The Maverick Millionaire - Alison Roberts (HR #4432 - July 2014)

Series: Logan Twins (Book 2)

The man she has been waiting for…

Jake Logan may be ex-military, but recently he'd been more at home among the glitterati of Hollywood's finest. So different from where he is right now: seeking shelter from a powerful storm with the most beautiful woman he's ever met. She's a breath of fresh air!

Ellie Sutton doesn't trust easily; she's discovered that the hard way. With nowhere to run, for some reason she feels safe with the handsome enigmatic stranger. But as rescue draws closer, they realize they don't want their time together to end….

This is Jake's story and takes place at the same time as Ben's story (Nine Months to Change His Life). Both books begin with the sinking of the yacht and Jake's rescue by helicopter, this one told from the perspective of Jake and Ellie. Jake is furious and horrified that he's the one rescued and his brother Ben left behind on the life raft in the middle of the raging storm. He has no choice but to accept Ellie's assurances that the rescuers will do everything possible to save Ben. In the meantime, the two of them are stuck together on a deserted island to wait out the storm.

Jake is a famous actor who is due to start filming a movie. He has grown a beard and long hair for the part, so he doesn't look like his usual self. He's surprised that Ellie hasn't recognized him, but doesn't enlighten her, happy for a chance to just be himself. He's attracted to the beautiful, capable woman and doesn't want her to look at him differently because of who he is. 

Ellie had been determined to save at least one of the two men that they found floating in the life raft. Knowing the the chopper couldn't carry them for long, she had it drop them off on the island that her family owns to wait out the storm. She's not sure what it is about him, but she feels safe with Jake. There's a spark of attraction between them, but they are rescued before anything comes of it. It isn't until they are back in civilization that she finds out who Jake is, and she feels betrayed that he hadn't told her the truth.

Ellie had been betrayed by another man who hadn't been truthful with her, and she feels that history is repeating itself. Finding out that Jake is someone who basically lies for a living devastates her, because she had already begun to care for him. Once they are back, she doesn't plan to see him again. Jake, on the other hand, really wants to see her again. He felt that they had had the beginnings of something special. He finds a way to get her to the movie set, which gives him the chance to try to win her over.

But Jake's problem is that he has spent so much of his life playing one part or another, in both his professional and personal lives, that sometimes the lines between real life and fantasy get blurred. He tries very hard to be himself with Ellie, but sometimes he doesn't know who that is. I loved seeing how hard he worked at it, and ached for him each time a lifetime of habit ended up coming between them. He had several really sweet and romantic moments that should have won her over, but something always seemed to happen to tarnish them. 

Ellie also allows her fears to get the better of her on several occasions. There were times when I wanted to shake her and tell her to just give the man a chance, especially that last time when he tried to explain how he felt. I loved her "a ha" moment, when she finally saw the truth and what she had almost thrown away.

There was another section of overlap, when Jake and Ben met to try to deal with Ben's revelations about their mother. Both of them said some rather harsh things to each other, and both left the meeting with something to think about. I liked seeing Jake face up to his mistakes and try to find a way to overcome them. I loved the way he got Ellie's friend involved in executing his big moment. It was really sweet to see what he came up with for their future and how perfect it was for both of them. The epilogue was a great wrap up for both brothers.

Nine Months to Change His Life - Marion Lennox (HR #4428 - June 2014)

Series: Logan Twins (Book 1)

''I rescued you on this island…and you rescued me right back."

Ben Logan never asks anyone for help. Until, during a deadly hurricane, he's washed up on a deserted island. There he finds his life in the hands of sparky, petite nurse Mary Hammond. Trapped with only each other for comfort, Ben and Mary turn to one another.

Back home safely, Mary dominates Ben's dreams. And when, three months later, Mary arrives at Ben's New York office, it's with news that their one night had the power to change their lives forever…

Very good story between two emotionally wounded people. The story begins with a bang as Ben and his twin brother participate in an around the world yacht race. Unfortunately they arrive in New Zealand along with a huge cyclone (hurricane) that destroys their boat. Ben forces Jake onto the rescue helicopter first, but has to wait for another helicopter for his own rescue. Instead, his life raft ends up destroyed and he is at the mercy of the waves.

Mary is spending a few days on a small island, dealing with some work and family issues. Her nasty stepmother and stepsisters have blamed Mary, who is a nurse, for the death of her stepsister's newborn infant. Her father, who is useless against his new wife does nothing to help her. She's also been placed on leave by her employer. Mary has taken this time to try to decide what to do, and also work on the book she writes for stress relief and escape. By the time she knows about the track of the cyclone, it is too late for her to leave the island. She takes her dog and supplies and heads to a cave for safety. On the way she spots Ben, who has washed up on the beach.

The descriptions of Mary's rescue attempts, the cyclone itself, and what it was like in the cave were so vivid that I felt as though I was there. I could feel Mary's worry over Ben's injuries, and hope that they were not life threatening. As the storm intensified, Mary and Ben got to know each other. Both of them seemed to have a knack for sensing when something was bothering the other. Mary is a nurturer and gets Ben talking about himself and his brother. She tries to calm his fears about his brother's safety. Ben doesn't normally talk about feelings. His home life had been awful, with a cold and emotionless father and a melodramatic mother. There's something about Mary that penetrates his armor, and he finds himself caring about what happens to her. When the cyclone passes, they celebrate their survival, even knowing that they won't see each other again. After their rescue, each goes their own way, though Ben thanks Mary for saving him by sending a lawyer after her stepmother. That turns out both good and bad.

Two months later, Ben is back in New York and his financial empire, but he hasn't been able to forget Mary. He's stunned when she shows up to let him know she's pregnant. She doesn't want anything from him, just to tell him. Ben's first reaction is horror. He never wanted to get close to anyone because of his fears about what he would do. The idea of being responsible for someone else's happiness scares him. But at the same time, he doesn't want to accept the idea of Mary going back to New Zealand and raising the baby without him. His idea of how and why to keep her in New York is one that she just can't accept. I loved seeing how she tried to show him that though she may technically be alone, back at home she has friends and the community that have become like family to her. It was wonderful to see her hold out for what she really needs from him, even though she doesn't think it will ever happen. I loved Ben's protectiveness that had him taking care of her at the end and finally accepting that he is capable of having a family. There's a neat little twist at the end and it further emphasizes how much he has changed.

There are only a couple scenes between Ben and his brother Jake, but both of them show the chasm that has grown between them. The one at the end really shows just how badly his past has affected Ben. He was really quite a jerk to Jake. Jake had some pretty blunt things to say to Ben, and it was interesting to see the way it made Ben think. I'm looking forward to reading Jake's story.