The Single Dad's Homerun

Don't you, forget about me.

Our Hero: Victor Martinez

What You Need To Know:  Was not drafted and signed as an amateur free agent with the Cleveland Indians.  Became their starting catcher in 2004, but while his bat was on fire, he wasn't exactly stunning with his defense.  Was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 2009, primarily playing first base and serving as a back-up to Jason Varitek.  As a free agent, he signed a four-year deal with the Tigers, serving as much needed protection in the batting order for Miguel Cabrera (who opposing pitchers were intentionally walking.....a lot).  He's a .300 clutch hitter, and just what the doctor ordered.  Sadly, he sat out all of 2012 thanks to an ACL injury but is back for 2013.

His Baggage:  Besides the injury?  He's got the cutest kid on the planet in Victor Jr.  This kid spends a lot of time at the ballpark with his Dad, even sporting his own miniature uniform.  When Victor was up for the "last chance" voting in the All-Star game in 2011, the Tigers had Jr. do a promotional video with Paws (the mascot) to get the fans out voting.  Ultimately he lost to Paul Konerko (who was, frustratingly, having a great year and was more than deserving), but we all got to bask in the cuteness that is Victor Jr.  Probably the hardest part of last year?  Not seeing that kid at the ballpark.  Seriously.

The Proposed Category  Romance Plot:  Tragically thrust into the role of single parent, he's trying to keep some semblance of balance and normalcy in his young son's life.  They seem to do fine when they're at the ballpark, but once they're home in the suburbs, things get more complicated.  When it's just the two of them, alone, his son becomes withdrawn.  Oh, and there's the small matter that our hero is a terrible cook.  At this rate if they don't starve to death they're going to overdose on take-out Chinese.  Lucky for him, he finds a savior in his pretty new next door neighbor.

Our Heroine:  A single mother to a teenage daughter, most of their days are filled with arguments about not completed homework, wearing too much make-up and boys.  She doesn't really have time for other peoples' problems, but something in the little boy's sad eyes tug at her heart.  What starts with a few shared cookies over the picket fence turn into cooking lessons with his handsome father.

What Category Romance Line?:  OK, I'm pretty sure Victor is married in real life.  Oh, and with his salary he could probably afford a nanny, a personal chef, and a very large home that would have a very tall, non-picket fence.  But this is my fiction therefore, he's a single dad.  A single dad who would buy a modest, nice home in the suburbs to give his kid some normalcy.  If that doesn't scream Harlequin Special Edition nothing does.

Action Jackson!

Bald and beautiful baby!

Our Hero:  Austin Jackson

What You Need To Know:  Drafted by the New York Yankees in 2005, he took a record signing bonus for an 8th round pick and dumped the idea of attending Georgia Tech.  He pretty much spent the bulk of his years with New York hanging out in their minor league system, and he was considered a valuable prospect.  In 2009 he was part of the three-team trade that sent my boyfriend, Curtis Granderson, to the Yankees.  Austin was one of the players the Yankees gave us in return.  He's proven to be a competent lead-off man and he's dynamite defensively, patrolling a center field in Detroit that in it's spare time doubles for Yellowstone National Park.

His Baggage: Jackson plays center field.  Curtis Granderson also plays center field.  Curtis Granderson was crazy popular in Detroit.  The son of teachers, raised in Chicago, he's an intelligent, hard-working, black man playing baseball in Detroit.  He was MLB PR's wet dream.  And now he's a Yankee.  The Granderson trade was really unpopular with a lot of fans in Detroit, at the time.  My own father CALLED ME AT WORK, just to make sure I was doing OK.  My Big Sis called The Bat Cave and suggested to My Man that he start hiding the kitchen knives.  Yeah, it was kind of like that.  Turns out, it was win-win for everybody.  We got a legit lead-off hitter, and Jackson is, I think, better defensively than Granderson (who wasn't a slouch for us).  New York got a guy who can jack homeruns over that Little League wall they call right field.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot: Against his mother's wishes, he gave up the chance at a college education to play big league baseball.  But four years toiling in the minor leagues, and constant comparisons to Mickey Mantle are starting to wear him down.  When he's traded, he's asked to replace one of his new team's most popular players.  His confidence is starting to flag as is, and now he finds himself falling for a woman that many of his new teammates consider bad news.

Our Heroine:  Boy, date a couple of professional baseball players and watch how fast a girl gets labelled as a groupie.  Well she's had enough!  She's no groupie.  She's got smarts!  She's got self-respect!  And to prove that to herself and everyone else, she's declaring a moratorium on men.  And when she is ready to get back in the saddle?  Absolutely, positively, no baseball players.  None.  She's going to keep working as a limo driver, hit the books to get her accounting degree, and stay away from distractions.  That is until she looks down at her phone and realizes that her next pick up is none other than the hometown team's new center fielder.  Dear Lord why does he have to be so sexy?  And nice?!?!  Why oh why does he have to be so bloody nice?!?!  It's official.  God hates her.

Baseball be damned!

What Category Romance Line:  This one was tough.  Jackson is from Texas, so at first I thought Harlequin American.  Unfortunately all those Texans tend to be cowboys or ranchers - and as much as I love Jackson?  I can't see him in a cowboy hat.  So yeah, we're going with Harlequin Desire.  Once he settles in with his new team, gets his bat going, his confidence is going to go way up - which means he'll be all Won't Take No For An Answer Alpha on the heroine.  Poor girl, doesn't have a prayer.

Good Time Phil

You might lose 'em here Wendy

Our Hero:  Phil Coke

What You Need To Know:  Drafted by the New York Yankees in 2002 in the 26th round.  Spent time, on and off, with the big club and earned a World Series ring in 2009 when they beat the Philadelphia Phillies.  He was traded to the Tigers in 2011 in the deal that sent my boyfriend, Curtis Granderson, to New York.  He's primarily a relief pitcher, but someone in the Tigers organization had the boneheaded idea to try him out as a starter in 2011.  A move Wendy hated, and ultimately didn't work.  Phil went back to the bullpen and is one of our more reliable relievers.  He even closed a few games last year after our closer lost his damn mind and forgot how to pitch.

His Baggage:  Phil's an interesting guy.  He has a reputation for being a goof-ball in the clubhouse and in the bullpen.  He's also, typically, a fun interview.  He's got a good sense of humor and gets his kicks ribbing his teammates.  That said, don't let that fool you into thinking he's Mr. Happy-Go-Lucky when it comes to his job.  He's an intense guy.  When he's called in from the bullpen to pitch?  Yeah, he runs to the pitcher's mound in a full out sprint.  And when the rest of the team was celebrating their victory in the ALCS?  That's Phil stomping around the pitcher's mound doing his best (or is that worst?) Hulk impression.  Hey, he pitched the final half inning, so he can stomp around all he damn well pleases.

Also, neither here nor there, he is currently the player on the active roster I would most like to have a beer with.  Every team should have at least one of those guys - and Phil Coke is mine.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot:  He may work hard, but he also believes in playing hard - which is why he's never been one to settle down.  He likes spending time with women, he just doesn't see himself settling down with one woman for the rest of his days.  When he's not busy with work, he's too busy having fun.  Light, fun, and a good-time - that's what he's after when he's not giving it his all out on the diamond.  So why does it grate on his nerves so badly when some pretty, albeit uptight, nursing student seems to look down her nose at him?

Yes.  Yes, he will.

Our Heroine:  She has no time for fun and games.  A single mom, raising a baseball-loving young son on her own, she's tired of rubbing pennies together and hauling her dead-beat Baby Daddy into court.  She's working a menial job and clawing her way through nursing school.  It's while she's pulling clinicals in a pediatric ward that she runs into our hero, who is there visiting the sick kids as part of his charity work.  While his appearance at the hospital is admirable, he still smacks her as all flash and no substance.  Our girl has no time to play around with men, especially ones who don't seem inclined to stick around for the long haul.  But when he promises her he'll get her box seats for her and her son for the All-Star game?  She realizes that she'd do anything for her kid, even if that does mean spending time with a man she's not all that sure she should be surrendering her heart to.

What Category Romance Line?:  I'm going with the newcomer, Harlequin Kiss.  It's fun, it's flirty, I can see Phil doing OK there.

Daddy Doesn't Love Me

You hate my contract and you still pick me?

Our Hero: Prince Fielder

What You Need To Know:  Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2002, Fielder joined the big club in 2005 and was anchored at first base until 2011. Upon becoming a free agent, he left Milwaukee for Detroit where he ended up signing a 9-year (which makes me slightly insane) contract worth $214 million (Prince, will you adopt me?).  He's a power hitter who is surprisingly light on his feet for a guy who looks morbidly obese.  He's also a bit of an iron man, having not missed a game since September 13, 2010.  Remember, there are 162 games in the regular season.  There are also many people (myself included) that believe a big reason Miguel Cabrera nabbed the first Triple Crown in 45 years is because Prince Fielder was hitting behind him in the lineup.

His Baggage:  One as old as time - Daddy Issues. Prince's Daddy is Cecil Fielder, who was with the Tigers from 1990-1996.  Prince was a fixture around the Tigers clubhouse as a kid, even taking batting practice.  Urban legend has him smashing homeruns at old Tiger Stadium as a 12-year-old.  Things started going downhill after Cecil left the game.  Gambling problems and his divorce from Prince's mama made for hard feelings.  Also the minor detail that when Cecil helped Prince negotiate his first major league contract that Cecil made damn sure that Cecil got paid.  Father and son reportedly stopped speaking, although depending on what story you read these days they're mending fences.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot:  He's achieved the dream he's had since he was a little boy, to be one of the best baseball players on the planet.  Although it's led to a lot of sacrifices and hard feelings, he is rewarded when he signs a lucrative free agent contract in the off-season. However it's with the team that made his father, a former big league ballplayer, famous.  Estranged, he now finds himself back in the city where the old man still casts a long shadow, where everyone comes up to him and wants to regal him with memories of Daddy's greatness.  It's a road that holds nothing but painful memories, and now because it was the best deal, the most money, and with a team laden with talent - he's back in the one place he never wanted to come back to in the first place.

Home and a chick's name.  That works.

Our Heroine:  Like our hero she grew up around baseball, the daughter of a well-respected bench/utility player.  When her mother died of cancer, her father fought her grandparents over custody, even when they argued that major league baseball locker rooms were no place for little girls to grow up.  Her father was determined to keep them together, to not split up their family, and she spent her life traveling with Daddy, watching games from the owner's box, and when she was old enough to get a summer job?  She started working with the grounds crew.  Now she's the head groundskeeper, and her childhood playmate, the hero, is back in the city that holds many unhappy memories for him.  Even if he is the $200 million man, he sure doesn't look like he wants to be there, but she sure is happy to see him back home.

What Category Romance Line?:  Reunited childhood sweethearts?  Daddy Issues?  A heroine who wants to help the hero work through his baggage?  We have ourselves a Harlequin Superromance.

Bring The Heat

This better be good.

Our Hero:  Justin Verlander

What You Need To Know:  Second overall pick by the Tigers in 2004, Verlander is a power pitcher with a live arm and the freakish athletic ability to have his pitches gain speed in the later innings of a game.  He played his first full season with the Tigers in 2005 and hasn't looked back since.  In 2011 he not only won the Cy Young Award (the highest honor for pitchers) but he also took home the MVP (Most Valuable Player) - a rare feat since many voters believe that pitchers shouldn't win that award.  Getting his ass handed to him on a platter by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series aside - you can make the argument that Verlander is the best pitcher in all of baseball.  And if you don't believe that?  You still have to put him in your top five.

His Baggage:  A high draft pick, the Tigers were able to sign him with the promise of a nice signing bonus.  He drives a Porsche (at least he used to), he plays (well) in Pro-Am golf tournaments, and he's been linked to model Kate Upton, although she recently said in some TV interview that she's "single."

Yeah, I'm sorry to do this to you JV - but to make this work, you're going to have to go down.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot:  Once one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, he's grown accustomed to a life filled with adoring fans, numerous awards, and fawning interviewers.  But it all goes to hell when the one thing he could always rely on suddenly vanishes.  He's lost his fastball.  The 95+ mph heater that could make grown men, professional hitters, drop to their knees and beg for mercy.  Once one of the greatest pitchers in baseball, he's now getting his ass handed to him every fifth day.  Now there are rumors that the team is looking to unload him.

So this guy is a boxer.  Minor detail.

The Heroine:  A fan through and through, she spends her free time working with local youth baseball organizations and arranging trips for the kids to go to big league games.  It's on one of these outings she meets the hero.  Oh, she knows all about his troubles, and she thinks she can help him get out of his own head and find his way back to the pitcher he used to be.  He's more than a little skeptical, but when the sports psychologist assigned by the team fails to fix him, he figures what the hell?  The writing is on the wall and he's got nothing left to lose.  But how is he going to get his head back in the game when his amateur shrink is proving to be a very sexy distraction?

What Category Romance Line?:  Harlequin Blaze.  Of course Verlander is kind of a hairy guy - he's going to have to wax for the cover shoot.

The Venezuelan's Sexy Bodyguard

Why is she starting with me first?!?!

Our Hero: Miguel Cabrera

What You Need To Know: Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera  has been a highly touted player from the moment he broke through with the Florida Marlins organization in 2003.  During one of their annual fire sales (the 2007 one), the Marlins off-loaded Miggy to Detroit for a number of prospects who are now either 1) playing elsewhere or 2) have faded away.  He's been a great player for Detroit, culminating in the 2012 season when he won the MVP (Most Valuable Player) and the Triple Crown, leading the American League in homeruns, batting average and runs-batted-in (RBIs) - a feat that hadn't been accomplished in 45 years.  Oh, and he did all this after switching back to playing third base (a position he hadn't played since leaving Florida) and leading the team to a World Series.

His Baggage: A case where Miggy has some real-life issues that could work in a romance novel.  He's an intensely private person, and by some media accounts dislikes being embarrassed or saying the wrong thing (which is why he will sometimes use an interpreter for interviews and such even though he does speak English fairly well).  He's reportedly a good teammate, a hard worker, and gets on well with his coaches - it's just he's very distrustful of people he doesn't know AKA "outsiders."  Which is why what fans know about Miggy, outside of the ballpark, is mostly wrapped up with his alcohol issues.  After a night out on the town in 2009, he arrived home, got into an argument with his wife, and the police were called.  Then in 2011, right before his scheduled arrival at the Tigers Spring Training facility, cops encountered him and his disabled car on the side of the road.  Miggy apparently kicked up a bit of a fuss, and was arrested on a DUI.  Since this last incident he has been on the straight and narrow - sitting out the various raucous post-season champagne soaked celebrations the Tigers took part in last post season.  Adding to the belief that he's working on his alcohol issues?  Since laying off the sauce he's been in fabulous shape.  Last year he looked great and this spring he looks even better.

The Proposed Category Romance Plot: A star player that the team has invested considerable time and money in, the front office is worried that he'll fall off the wagon.  Yes, he's in recovery - but that's no guarantee that he'll stay on the right path.  To ensure he continues to toe-the-line, they hire a security team to babysit him - a development he deeply resents.  However things start looking  up when he meets the head of the security detail.  Yep, a woman.  A seeeeexxxxxxxxyyyyyy woman.

Don't mind my stealing....

The Heroine: Working for a well-respected security company that caters to high-profile clientele, she's used to being underestimated.  Not only is she a woman in a man's world, she's a bit of a glamour girl.  A beautiful woman who likes designer clothes?  Yeah she's either a gold-digger or a brain-dead ninny.  She lets the fools think what they want, as long as her boss and clients believe in her abilities the rest can go to Hell.  However, when she meets her latest assignment, she knows she's got her work cut out for her.  She believes he's determined to work on his sobriety, now all she has to do is convince him that their relationship needs to stay strictly business.  But ooooh, it's not going to be easy.

What Category Romance Line?:  This is what old-timey baseball types would call a Can Of Corn.  Cabrera is Venezuelan, doesn't trust easily and as evidenced by this parody spoof he made last year for MLB, a fan of telenovelas.  Yeah, Harlequin Presents all day long.

Baseball And Harlequin, Like Chocolate And Peanut Butter

Anyone who stumbles across this blog for the first time probably picks up fairly quickly that Wendy loves two things: baseball and romance novels.  Or, more specifically, Wendy loves the Detroit Tigers and category romance.

Every year, right about this time, I start thinking about what I'm going to blog about to commemorate Opening Day for the Major League Baseball season.  It really is a magical, hopeful time of year.  It's the beginning of a very long season (162 games!), and it's that one time of year where anybody, any fan, can legitimately think that their team could go all the way.

Yes, even Cubs fans.

Opening Day is April 1, and I just don't have it in me to channel my inner Kevin Costner and wax poetic about baseball.  No, instead I'm going to take the two things that I love, toss them in a blender, and probably make a big ol' mess.

Yes, folks - I'm going to do it.  I'm going to take the Detroit Tigers and drag them kicking and screaming into.....

Harlequin category romance novels.

Starting tomorrow and running through Sunday, I will take a player on the current Tigers roster, give you a little factual information about them, then toss in a motherlode of fiction to concoct them their very own Harlequin story (the fiction is key as I'm pretty sure most of the guys I've chosen as potential heroes are married with children in Real Life).

Yes, it really is going to be as twisted as it sounds.  This is either going to be the greatest series of posts I've ever come up with in my ten years of blogging, or it's going to get me sued.  Stay tuned!

Work Marches On

I've been off work for an entire, glorious week thanks to the annual visit from the Super Librarian Parental Units.  However that has not kept me from checking on my work e-mail sporadically - because I am obviously insane.  One nice thing that rolled in?  Our programs coordinator e-mailed me the poster for the romance panel (which yes, I am moderating....again) that will be used during our annual literary event.  We have a local art institute design all of the artwork for us, and this is what they came up with for romance.  I'd have to go back and look at my older posters, but I think this is the first time ever that the romance panel has featured artwork with a couple on it.  No, really.  Heart themed artwork has been the most prevalent, although to date my favorite poster featured ribbon-lettering, an open book and a rose.

This one feels nicely modern to me.  The couple looks young-ish and the colors pop.  Honestly it kind looks like one of those "New Adult Lit" books that are currently all the rage.

This year our panel features Jill Sorenson, Jillian Stone and Anna Randol.  I'm really excited about this panel, and really looking forward to talking to all of these women about their work.  It should be fascinating and loads of fun.

If you're in the southern California area, Literary Orange will be held at the Irvine Marriott on Saturday, April 6.  It's an all-day event that features various author panels, along with keynote speakers and there will be a bookseller on site.  This year our keynotes are general fiction author, Tatjana Soli and mystery/suspense bestselling mainstay, J.A. Jance.  The cost for the day is $60, and includes continental breakfast and lunch.  Registration is capped at 500 attendees.  You can register for the event, or just learn more about it on our website.

TBR Challenge 2013: Reunited And It Feels So Complicated

The Book:  A Marriage-Minded Man by Karen Templeton

The Particulars:  Contemporary romance, Book three in series, Silhouette Special Edition #1994, 2009, Out of print, Available digitally

Why Was It In Wendy's TBR?:  Templeton is an autobuy for me, plus I enjoyed the first two books in this series.

The Review:  I like fairy tale escapism as much as the next girl, but what really flips my switch are romances about "normal" people.  This is the type of romance that Karen Templeton excels in writing.  She gives readers characters who feel authentic, who feel like they really could exist in our real lives.  Dukes, Princes, Billionaire Tycoons - all well and good.  But I like the idea of a carpenter/contractor and a local Realtor falling in love.  Especially when they're reunited high school sweethearts and they both have a host of believable "real life" baggage blocking their path to happy-ever-after.

Tess Montoya's marriage went down in flames.  While her husband was serving in Iraq, she was keeping the home fires burning - although it turns out not hot enough.  He cheated, she kicked him to the curb, and now she's a single mother with two small children.  The problem arises from the fact that she's bottled up her emotions, not wanting to "dump" her troubles on her friends....which is how she ends up in Eli Garrett's bed.  He tries to resist, but hell - a grown man who hasn't gotten laid in a while can only resist so much.  And Tess Montoya?  The girl who tied him up in knots when they dated in high school?  Eli knows he's traipsing right through the middle of a mine field - but he just can't say no.

There's a lot of things standing in the way of our reunited couple making an honest go at it.  Tess doesn't trust easily, and Eli broke her heart once before.  Couple this with a distant, indifferent mother, a father who abandoned them both, and oh yeah - her husband cheating on her.  This is a woman who has had zero luck in the twu wuv department.  For his part, Eli has a reputation (some of it earned, most of it not) that he has to live down and he's got a Deep Dark Secret Past Hurt he's nursing.  But he looks at Tess, looks at her kids, and.....oh man, he's sunk.

This is a nice, pleasant story about nice, pleasant people.  Tess does have her heels dug in pretty hard, but it's easy to understand why.  Eli is a nice guy who is struggling to find a why to reach out to Tess after he's made past mistakes where she is concerned.  The author does a nice job of creating a interesting, vibrant, New Mexico small town, filled with the required series secondary characters who add just enough to this story without being annoying intrusions.

My quibbles with this story are mostly of my own marking.  I've read the first two books in this series, back when they were first released.  So I'm not only behind, but my memory was a little hazy on some series details.  I mean, this is the first book in the series I haven't read yet - and it came out almost four years ago!  The author does get around to giving us the back-story on Tess and Eli, but she takes a few chapters to get around to it.  It takes a while for the author to get all the baggage "out there" - and I think if I had read this book back in 2009 (when I should have!) - I would have been more patient for her to get to the meat and potatoes of the angst portion of the story.

Still, if that's all I'm quibbling about - that ain't much.  Of Templeton's work I've read thus far this isn't a favorite, but it's still a good solid read and it has lit a fire under me to finish reading this dang series already.  Now I just need to find books four, five and six.  Damn, I know they're lying around here somewhere.....

Final Grade = B

Reminder: TBR Challenge for March

For those of you participating in the 2013 TBR Challenge, this is a reminder that your "commentary" is due on Wednesday, March 20.

The theme this month is Series Catch-Up.  A book from a series that you are currently behind on.  Wowzers, I think we all have something (or a lot of somethings!) like that lying around in our TBRs, but in case not?  Remember, that the themes are totally and completely optional.  The themes aren't important - it's the act of reading something, anything!, that has been lying neglected in your TBR pile.

And hey, look at that - it's only March!  And it's certainly never too late to sign up for the challenge.  Details and more information can be found here.  You'll also find a list of the current participants, should you wish to follow along.

Slumpin', Cryin', RITAs and WTF JT?!?!

Like sands in the hourglass.....

Wendy continues to slump.  So in the name of blog filler - here's a few things that I've been thinking about lately:

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The Super Librarian Parental Units are coming for a visit, flying into The Bat Cave on Friday.  Yes, TBR Challenge day is next week.  Yes, I'm continuing to slump and have not read my TBR Challenge book for March yet.  Will I get it read and a review up on time?  Oy vei.

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Google has announced, that in their infinite geeky wisdom, they're going to discontinue the very practical Google Reader.  Which is what Wendy uses to keep track of all the blogs she follows.  Not just the "fun" blogs I read, but all the work-related crap sites I find useful.  The End Of Times is July 1.  That gives me some time to wrap my mind around this development, and also to shop around for a new feed reader.  This article provides some options that seem like a good starting point.  I'm open to suggestions, anyone using a Not-Google-Reader RSS reader they like?  I definitely need something cloud-based since I tend to check my feeds on a ton of different computer/devices.

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RWA will be announcing the RITA and Golden Heart finalists on March 26, and for the first time in a number of years, I won't be blogging about it that day.  Normally I watch Twitter, check the RWA web site regularly, and then do a post listing all the finalists, complete with linkage and what-not.  Not this year.  I've got something special planned for the week of the 25th, so y'all will just need to stay tuned.

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Justin Timberlake's new song, Suit And Tie, is on heavy rotation here in SoCal.  It's a catchy song and I understand why people seem to like it (have I mentioned it's catchy?).  What I can't figure out is why nobody seems to be calling JT out on the lyrics, which are so bad they're laughable.  My "favorite" gem is probably this one:

Stop, let me get a good look at it
So thick, now I know why they call it a fatty

Ok, seriously?!

Is this supposed to be sexy?  No, really.  Someone explain it to me, because this obviously is the signal that I am officially an old woman.

Damn kids, get off my lawn!

Must Like Kids

A common criticism of romance, and category romance specifically, is that it reinforces traditional female stereotypes.  Most of the time I tend to poo-poo this notion by pointing out some of the more intriguing, challenging, different and refreshing stories readers can find in the category world.  Then, inevitably, I pick up a book where the single mother heroine literally bakes cookies for a living and I visibly wince.   (And before anyone slams me for slamming traditionally female dominated jobs/careers might I invite you to take a look at the title of my blog?).

That's probably what I found the most refreshing about Must Like Kids by Jackie Braun.  Yes, we have a single mother heroine, but she's self-employed in a very non-traditional female job.  As an image consultant, she's essentially a spin doctor.  She manipulates people for a living.  It's not only a wee bit unsavory, it's more than a wee bit subversive.  I have no idea if the author did this on purpose, if in the back of her mind she was looking to show that women could be more than homey Earth mother types - but it was nonetheless very intriguing.

Julia Stillwell has been hired by Best For Baby Inc. to bail their new CEO, Alec McAvoy, out of a jam.  During an interview he told the reporter, “Children have a place and it’s anywhere I’m not.”  Before you can say social media, Alec's gaffe spreads like wildfire, and the shareholders are in a panic.  In steps Julia whose job it is to spearhead the damage control campaign.  She thinks she has Alec pegged from the moment he's late for their first initial meeting.  A playboy who enjoys the finer things in life, who bed-hops from one superficial relationship to the next, who is so busy living in his ivory tower, with a silver spoon shoved up his butt, that he has no concept of what the world is like for "real people."

Naturally, she's wrong.

What follows is an agreeable story about two agreeable people.  Julia is a widow with two young children.  After her husband succumbed to cancer she didn't have time to wallow in grief, she had two babies to take care of and she freely admits that the children kept her going.  She may work in a high-powered profession, but she doesn't let the job run her life.  Since she's self-employed she essentially creates her own schedule, to be there for her kids, even if it means she runs on a lot of caffeine.  Of course this also means that unless it involves work or the kids?  Yeah, she has no life.

Alec grew up in a silver spoon world, but his parents were distant and dismissive.  He was the kid who spent weekends and vacations at his boarding school because Mommy and Daddy were too busy jet-setting to some Caribbean island vacation with their "friends."  Naturally they ran through the family money, and Alec's grandfather stepped in.  When he died?  He left the money in a trust that Alec oversees - which means now Alec is subjected to whiny phone calls from Mommy because even though she's burned through their monthly allowance she just has to have these new designer sunglasses for their sailing trip.

As Julia works on Alec's image, the two naturally succumb to a mutual, heated attraction.  It's lust at first sight, and they naturally resist for a time until Alec steals his first kiss.  In turn, Julia finds herself awakening after a very long slumber, having not been seriously involved with anyone since her husband's death.  She's literally thrown herself into work and her kids.  There's been nothing in between.

The story does lose a little footing for me towards the end.  Frankly, I could have used a bigger confrontation scene between Alec and Julia, especially since Julia is compartmentalizing her life, thereby hurting Alec's feelings (he did have a screwed up childhood, maybe Julia doesn't think he's "good enough" to be around her kids?).  I would have liked to have seen her called to the carpet a bit more for this, although there are some lovely scenes between her and her sister where this behavior is briefly called out.  I also think I needed a bit more of an involved ending.  It would be unrealistic for the author to give us a happy, happy rainbow ending (especially considering Alec's parents!), but given that Julia's daughter isn't wild about Alec for the entire story, a bit more of her starting to come around would have been nice.

Still, this was a nice story about two nice (and misunderstood) people who learn to work together and end up falling in love.  This was my first read from Harlequin's new Kiss line, and it was an enjoyable introduction.

Final Grade = B-

The Month That Was February 2013

Lemon Drop:  Let's see what Auntie Wendy is up to....

Wendy:  Umm.....

Lemon Drop:  ::scrolling::  Geez, what's with the lack of posts Auntie Wendy?  This place is like The Dead Zone.

Wendy: Which would be why you are here cupcake!  To save my bacon!  To give me blog filler content!  Let's take a look at what I managed to get read last month.

Title links will take you to full reviews

Undone By The Duke by Michelle Willingham - Historical Regency romance, Amazon Montlake, 2013, Grade = C+

• The start of a new series featuring four sisters.  A mixed bag read for me.  I liked the heroine, I liked the way the author handled some of the historical aspects, and I liked that the author gave us points of view from many of the secondary players.  Was less enthralled with the hero and some of the pacing.

A Dangerous Liaison With Detective Lewis by Jillian Stone - Historical Victorian romance, Pocket, 2012, Grade = D+

• Liked the plot (especially the Industrial Revolution-driven suspense thread), didn't like either of the main characters.  A problem since, you know, this is a romance novel.

Little Cowgirl On His Doorstep by Donna Alward - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Romance, 2013, Grade = D+

• This breaks my heart because it's the first Alward I've read that I didn't like.  Resented the way the Dead Sister was portrayed in this book.  Glamorous, Sexy, Well-Put-Together = One Night Stand Material.  Girl-Next-Door, Homey, Bakes Cupcakes For A Living (Seriously!) = Perfect Mate For The Hero.  I spent the whole novel feeling sorry for the Dead Sister and came to resent the fact that she was dead and therefore was never going to get her own happy ending. 

One Less Lonely Cowboy by Kathleen Eagle - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Special Edition, 2013, Grade = B-

• The romance didn't light my world on fire, but Eagle writes such nice, interesting characters that it's hard to quibble.  Loved the depiction of the hero's occupation, and loved the family dynamic between the aging father in poor health and the heroine, a woman who made some bad choices when she was a teenager.

Sold To The Enemy by Sarah Morgan - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Presents, 2013, Grade = B-

• I like the way Morgan plays around in the Category Romance Trope Sandbox, but I did have quibbles with this one.  A strong first half that sort of faded down the stretch.  Also, I found the heroine's relentless optimism a little hard to swallow considering she'd spent her entire life under the thumb of a domineering father.

Promoted: To Wife And Mother by Jessica Hart - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Romance, 2008, Grade = A

• My TBR Challenge read for February - the book that saved my dismal reading month.  Great Alpha heroine (who is 40!) paired up with a widower hero with three teenage kids.  A wonderful story about grown-ups with grown-up problems.

A Real Cowboy by Sarah M. Anderson - Contemporary romance, Harlequin Desire, 2013, Grade = C+

• Nice characters, nice setting - I just thought the Hollywood back-story could have used some more work.  Also, I expect a woman with the heroine's background to have a bit more gumption.  OK, any gumption would have been nice.  An OK read, but this author has written better.

Did Not Finish (DNFs) this month were:

Lawless by Patricia Potter - Historical western romance, Bantam, 1991

• Only read about 50 pages before realizing I didn't care and wasn't interested.  A heroine who rescues every damn stray that falls her way, a wounded hero who sticks around even though he should tell the villain to shove it, and a horde of plot moppet kidlets.  I didn't read anything outright offensive or "bad" - it just wasn't my thing and I moved on to something else.

A Private Duel With Agent Gunn by Jillian Stone - Historical Victorian romance, Pocket, 2012

• Read about a third of the book and realized that I was having the exact same issues with this story as I did with the other Stone novel I tried this month.  An interesting plot saddled with characters who behaved in a manner I found unbelievable.  The heroine thinks the hero is responsible for her brother's death and she's bantering with him?!  The hero supposedly suffers from PTSD, used to have a problem with opium, and yet he flirts, banters and doesn't brood?!  I mean, at all?!?!?!  Yeah, moving on.  I suspect this is a series that just isn't going to be for me.

Lemon Drop: Someone pass the Baby Xanax!  What a.....well, this wasn't a very good month Auntie Wendy.  No wonder your blogging has slacked off.  You need help!

Me: Yes.  Yes, I do.  What do you propose?

Lemon Drop: Duh.  More pictures of me!  Oh, like this one for instance.....

Me: Really?  Your solution to me breaking out of my reading slump is to post more pictures of you?

Lemon Drop: The cuteness, it will distract people.

Me: Or, you know, I could force myself to sit down and actually get some reading done.  I'm bound to find a good book eventually.

Lemon Drop:  Pffft, like that will work!

Me: Crazier things have been known to happen.