Stranded together…and then crossing the line!
Is he her shelter from the storm…Or her biggest mistake?
Valencia Donovan's plan to dazzle the wealthy investor
she needs for her horse rescue start-up takes an unexpected turn when a tornado
strands her with Lorenzo Cortez-Williams. Giving in to attraction in a
desperate moment only makes them hungry for more. After they've blown away all
boundaries, Valencia's treacherous feelings for the guarded ranching heir could
jeopardize her lifelong dream. But closing the deal -- while walking away from
their intimate affair -- could cost her even more…
Good addition to the series. Valencia owns a horse rescue
farm and plans to expand into providing equine therapy for children. For that,
she needs extra funds and applies for a grant from the Cortez-Williams family's
foundation. She's ready to give her presentation to the elder board member when
she discovers that he's turned over vetting applicants to his grandson, Lorenzo
the Third. Taken aback by her attraction to him, Valencia struggles to remain
professional.
Lorenzo takes his job of vetting organizations very
seriously. Burned by his ex-fiancée, who used their relationship for her own
gain, Lorenzo doesn't trust easily. He vowed then that he would keep personal
and professional relationships separate. His attraction to Valencia makes that problematic.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between
Lorenzo and Valencia. The sparks between them are evident from the moment they
met, yet they manage to get through their meeting with their professionalism
intact. That doesn't mean that either forgets about those sparks. Lorenzo
invites Valencia to dinner to tell her the results of her application, and the attraction
still simmers in the background. When their dinner is cut short by a tornado
warning, Lorenzo accompanies her back to her ranch to help prepare, and they
end up taking shelter in her storm cellar. Because of a childhood trauma involving
a tornado, Valencia is understandably nervous. While the storm rages outside,
the flaring attraction between them provides an unexpected distraction. When
the storm passes, they can't resist giving in, creating complications.
Baggage from the past, and a secret from the present,
keep Lorenzo and Valencia from fully trusting each other. Finding out Lorenzo's
secret devastates Valencia and breaks her heart. I ached for Lorenzo, also,
because his boneheaded move drove a wedge between them. I loved Lorenzo's realization
of his feelings for her and his determination to make things right. His big
moment at the end put their pasts to rest and looked to the future together.
The overarching story of Soirée on the Bay continues to
heat up. Valencia has a vested interest in its success as one of the proposed
charitable beneficiaries. The news of the missing money hits her hard because
of its impact on her plans. The blows to the Soirée continue when the tornado
damages some of the site days before the projected start, and Asher Edmond is
arrested on suspicion of embezzlement. I personally believe that he is innocent
and still suspect a
different player in
the drama. I can't wait to see if I am right.
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