Review: A Place Called Home

A Place Called Home
Jo Goodman
Contemporary Romance
Zebra/December 6, 2011

From Goodreads ~

When Thea Wyndham and Mitchell Baker learn they've been named joint guardians for their late friends' three children, they're little more than acquaintances. Barely polite acquaintances, at that. Something about Mitch's forthright intensity has always left ad exec Thea feeling off-balance, while Mitch makes no secret of his disdain when Thea offers him financial assistance if he'll take sole guardianship.

Thea is far from heartless. She's just plain terrified of her new parenting responsibilities. Both she and Mitch are romantically involved with other people. Yet the more time they spend together, the less certain she is of her loyalties. There are complications and mis-steps, tears and laughter - lots of it. And somehow, through it all, the dawning realization that the last place she thought she'd find herself could be just where she belongs.

I've been reading Ms. Goodman for many years but this is her first venture into contemporary romance, having stuck to historical and western romances. I must say I was cautious, knowing how much I enjoy her writing but unsure as to how that would translate into a contemporary setting. My concerns were needless, Ms. Goodman easily brings her wonderful, emotional story-telling to a modern day setting.

Thea Wyndham has suffered a tremendous shock. After learning her childhood friend and his wife were killed by a drunk driver, Thea then finds out she, along with Mitch Baker, has been named guardian of their three children. Thea is unprepared to become a parent to the children and makes this clear to Mitch. At first she comes off as cold and distant, showing only glimpses of her concern for the children. Thea's mothering instincts had been buried deep which made me want to know why. She's not cruel but has her shields up and defenses at full strength.

If you must appoint a guardian for your children, Mitch Baker is a great choice. He doesn't have kids of his own, in fact his experience with kids is with his friends children. But he embraces his guardianship even though inside he is terrified of making a mistake. Mitch is nearly perfect in his parenting, with only one real mistake. I kept wondering when his mask would slip and we would see the real person behind the perfection but it never really did. I would have liked to see him less than perfect since his perfection only served to spotlighted Thea's flaws.

The romance is balanced with the growing relationship between Mitch, Thea and the children. You really couldn't have the romance without including the children since they are the reason for Mitch and Thea to be together. I do think it's fair to say the romance wasn't always front and but character development apart from each other also occurred. There are other people in their lives that impact not only the relationships with the children but also how Thea and Mitch proceed with their growing feelings. Goodman handles it well, showing how each of the characters perspectives change and grow.

The ending didn't come as a surprise but getting there was filled with a complex romance that showed not only how two people can come together but can create a new family out of a tragedy. The main problem I had was Mitch's perfection, since flawed characters are so much more interesting. There was also the odd romance from two secondary characters. What made it odd is that it didn't add much to the overall story. I felt it was unnecessary to the main plot and found I cared little for either character. Otherwise, I enjoyed this contemporary romance from Ms. Goodman and will read any more contemporaries she writes.

Rating: B

Upcoming Western Releases & A Freebie...

I love a good western, be it a book or a movie. Unfortunately, they are few and far between. So here are a variety of upcoming western romance releases and a reprint to add the the list.


Bloodlands is the first book in Post-apocalyptic western urban fantasy trilogy. Christine Cody is the author who also goes by the name of Chris Marie Green, author of the Vampire Babylon series. I like the sound of this new series and the look of the covers. No man titty in sight and yet, he's still sexy. Imagine that!

It was called the New Badlands, home to the survivors of a cataclysm that altered the entire nation. Then the vampires arrived, an admit was rechristened the Bloodlands. Not because of the vampire, but because of the gun-for-hire who'd decided to slay every monster in the country by any and every means necessary.

The cover reminds me of Russel Crowe in The Quick and the Dead. Loved that movie!

The second book in the series is Blood Rules.

In the Bloodlands, sometimes the monsters don't even know themselves...

After the man named Gabriel came to the Bloodlands, Mariah Lyander was forced to face her true nature, and the horrible things she had done. To redeem herself, she embarks on a quest to find a rumored cure for were-creatures hoping to recover her own humanity - and Gabriel's love.

Book 3 - In Blood We Trust is set for release on September 27, no cover or blurb yet.


For fans of Jo Goodman's Reidsville series that started with Never Love a Lawman, followed by Marry Me, now have something to look forward to. Kissing Comfort is another historical western romance due for release on September 6. You can go here to read an excerpt. The excerpt takes place in the Sierra Nevada's so I'm not sure if it's part of the Reidsville series. My guess would be no, but I've been wrong a time or two. :) Does anyone remember Bode or Bram from the other two books?


Bode DeLong knows that his playboy brother Bram isn't really in love with Miss Comfort Kennedy, even though it's clear that she's enamored with him. With Bram's motives for the engagement suspect, Bode figures the safest place for Comfort to be is in his arms. Now, Bode just needs to convince Comfort that the childhood fancy she has for his brother is no match for the incredible desire that sparks between them every time they touch.






I've loved Jodi Thomas' historicals for years and The Tender Texan is one of my favorites! Originally released in 1991, it will be reprinted with a new cover and due for release on November 1.

Anna Meyer offers one hundred dollars to the Texas cattleman who can help her forge a frontier homestead. Chance Wyatt agrees to settle down and build a home with a lovely stranger. The boy in him never considered the possibility of love. But the man in him can't deny the passion that Anna brings out in him. they vowed to live together for only a year, but as the challenges of the savage land bring them closer together, neither can resist the aching desire that inflames their hearts - and touches their souls.




I haven't started this series yet but I will get to it! I love Lorelei James' Rough Riders series so it's a given that I'll read this one too. Wrangled and Tangled is the third book in her Blacktop Cowboys series. I swear she gets the best covers! Release date, November 1.

Janie Fitzhugh and Abe Lawson have long been divorced and living apart. Now she's back in town, a changed woman - making cattleman Abe want to wrangle an invitation to her bed...

To get his dream ranch, Renner Jackson has partnered with spoiled daddy's girl Tierney Pratt. She thinks she can handle this cowboy, but Renner won't make it easy. Little do they know they will be entangled in ways neither dreamed possible.



Another Lorelei James upcoming release is Chasing Eight, due for e-book release on June 28. The hero is Chase McKay, no word on who the heroine is yet. This is book 11 in James' wildly addictive Rough Riders series. And in case you haven't tried this series yet, you're in luck. Long Hard Ride, the first book in the series is free in e-book format for the entire month of May. You can get it here for the Kindle™ or here for the nook™. This is a great way to try this thoroughly enjoyable series. Who can resist sexy cowboys?


What books are on your upcoming must-be-read list? Any westerns you want to recommend?

Review: Marry Me

Marry Me
Jo Goodman
Historical Romance/Colorado/1884
Reidsville/Book 2
Kensington/December 1, 2010

From the author's website ~

HER HEART WAS LOCKED AWAY

Rhyne Abbott is fierce, brave, and used to a life of isolation on her father's spread on the outskirts of Reidsville, Colorado. But when, overcome with sickness, she collapses, she knows she must return to town if she is to have any hope of recovery. Only there is no place for her but the new doctor's home, and he wants more than just to heal Rhyne. He wants her hand in marriage.

UNTIL ONE MAN FOUND THE KEY

Doctor Cole Monroe's hands are already more than full with his orphaned little sister to look after, and yet somehow he can't resist the magnetic pull of Rhyne's bewitching eyes—or her tempting kiss. But convincing her to trust him won't be easy. For Rhyne's heart needs as much tender care as her ailing body. And the only cure is the thing she most fears: to let herself fall in love...

The cover makes me think Marry Me will be a sweet, romantic love story. And at some points it is but it also has a few very dark, disturbing scenes that some readers may find upsetting. I was surprised at what happened to Rhyne since the blurb gives no indication of what a truly horrendous event Rhyne has gone through. Having said that, I did enjoy Rhyne and Cole's interactions when they were able to be themselves, talking and teasing each other. The scenes with just the two of them were some of my favorites.

Dr. Coleridge Monroe loves his little sister but she can truly be a meddlesome creature. It is because of Whitley's meddling that Cole finds himself accepting the position of Town Doctor in Reidsville, Colorado. I liked Whitley right off. She is a sixteen year old young woman with strong opinions and a fierce loyalty to her brother. It's just the two of them and while Cole is Whitley's guardian, I think they both took care of each other. Cole is a dedicated doctor but he is also interested in continuing his research and moving to Reidsville would allow him to do that. Cole is an intelligent hero and while he might be accustomed to city living he does try and usually succeeds when confronted with something out of his realm of experience. I liked that he didn't suddenly become this perfect western hero, as comfortable in the wild west as he was in the city.

The youngest of the Abbott clan has a reputation for shooting straight and never shying away from a fight. When the new town doctor pays a visit, he finds Rhyne in desperate need of medical attention. After seeing to her immediate needs, he convinces her to come back to town with him. It's there that she begins her new life. As Rhyne recovers from her injuries she is hesitant to leave the doctor's home. She has conflicted feelings - she wants to stay but she doesn't feel as if she fits in. Rhyne is a heroine who is certainly outside the normal realm of heroines. I liked how she is shown to be intelligent and not afraid to ask questions about the things that interest her. She doesn't understand that it's not proper for her to discuss the body and it's various parts with Cole, an unwed man. Those were some of the scenes that I enjoyed best. Cole and Rhyne would discuss whatever interested them at the time. It showed not only their intelligence but how they were comfortable in each others company.

Cole, being a doctor, is far more matter of fact about what he discusses with Rhyne and with Whitley. He can be blunt at times and overprotective at other times. It's as if the practical doctor warred with the protective brother/lover. His wanting to marry Rhyne was based on practicality with his desires coming in second. I liked how he began to see her for who she still was and who she was becoming. It was as if a new Rhyne had emerged and Cole's practicality be damned! He wanted her simply because he couldn't live without her.

There is a lot of drama in this little town with Cole and Rhyne in the midst of it. The way they both handled the crisis showed how well they had come to know each other. They worked well as a team and I think it was Cole's professionalism that gave Rhyne confidence when helping him. Once again, some of my favorite scenes were with just Cole and Rhyne, without any interference from the secondary characters.

Characters from the previous book, Never Love a Lawman, also made appearances and impacted Rhyne and Cole's lives. I must say I do wish everyone would stop referring to Will Beatty as "that no-account Beatty boy" it got very old, very quickly. He is a deputy and not some low-life drunkard. The town itself plays an important role in the shaping of Cole and Rhyne's relationship. Through the opinions of the townsfolk, the treatment of Rhyne and how the people react to Rhyne and Cole as a couple, Goodman showed how strong those outside influences can be.

Even though Rhyne gets away from her father, he still has a strong hold on her. That story line involving Rhyne's father left me cold. Someone should have shot him and put him out of everyone's misery! There is a lot that Rhyne doesn't know about her mother and father and while some of the discoveries are shocking, she handles them well. Almost too well. I think that was part of the problem I had with Rhyne. I liked her but because she had suppressed her emotions and feelings for so long, she kept herself distant and wasn't easy to get to know.

There is some sequel bait that comes riding in at the end. I didn't mind it and at this point, I find myself looking forward to Whitley's book. I do hope she gets one but would imagine it's a ways down the road.

Rating: B

*Thanks to Dear Author for the copy of Marry Me.

Review: Let Me Be The One

Title: Let Me Be the One
Author: Jo Goodman
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Compass Club/Book One

North. South. East. West.
Friend for life, we have confessed.
All other truths, we'll deny,
For we are soldier, sailor, tinker, spy.
--Compass Club Charter
Hambrick Hall

They were four friends, finding each other and bonding at the boarding school where they all attended. The bonds of friendship stayed, only strengthening with time, through school and into adulthood. Through adventures and through war. And now they are considered eligible bachelors of the ton but none of them have any desire to settle down with a wife just yet. Of course, that's when the unexpected happens and all thoughts of continuing as a bachelor fade, at least for one of this group of friends. As he catches sight of her he knows what he as been asked to do but it becomes so much more after they meet. Then he slowly realizes that there is more to her than meets the eye. More to her than even he suspected. For North, his adventure has just begun.

Jo Goodman has long been a favorite of mine. She has written many historical romances and her Compass Club series is, in my opinion, one of the best. I had read the series when it was first released and found that I enjoyed it just as much when reading it for the second time. The first book in the series tells of Brendan David Hampton, Earl of Northam, North's story and his heroine, Elizabeth Penrose.

North and Elizabeth first meet at Battenburn, the country estate of the Baron and Baroness of Battenburn. Elizabeth is staying with them at the estate and assists with the running of the household for Louise, the Baroness. All four of Compass Club members are present when North first approaches Elizabeth and requests that she walk with him. In fact, as they enjoy doing, the remaining three members South, East and West discuss whether North will be married by the end of the year. South and West go so far as to make a wager on the outcome. This is by no means the first of many wagers for the group and no doubt will not be the last. They are a very close group of men, fitting so well together. Complementing each other with their differences and similarities to form one unified group.

When Elizabeth first encounters the Compass Club she is on the lawn at Battenburn painting a still life. She hears their laughter:

"It was pure pleasure to hear their laughter. Unrestrained, it had almost a musical quality to it. Four voices, all of them with a slightly different pitch, gave it a certain harmony." page 13

This first glimpse Elizabeth has of the four men is so telling in what they are to each other, how well they fit together. While this story is of North and Elizabeth's road to HEA it is also about the strong bond of friendship these four men have.

There are of course difficulties along the way for North and Elizabeth. There is the Gentleman Thief who has been plaguing the ton and stealing their jewels. There is also the reason for North's initial interest in Elizabeth. He had been asked to check on her by her mother's cousin, Colonel Blackwood. North and the other members of the Compass Club have a history with the Colonel and hold him in high regard. North soon realizes that he has more than just a passing interest in Elizabeth.

It turns out that North is accused of theft and Elizabeth provides his alibi. Still keeping secrets from one another they are forced to marry. Their marriage is not a smooth one with the one place they do get along is in bed. While Elizabeth dare not trust North with her secrets, she eventually trusts him with her body. The love scenes are quite steamy when North and Elizabeth follow through on their mutual attraction.

Elizabeth is a very multi-layered heroine which was a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed trying to figure her out. What motivated her, what exactly made her tick. I wasn't the only one. North spent time trying to understand Elizabeth as well. She is much more than a twenty-six year old spinster, working as an unpaid companion to Baroness Battenburn. She has a variety of interests and is called a blue-stocking by many of the ton. She does have a strained relationship with her father but is good friends with her step-mother who is close to her in age. Her father is considered formidable and intimidating and not at all easy to please.

North was not about to be intimidated by Elizabeth's father or by Elizabeth herself. North is the type of hero who once he decides what he wants, or in this case who, he goes after her until he gets her. He is a good listener and shows that he truly care about Elizabeth's opinions and how she feels about the issues of the day. South, East and West also fall under the spell of Elizabeth but it is North who she can't help but want. North is torn in two with trying to love Elizabeth but also getting her to trust him with her secrets. He slowly figures out some of them but is not prepared for what she finally reveals.

This was a wonderful and engaging read. It held my interest to the very end. I look forward to doing a re-read of the remaining books in the series. I believe Let Me Be the One is currently out of print but can be bought used in various places. The other titles in the series are: Everything I Ever Wanted ~ South's story, All I Ever Needed ~ East's story and Beyond a Wicked Kiss ~ West's story. Goodman's site and information regarding this series and her other books can be found here.

Rating: A