Some things shouldn't be left to chance…
Victoria Madaris is next on her great-grandmother's
matchmaking list -- which suits her just fine. She's laser-focused on her
career and doesn't have time to concentrate on her love life, too. Knowing that
Mama Laverne is vetting unsuitable candidates -- like rising US senator Roman
Malone -- makes things easy.
But Roman unexpectedly ticks all of Victoria's boxes. The
longtime family friend is outrageously sexy, and every time they meet, their
chemistry crackles. Being a journalist, though, Victoria just doesn't trust
politicians. Plus, her matchmaker's expert opinion keeps pointing to the
charming and handsome Tanner Jamison. And everybody knows, Mama Laverne is
never wrong.
Suddenly, Victoria sees Tanner everywhere -- as if by
fate -- but she doesn't feel any attraction. Meanwhile, the more Victoria gets
to know Roman, the harder it is to resist him. Her head is saying play it safe,
but is her heart strong enough to go against her better judgment…and Mama
Laverne's?
Good book. I love it when an author has crossovers from
two series, and this one combines Catalina Cove with the Madaris family. Here
we have Victoria Madaris, a tv news anchor in New Orleans, living in Catalina
Cove. She left Texas so she could succeed on her own merits and not because of
her family name.
Victoria knows that she is next on her
great-grandmother's matchmaking list. Unlike her male cousins and siblings,
Victoria wants Mama Laverne's help because of her career and being burned in a
previous relationship. She's a little bummed because Mama Laverne won't tell
her who her match is. It seems the gentleman in question isn't ready to give up
his bachelor ways, and Laverne doesn't want Victoria to spook him.
When she encounters Tanner Jamison several times,
Victoria believes he is the chosen one. He's handsome, charming, and a friend
of the family, so she already knows him a little bit. However, Tanner exhibits no
interest in her, and she feels no sparks for him. She's willing to wait a while
for him to see the light, but she won't put her life on hold while she does.
Then there is Roman Malone. The rising young senator came
to Catalina Cove for some R and R. He plans to keep a low profile and spend his
days fishing. Recently told that he needs to be married if he wants to progress
up the party ladder, Roman made it plain that he will marry when he decides it's
time and only for love. Having just escaped from a relationship with a woman with
her own agenda, Roman is in no rush to start anything new. But sharing some
quiet fishing trips and a few meals with family friend Victoria should be safe
enough.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Roman and
Victoria develop. Despite the sparks between them, Victoria insists that she's
not available but is happy to hang out with Roman as a friend. I love the
scenes of their fishing trips and meals as they get to know each other and discover
how much they have in common. Though Victoria doesn't trust politicians, she admits
that Roman is different than most. I liked seeing their friendship grow along
with trust and respect. It doesn't take long for Roman to realize that he's
smitten and wants more than friendship from Victoria. Meanwhile, thanks to irresistible
chemistry with Roman and a lack of interest from Tanner, Victoria suspects that
Mama Laverne may have been wrong this time. I loved that Victoria and Roman
built a solid friendship before giving in to the desire that burned between
them.
There is a second romance in the book that involves the
MIA Tanner. He's horrified when his friends tell him of Mama Laverne's
matchmaking successes and resolves to stay far away from Victoria. In the
meantime, sparks fly with the building inspector for the club renovations he
and his friends are doing. Tanner, who is supremely confident in his ability to
charm any female, discovers that Lyric resists quite easily. Intrigued, Tanner goes
all out to get closer to her and seduce her. I enjoyed seeing Lyric hold him
off and make him work for her attention. I liked seeing Tanner fall hard while
fighting against the inevitable. His misery after they parted ways was just reward
for his past. I had to laugh at his conversation with his friend Blade, a
previous recipient of Mama Laverne's attentions, and the truth he had to face.
I liked Lyric and how she called out Tanner's attitude. She fell as hard as he
did, but she had trust issues that held her back thanks to a former betrayal.
Meanwhile, Roman's ex-girlfriend won't accept Roman's
defection willingly. Audria is a spoiled, selfish woman who will do anything to
get what she wants, and she wants Roman. Her sneaky, underhanded actions aim to
ruin Victoria's reputation and drive Roman back to her. I ached for all of the
people involved in her attack. Victoria, especially, saw her worst fears come
to pass. I loved the family support that helped her overcome those fears. I
also loved the combination of efforts that fought back against Audria's
machinations.
The ending was fantastic. I laughed at the conversations
with Mama Laverne and all of the behind-the-scenes actions that led to that
moment. While I suspected some of it, other parts came as a complete surprise.
I can't wait to see what's next for Catalina Cove and also for the Madaris
family. Mama Laverne has her sights set, and the targets are shaking in their
shoes.
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