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The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry

By Barb Drozdowich Leave a Comment

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today is a review of a book that I received free from Harlequin reader service.  Since they gave me several copies, I’m giving them all away.  That’s right!  Cleaning off the shelves! The first 4 people who leave comments (from US or Can mailing addresses) will get one of the copies of this book!

The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry
Publisher: Harlequin Super Romance
Source : Received free from Harlequin Reader Service
Source: I received multiple copies of this book free from Harlequin reader service

sugarbeat's books romance books romance novel reviews historical contemporary eroticaBlurb:  
Boundaries: the key to how corporate lawyer Alexandra Knight manages her busy life.  However, lately all her precisely drawn lines are getting blurred.  Blame it on her out-of-control biological clock, which is ignoring her single status…and on Ethan Stone.

Her sexy, no-strings colleague has posed an outrageous solution to her dilemma – he’ll be her baby daddy.  this from the guy who avoids all commitment?  Okay, so they’re attracted to each other.  Really, really attracted.  But crossing the line from coworker to co-parent with Ethan could ruin Alex for all other men.  After all, when you’ve had the best….

The Best Laid Plans is a delightful story of what happens when so many boundaries are crossed for the desire to have a child.  Alexandra is a successful attorney.  She’s fairly recently out of a long term relationship with a man who adamantly did not want children.  She is now approaching 40 and thinking about having a child.  Trying to decide if she should sign up for a dating service or just  decide to visit a sperm bank and be a single mom.  She runs into her ex-boyfriend pushing a baby in a carriage and it throws her for a loop. She becomes even more unsettled when she finds out at a doctor’s appointment that the likelihood of getting pregnant decreases with every year.  In this unsettled condition she shows up for their weekly racquetball game with her co-worker, the yummy Ethan Stone.  Things come to a head when she loses her composure during the game.  The next day Ethan accidentally finds out that  Alexandra is researching sperm banks.

Ethan was stung by his ex-wife.  He is determined never to marry again!  Because of this, he won’t have the opportunity to be a father – something that wants. A logical conclusion to him is to offer to father Alexandra’s child.  He could be a part-time father and not get married, and she could have a child before she is too old to be able to.  The story progresses from this point.

The characters of this story are so likeable.  Ethan is a strong character who has been hurt very badly.  He compensates by substituting his career and spoiling his nephews.  Alexandra is a strong woman who does everything right and is still without the child she craves at the age of 38.  This story  deals with so many touchy subjects with delicacy.  We have a heroine who has a successful career, but is getting too old to get pregnant.  We have a hero hurt by someone whom he loved, and determined never to get married again, yet wanting a child. We deal with sperm donation.  We deal with co-parenting and the legalities involved.  On top of all this we have two characters who gradually fall deeply in love.

I loved this book.  I’ve read several books by Sarah Mayberry and enjoy her work.  I highly recommend this book!

Buy a Copy of The Best Laid Plans (Harlequin Super Romance)

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Series Sunday Giveaway – Vicki Lewis Thompson

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel

Welcome also to Series Sunday!

This is one of my favorite days of the week as this is the day that we get to learn about a book that is written in a series.  I love books written in series!  For the past few weeks I’ve been reviewing Vicki Lewis Thompson’s latest “Sons of Chance” series.  Today I’m going to giveaway 5  books!  What could be better than that?

To enter fill out the form below!  To remind you of what is up for the giveaway….

Ambushed

Morgan O’Connelli hated the restless lifestyle she’d had as a child. All she wants now is to create a real home in small-town Wyoming. So first she hangs up her real-estate agent shingle…then she promptly borrows the horse of the hottest cowboy in town!

Cutting-horse champion Gabe Chance is blown away by the feisty redhead who unexpectedly lands right in his bed…and, soon enough, his heart! Morgan’s perfect for him in every way. Until he realizes that while she’s turned out to be everything he never knew he wanted, he’s got everything someone in her profession has ever wanted…his family’s ranch.

And that’s a legacy he’s just not willing to give up–not even for the sexiest woman he’s ever fallen for….

Claimed

Following a dream brought Josie Keller to Shoshone, Wyoming. Following her heart brought her plenty of great sex with good-time cowboy Jack Chance! She was head over heels for him… until he left her.

Stay with one woman? Not a chance! Then why does Jack miss Josie like crazy? Had their relationship been more than just incredible sex?

Little do Josie and Jack know that a plan’s afoot to get them back in the saddle…together. And once there, it’s not long before they’re burning up the bedsheets again!

But the past is never far away. Before it catches up with them, Jack has to decide if he’s going to stake his claim on Josie, or lose her forever….

Should’ve Been a Cowboy

Party organizer Tyler O’Connelli is on the fast track to her dream career. She’s so close she can almost taste it. But when she returns to her family and sees her one-night stand, Alex Keller, all done up in his cowboy gear, her self-control is stretched to the breaking point….

They’re worlds apart. She’s a busy career girl, and Alex is a cowboy. But while getting together might not bode well for anything long-term, it more than makes up for it in sheer hot chemistry! Problem is, this is one wrangler she might want to get tied down—and tied up—to…indefinitely!

 

 

Cowboy Up

“Never fall in love with a cowboy.” These words were drilled into Emily Sterling’s head since her parents divorced over twenty years ago. But now Emily has returned to her father’s ranch… only to find herself face-to-face with jawdroppingly hot rancher Clay Whitaker.

Clay is the resident stud expert at the Last Chance Ranch and isn’t so keen on “spoiled” city slickers…until Emily arrives. Now he’s showing Emily just what a ranch—and a cowboy—has to offer. And luckily for him, it’s an offer Emily can’t refuse…

 

 

 

Cowboys Like Us

Real cowboys aren’t born. They’re made…

Logan Carswell has just kissed his professional baseball career goodbye. Goodbye dreams, career and future. For now, though, he’s working at the Last Chance Ranch and the town saloon, where sexy bartender Caro Davis is definitely taking his mind off his troubles…

Caro’s days have been so hectic, she’s forgotten all about the finer aspects of life. Like men. And sex. And really smokin’–hot sex with men like Logan. But when their two worlds collide—and boy, do they ever collide—they both realize that once the gear is off, a cowboy is still a cowboy!

 

 

Sound like a good selection of books?  If so, fill out the form and I’ll choose a winner in a week or so.  Good luck!

 

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Release day for Dangerous To Her by Virna DePaul

By Barb Drozdowich

Welcome to Sugarbeat’s Books – The Home of the Romance Novel!

Today we are celebrating the release of my friend, Virna DePaul’s latest novel!  It’s a red letter day!  Dangerous To Her is being published by Harlequin Romantic Suspense and I’m about to read it!  Look later in September for a review of this book.  I have read several other books by Virna and have enjoyed everything I’ve read so far – I’m quite certain I will like this one also!

Dangerous To Her (Harlequin Romantic Suspense) Available in stores today August 23, 2011

Dangerous To Her: For years, court reporter Mattie Nolan kept her child a secret. The man she once loved chose his dangerous job—undercover cop—over her. But now, Sacramento detective Dom Jeffries is all that’s standing between her and the drug kingpin set on revenge against everyone who put him away. Including Mattie.

Though teetering on the edge of burnout, Dom goes undercover as a bailiff in Mattie’s courtroom. While he pretends not to remember her, thoughts of her touch, her smell and the smile that had been his alone keep resurfacing. Then he uncovers the secret she’s protecting. To save the daughter he’s never known and the woman he’s never forgotten, Dom’s ready to sacrifice not just his job, but his life…

EXCERPT of DANGEROUS TO HER:

Chapter 1

“Joel’s dead.”

Dominic Jeffries stared at fellow detective Cameron Blake, wondering if he was dreaming. It was only a little after six in the morning, less than eight hours since he’d finished his latest undercover op and stopped to have a quick drink with his best friend, Joel Bustamante. Despite Dom having been gone for six months, their drink together had been quick because Dom had been focused on getting three things: a bed to sleep in, a woman to hold for a few hours, and then his next assignment before he was tempted to examine his life and exactly where it was going a little too closely. Likewise, Joel, newly promoted captain and perpetually starry-eyed honeymooner, had been anxious to get back home to his new wife, Tawny.

After talking business and then listening to Joel extol the virtues of settling down with one woman, Dom had finally gotten the bed, had lost interest in the woman, and had been prepared to nail down his next assignment—and not the one Joel had wanted him to take—later today.

Now? Standing in his living room, shirtless and in baggy sweats, his hair falling in eyes that were still half-blurry,
Dom locked his knees to keep them from collapsing.

He’d had a brief premonition of trouble before leaving Joel last night. Hard not to when Joel had been hinting at placing Dom on forced leave with the only alternative being Dom playing babysitter to a judge who was either in danger or dirty. Dom had dismissed the premonition as paranoia. After all, he’d just spent six months living in deep cover with a group of ruthless criminals. But not once in those six months had he felt as defenseless as he did now.

Because this wasn’t a dream. It was his life and, true to form, Dom had once again lost someone very important to him. For a flash, an image of a beautiful young girl with wild corkscrew curls flashed in his head.

Ruthlessly, Dom pushed it away, but then all he saw was Joel—dedicated cop, loyal friend, happier than he’d ever been.

“Dom? Did you hear what I said? Joel’s dead.” Cam’s voice was pitched low but rubbed against Dom’s skin like a jagged blade.

“When—?” was all that Dom managed to croak out.

“Around 3:00 a.m. He was—” Cam looked away, swallowing hard. “He was shot in the abdomen with his service weapon.”

“His weapon? How’s that–”

“There’s talk of suicide.”

The nasty word pounded into Dom’s brain, obliterating the fog and replacing it with a wash of rage. Cam’s blue-blood British accent held a trace of something Dom didn’t miss—disdain. Dom growled and suddenly he had Cam pinned against his living room wall, his arm against the man’s throat. “Take that back.”

Although his features reflected the shock Dom felt, Cam didn’t resist. Didn’t fight him. He simply stared at Dom, his muscles relaxed, his eyes shadowed. “I didn’t say I believe it,” he whispered. “He was my friend, too, Dom.”
Instantly, Dom took three steps back and lowered his arm.

“Look, we’ve reason to believe Mark Guapo was involved. That—”

At Cam’s mention of Mark Guapo, a buzzing started in Dom’s ears. Once again, his mind swept back to his conversation with Joel. Joel had been filling him in on the latest goings-on in the office—in Dom’s undercover absence, one of their fellow detectives had gotten separated and another had just been served divorce papers—as well as the scoop on recently convicted drug lord, Mark Guapo. Prison, it seemed, wasn’t keeping the man down.

Last week, Guapo’s men had thrown their boss’s defense attorney off a twelve-story building. Chief Masters was afraid the judge from Guapo’s trial would be next…only Dom had sensed Joel holding something back. When he’d pushed, his friend had dropped several small bombs.

“Something’s bothering me with his whole Guapo case,” Joel had said last night. “ I mean, the affidavit Manelli filled out for the warrant was tight. It laid out more than enough probable cause for us to search Guapo’s place. But after Guapo’s defense attorney was killed, I ran his phone records and noticed something. A phone call made to Judge Butler’s chambers just hours before his estimated time of death.”

“Judge Butler was the judge who sentenced Guapo to prison. So what was it? A plea for help?” Dom asked.

“Or a warning. Judge Butler said it was simply a personal call— they’re golf buddies—and there’s no reason to think the judge is lying or hiding anything. But either way, someone on the inside might be able to tell us if the judge needs further protection or if he—or someone on his staff—is receiving information relevant to a murder. Plus, despite Guapo’s conviction, his operation is as strong as ever. There’s talk that he’s expanding beyond drugs and stolen cars to firearms. That’s why, if you continue to fight me on taking some time off, I want you to go undercover as Judge Butler’s bailiff. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I’ve already talked to the chief and he’s on board.”

Stroking his chin, Dom tried to ingest it all. “And the Sheriff’s Department? How do they feel about Sac PD infiltrating their territory?”

“The Sheriff’s Department knows you’re coming, but only the heads know why. As far as everyone else is concerned, you’d be going in as who you are, a cop suffering from imminent burnout who needs a low-stress assignment for a month until we can figure out what to do with you.” It wasn’t the first time Joel had insisted Dom needed to take a break—but he sensed this was the first time Joel, now that he’d been promoted to being Dom’s boss, was willing to follow through and make it happen. Pose as a bailiff or take some time off. For some reason, the latter held the most appeal. Maybe Joel was right, he thought. Maybe he could use some time to rest. To think. Lately, he’d been struggling against a strange sense of restlessness. An urge to dispense with the games and simply be himself.

Now why would he want something like that? He barely even knew who he was.

With the thought came a sudden cramping in his gut that had plagued him for the past week. His damn ulcer was acting up again. Refusing to rub it, refusing to acknowledge it, Dom gritted his teeth until it went away. A few seconds. Same as before. Which meant it was nothing. Just like his restlessness was nothing.

“Don’t worry about the bailiff assignment being too boring for you,” Joel interrupted his thoughts. “Danger seems to follow you no matter where you go. Plus, you can always hope someone recognizes you from a previous undercover op. That would certainly spice things up.”

“Quit trying to make me feel better,” Dom growled, playing along even though Joel’s attempt at humor sounded strained. “No one would recognize me once I’m out of this getup.” With his hair dyed black and the dark contacts, Dom could have passed for Joel’s brother. Once he was close-shaven, with blond hair and blue eyes again, no one, not even his last lover, would recognize him. “So what are the chances I’ll actually see action on this?”

“Slim to none,” Joel admitted. “This is all speculation. Chances are you’ll probably just be doing regular duty for the entire month.” Which was why, in the end, Dom had said he’d think about it—he hadn’t been able to decide between bored and deathly bored but working. Joel had handed him a stack of files and told him to look at them before they talked later today.

But he was never going to be able to talk to his friend again. Just like with Mattie, the only woman Dom had ever loved, he’d have to settle for memories. Memories that were never enough to comfort, only to hurt. To remind him why loving others and being an undercover street cop was so damn dangerous—eventually, chances were someone ended up feeling exactly the way he was now.

Amazon purchase link for Dangerous to Her (Harlequin Romantic Suspense)

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