The Marriage Season - Linda Lael Miller (HQN - June 2015)

Series: Brides of Bliss County (Book 3)

Since Hadleigh, Melody and Bex -- the best of best friends -- entered into a marriage pact, two of them have found (and married) the men of their hearts. But Bex doesn't think she'll be as fortunate as the others. Her own first love died years ago in a faraway war, and Bex has lost hope for a happy marriage of her own. She concentrates on her business, a successful chain of fitness clubs, instead.

Then, when single father Tate Calder comes to Mustang Creek with his two sons in tow, who befriend Bex's eight-year-old nephew, she and the handsome, aloof newcomer are constantly thrown together. But is the marriage season over? Or can a man with doubts about love be the right husband for a woman who wants it all?

Loved this book. Bex is the last of their trio of friends who is unmarried. She is somewhat envious of her friends, who have found their true loves and have babies on the way. When she meets Tate, there's a definite attraction between them, but she's not sure if she's ready for more. Bex had been blissfully in love years before, but the man she loved was killed in the war. She doesn't know if she wants to risk her heart again.

Tate has moved to Mustang Creek with his two young sons, ready to start a new business and get on with his life. His marriage hadn't been a good one, and after his wife's death he's ready for a fresh start. He doesn't plan to start any new relationships in the near future, just concentrate on his kids and his business. That's before he meets Bex, and can't get her off his mind.

I really liked the way they were initially brought together by the matchmaking efforts of her two friends. Bex knows what they're doing and that she can't stop them, so she just goes with the flow. As the book starts, they are brought together again by something much different. Bex ends up caring for her nephew while her sister tries to get her life together. Josh is a great kid and loves being with his aunt any time he can. Tate plans to take his boys on a fishing trip and invites Bex and Josh along. Tate and Bex connect quickly, and their attraction deepens. 

I loved seeing Tate and Bex together. They manage some time alone, giving them a chance to share their pasts and their fears. But most of their time together includes the three boys. I loved seeing them settle in to their relationship, with all the little things that entails. It was wonderful to see how Tate's steadiness helped Bex deal with the stresses of her sister's problems. Bex returned the favor by helping Tate get through the involvement of his father and another investor in his business. There's very little conflict in the relationship, just their need to deal with their own demons before being able to move on.

I loved the way that Tate gives Bex the space and time she needs to work through things, and that once she does, Bex is fully committed. I loved the fact that both had been honest about their feelings on marriage, but wasn't surprised when those feelings began to change. Tate admits those feelings to himself first, but doesn't know what he's going to be able to do about it. I loved seeing the way got around her fear. The ending was sweet and romantic and perfect for Tate and Bex.

I loved the theme of friendship that was as present in this book as in the previous two. Hadleigh and Melody are there for Bex during her rough times, just as she was there for them. I liked that that same friendship extended to the men in their lives. Those same men didn't hesitate to step up and be there for Bex when she needed help with her sister's situation.

I also loved the small town of Mustang Creek, where everyone knows everyone else and their business. There were the caring bits, such as the conversation between Bex and the school secretary about Josh. And there were the truly funny parts, such as the comment from a teacher regarding Tate and the upcoming fishing trip: "I suggest a tranquilizer gun. For you." There was also the older lady who becomes one of Tate's investors, along with his father, and the things that took place with them. I loved the twist that involved them at the end of the book.

The Marriage Charm - Linda Lael Miller (HQN - Feb 2015)

Series: Brides of Bliss County (Book 2)

The women of Bliss County have a pact -- to find husbands. The right husbands.

One already has: Hadleigh Stevens, who married rancher Tripp Galloway a few months ago. Now Melody Nolan thinks it's her turn. Melody has recently found success as a jewelry designer, and her work is the focus of her life. She's not exactly unhappy, but she wants more. She's always been attracted to Spence Hogan, the local chief of police, but she's convinced that Spence, a notorious charmer, isn't what you'd call husband material.

Spence is a good cop who isn't scared of anything -- except love. And he's done everything he can to preserve his reputation as a womanizer -- a reputation that keeps marriage-minded women, including Melody, at bay. And yet…there's something about Melody he can't forget. Something his heart can't ignore.

Good book. Now that Hadleigh has found her true love and married him, it's Melody's turn. Working on Hadleigh's wedding has brought Melody and Spence back together. Nine years ago she and Spence had been a hot and heavy item, or so she thought, enough that she actually proposed to him. She was heartbroken when he turned her down and moved on to pursue other women. Since then she has avoided him whenever possible, something hard to do in a town as small as theirs. Being forced together for the wedding has made her realize that there is still something there between them.

Spence had been in love with Melody back then, but she was only twenty years old. He felt that it would not be fair to her to tie her down, and forced himself to let her go. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done, but he wasn't sure that he was ready either. He then moved on to date a lot of other women, always trying to find someone who could get Melody off his mind. This gained him the reputation of being something of a player. Spending this time with Melody has made him realize that she's the only woman he wants.

Spence is ready to see what they might still have together, and his opening move is a doozy. Melody is pretty ticked by what he does, but by the next day realizes she may have overreacted. I loved watching her screw up her courage and go apologize. What happened then was a bit unexpected, but became the motivation for them to see if they can overcome their past and have a future together.

I liked seeing them realize that they needed to get to know each other again. Melody has to see if she is able to trust Spence again. She's wary of opening her heart up to the risk of being broken again. She has a few instances of jealousy over his past behavior, but his current actions give her hope. Spence knows that it will be an uphill battle to win her trust again and he is determined to do it. He has some ideas that may be a little underhanded, but he hopes they will work.

I really enjoyed their times together, as the heat between them kept things moving along. One of the best things was getting the events from both their points of view. Melody's heart was engaged pretty early, and I enjoyed seeing the way she fell deeper the more they were together. It was especially fun to see the effect the trail ride had on her feelings for Spence. I loved Spence's protectiveness when Melody's house was robbed, and how he used that to get her to come stay with him. Seeing him deal with her cats was especially sweet, and I loved the attitude he got from his fellow cops. I liked being able to see the progression of his feelings as they moved closer to each other. I loved the ending, as Melody screws up her courage to risk it all, but still hangs on to what she really wants. 

I loved the obvious friendship between the girls and also among the guys. Melody, Hadleigh and Becca have the sort of friendship that allows great support for each other, but also terrific honesty. I liked seeing Hadleigh and Becca encourage her to give Spence a chance, but also protect her if she wants it. I loved seeing them on the trail ride together. The friendship between Spence and Tripp is long standing, and they have no trouble including the new guy, Trent, into their group. I really loved the conversations between Spence and Tripp, where Tripp freely confesses that anything Spence says will be shared with his wife. 

I also enjoyed the other secondary characters, especially Mrs. Arbuckle and Junie. Mrs. A was an interesting woman. I loved her kind of crusty old lady attitude, but she seemed to have a really good heart underneath. I loved her commission for the ring and the reason for it. It was also fun to see her get involved in the robbery mystery and how proud of herself she was. I liked Junie and the relationship she had with Spence. I loved her conspiracy with Melody about the robbery.

The bit of mystery in the story about the robberies that were plaguing the town was very good. At first it seemed like a small, secondary story line to show Spence in his role as police chief. But as it went on, it became an important part of the story. I did suspect the connection pretty quickly, but I didn't guess the perpetrator until the end. I loved seeing everyone get involved in trying to catch the crook. The end was quite satisfactory.

The Marriage Pact - Linda Lael Miller (HQN - June 2014)

Series: Brides of Bliss County (Book 1)

Ten years ago, Hadleigh Stevens was eighteen and this close to saying "I do," when Tripp Galloway interrupted her walk down the aisle. Now that she's recovered from her youthful mistake and Tripp's interference, Hadleigh and her single friends form a marriage pact. She doesn't expect Tripp to meddle with her new plan to find Mr. Right -- or to discover that she's more attracted to him than ever!

Divorced and eager to reconnect with his cowboy roots, Tripp returns to Bliss County to save his ailing father's ranch. He's not looking for another wife -- certainly not his best friend's little sister. But he's never been able to forget Hadleigh. And this time, if she ends up in his arms, he won't be walking away!

Good book. Hadleigh still holds a bit of a grudge against Tripp for the way he interfered in her wedding ten years earlier. She realizes that he had saved her from making a mistake, but his methods were quite embarrassing. Now she and her two best friends are still single, so they form a pact to help and support each other in finding their mates. Hadleigh is ready to move on when Tripp returns and throws her plans into disarray.

Tripp has come back home to stay. He left home to go to college, then joined the military, later starting his own flight service. He had a very brief mistake of a marriage that ended almost as soon as it began. After finding out that his father is ill and needs help on the ranch, Tripp sells his business and comes home. One of the things he wants to do is repair his relationship with Hadleigh, his best friend's little sister. He feels badly about the way he handled things all those years ago. 

Though their reunion was a little rocky, I liked the fact that they were adult enough to talk to each other and clear the air. It was interesting to see that, after some truthful looking at herself, Hadleigh realized she'd been a bit in love with Tripp for most of her life. It had started when she tagged along after him and her brother as a kid, became a teenage crush later on, but matured a little after her brother's death. Her realization of why she had agreed to marry another man stuns her, and has her rethinking her grudge against Tripp. Discovering that she's more attracted to him than ever puts a crimp in her plans to find Mr. Right.

Tripp accepted long ago that he hadn't handled stopping Hadleigh's wedding very well at all. He hasn't been able to forget her, even though she was his best friend's little sister. Seeing her again makes him realize that Hadleigh is who he wants to spend  the rest of his life with. The trouble is trying to convince her. Since he is back home to stay, he is determined to be patient and find ways to show her that they belong together. 

I liked watching them get to know each other again. Tripp is trying to be patient, but the chemistry between them is pretty hot. Hadleigh started out just wanting to get over her old crush on Tripp, but comes to accept that her feelings for him are real. She just doesn't want to risk another rejection by him, so she keeps her feelings to herself, even after their attraction takes off. I loved seeing her finally accept that their feelings were real and would last.

I also enjoyed the secondary stories and characters throughout the book. I loved seeing Tripp come home and how he was reconnecting with his stepfather. Though Tripp had been away for a long time, the need for his home had never stopped. It was great to see the two men together, and I loved their reminisces about when Tripp was a kid. Jim's love for Tripp's mother was also evident, and it had been a great example of what he wants for himself. I loved the bits with his dog and how it exposed another side of Tripp. The friendship between Hadleigh and her friends was great. I loved their pact and the way they supported each other.  Their friendship also made them able to be brutally honest with each other, even when it caused problems. I also liked that they were able to deal with their problems in a realistic way. I'm really looking forward to the other two stories.