Falling for the Mom-to-Be - Lynne Marshall (HSE #2412 - June 2015)

Series: Home in Heartlandia (Book 3)

KEEP CALM AND…HAVE A BABY?

Leif Andersen wants to be alone. Everyone in Heartlandia knows about his tragic past and they allow him to keep to himself. With his blue eyes and blond hair, the rugged workaholic contractor might be an "excellent catch." But he has zero interest in being caught…until Marta Hoyas moves into his house while she is working for him.

Marta wants to be alone. Her baby's father dumped her. The last thing she needs is a romantic entanglement with a gorgeous guy who can offer no promises.

Leif and Marta want each other. All that stands between them is the past…and the future. And a little baby who could give them both what they need most!

Very good story of two people who learn to open themselves up to love after being hurt in the past. Leif has become a loner since the death of his wife. He never wants to feel that kind of pain again, so he immerses himself in work instead. Marta has come to Heartlandia to paint a mural of the town's history. She recently broke up with the man she'd been with for five years, after his less than enthusiastic response to her pregnancy. For the immediate future she plans to concentrate on her art and her baby, and avoid any entanglements with a guy.

I really liked Leif. He's still grieving and has withdrawn from a lot of life, but he's a good man at heart. He loves his hometown and has used his wealth for the benefit of the town. He is paying for the town mural and also plans to house the artist in his own home. He doesn't expect her to be stunningly beautiful and to be attracted to her. He fights the attraction because he can't picture loving someone else. It was a losing battle from the start, as his plans to avoid her crumble in the face of his craving to be near her. When he finds out about her pregnancy, his protective instincts come out.

Marta took the mural job because the idea fascinated her, and also because she needed a new start for her life. She had spent five years basically being supported by the man who was her benefactor as well as her lover. When she discovered she was pregnant, his response made her realize that they wanted different things from life. While she has not closed herself off to the idea of falling in love again, for now she wants to remain free. Her attraction to Leif is unwelcome because it reminds her too much of what she just ended. She was afraid of losing herself and her independence in a similar relationship.

I loved the growing relationship between Leif and Marta. She comes to accept the attraction more quickly and tells herself that she can enjoy being with him while keeping her heart free. I liked the way that she saw past the loner exterior of Leif to the loving man inside. Leif's resistance folds gradually, as first he realizes he likes Marta's company and presence in his home, then that he wants her in a way that he hasn't wanted anyone since his wife. I liked the way they started out more as friends as they got to know each other. I liked seeing them appreciate the other's talents, their similarities and their differences. Once the attraction flared up, things really started to move along. Marta's feelings for Leif turned quickly to love, but she felt that she couldn't fight Leif's unwillingness to let go of his grief. Leif was surprised to find that his grief was growing less every day and that the idea of asking Marta to stay had greater and greater appeal. But their agreement had been no strings and he was reluctant to put his heart on the line when he had no indication that she wanted to stay. I loved seeing each of them have their "a-ha!" moment and realize what they were going to give up. Leif was especially sweet with his big moment.

I also enjoyed the conclusion of the story about the pirate trunks and the effect they had on the town. I liked seeing how various people dealt with the news. The section dealing with the treasure and the Indian burial ground was really interesting and I loved how it was handled. I hope that there will be a story involving Elke and Ben, because it seemed like there was something going on there.

*Copy received in exchange for an honest review.

Her Perfect Proposal - Lynne Marshall (HSE #2394 - Mar 2015)

Series: Secret of Heartlandia (Book 2)

WRITING HER OWN HAPPY ENDING?

Journalist Lilly Matsuda just writes headlines; she doesn't make them. That is, until she runs afoul of Gunnar Norling while on assignment in the tiny town of Heartlandia. The handsome policeman intrigues more than Lilly's investigative senses…but she isn't going to let Gunnar's megawatt smile or smoldering good looks melt her heart.

Gunnar isn't a fan of people snooping around Heartlandia. He's been sworn to secrecy about the town's mysterious past, and he refuses to compromise that for anyone…even beautiful Lilly, who's hot on the story's trail. Besides, she's not going to stick around forever, and Gunnar refuses to let his heart get trampled on -- unless Lilly decides to put love first!

Good story of a small town with a secret and two people who have choices to make about that secret. Lilly has arrived in Heartlandia to work on the town's newspaper. She has dreams of finding a big story to break and eventually owning the paper. On  her first day in town she's caught jaywalking by Gunnar the police sergeant who warns her about following the rules. 

Gunnar and Lilly are two very interesting people. Gunnar has spent most of his life feeling as though he has to atone for the mistakes of his father, who was sent to prison when Gunnar was a boy. As a result, Gunnar tends to be pretty rigid about the difference between right and wrong. He finds it very difficult to trust people. Lilly is the only child of two very driven parents. She has always felt that she was a disappointment to her father, just because she wasn't a son, so she has done everything she can to earn his approval. He has always told her to keep her goals in sight and do whatever necessary to achieve them. 

From the moment they met, Lilly and Gunnar are attracted to each other, but it isn't an easy relationship. Gunnar is used to women pretty much falling at his feet, and Lilly's resistance to his advances confuses him. He's so cocky about his appeal that I rather enjoyed seeing Lilly shoot him down on a regular basis. Lilly is attracted to him, but she has no intention of letting him distract her from her goal of finding out what the big secret is. His persistence eventually pays off and they begin to get to know each other, but their differing outlooks create some real tension between them. Both of them have to learn to compromise a little and open their hearts to trust. I loved the way that Lilly used the tea ceremony to show Gunnar how she felt.

*copy received in exchange for honest review.