our first Honorary Prairie Chick when she stops in for a visit at my Prairie Chicks Write Romance b log. Donna will be sharing her memories of her 2007 visit to Saskatoon where she presented a workshop entitled, ‘The Business of Writing’ which was hosted by the Saskatchewan Romance Writers (SRW). Donna will also be telling us about the contest she’s running for writers on her blog right now until the end of January. So come on over on Saturday to http://prairiechickswriteromance.blogspot.com/ and let Donna know you're there.

Falling for Mr. Dark & Dangerous by Donna Alward Harlequin Romance 4044 - Aug 08 I loved this book. I don't know if it was the ‘US marshal undercover cop' thing or the ‘I have a secret and I'm not telling' thing or the ‘we're out in the woods all alone and no one will ever know' thing, but I delved into this book with my heart and mind. It was a cathartic experience and I'm adding it to my 2008 Top 10 list. If you've read my reviews on the first 2 related books, you know that I enjoy Ms Alward's writing. I believe this to be her best book so far. It reminded me of 2 people - aching to touch - their hands pressed together - with an invisible but solid wall of glass between them. There's actually nothing to stop either one from breaking the pane and surging forward...except the aftermath of heartache. Single mother Maggie Taylor wants one thing in life - to give her daughter the best start in life she can. The girl's already had one tangle ...

Marriage at Circle M by Donna Alward Harlequin Romance 3978 - Sep 07 I really liked this book. I could feel the tension between Mike and Grace from the very first line. A great opener and I was hooked. And, I stayed hooked til the end. It's actually a premise I've thought about many times: what would happen if the hero or heroine admitted they were attracted to someone while ‘under the influence'. And they didn't tell just anyone - they told the person they were attracted to. How would they feel the next day when they were feeling more like themself? That's what happened to Grace Lundquist. She used to date this guy, Mike and had a real crush on him but one day he just left town. Walked away without a word. She was devastated to the point where she went and did something that negatively affected her whole life. Now, she's back in town with her secret and she's working like 3 jobs trying to make ends meet. She's too busy living to have a life. And then on...

Hired by the Cowboy by Donna Alward Harlequin Romance 3954 - May 07 This is the first book I've read from this author and it certainly won't be my last. Her characters could be my neighbors - real down-to-earth people who care for others as well as the land. People who try to live the life they're dealt while holding onto their dignity and self-respect. People who don't flash their money in your face just because they have it and you don't. She uses Alberta, land of cowboys, mountains and wealth to weave a marriage of convenience story that starts with despair and ends in rapture. Ride along with me while I give the low-down on this poignant story: Alexis Grayson is pregnant and alone. She's strong and penniless. She's a victim of circumstance, yet a survivor. She knows what she wants but isn't sure how to get it... Until Connor Madsen walks into her life and asks her to share his. Connor needs a temporary wife. Alexis needs a temporary home. All they ha...