Jillian Hart

DNF. A friend sent me this book in a box of books. I've read Jillian Hart before but apparently, I don't enjoy her McKaslin Clan. I see this is listed as series 2--which makes me wonder if the McKaslins have outlived their literary life. I seem to recall reading another McKaslin Clan book (not sure which series it was labeled) and finishing it but not being overly excited about the storyline. I got about half way through this one and thought "I'm not enjoying this. Is it worth putting more hours into finishing it?"

The plot appears to be a rehash. A single man takes custody of his sibling's child after the sibling passes away. Single man meets single woman and romance ensues, providing the child with the mother she needs and the single woman with a ready made family.… (meer)

2.5 Stars. Not my favorite pacing for the romance. I can see the argument that meeting under heightened circumstances might accelarate their feelings, but it just seemed to me as though they’d barely interacted and already thought they were in love. It’s the sort of scenario where the feelings are so big and so certain so quickly that as a reader I felt sort of like I’d missed some crucial scenes that didn’t actually exist. It’s a personal preference issue and my preference is almost always a slower progression of emotions.

Burke, due to his past, doubted he was good enough for Lila, so it seemed like there maybe should have been more signs of resistance on his part. His willingness to spend time with Lila didn’t entirely mesh with what I’d imagine to be the personality of a man so prone to flashing back to the darkest times of his life, that didn’t exactly scream sociable, for the same reason, their moments of banter didn’t really fit him either and had a somewhat forced feel.

As for the mystery/action aspect of this one, to me it felt like there was a little too much time spent laying out Burke’s past and not enough time really tangling him up in the present situation or justifying why the guy even needed to be undercover to get the job done.

I liked that Lila gets in on the action a little bit, more than that I enjoyed how proactive Lila was in her own life, taking control and spreading her wings was easily my favorite aspect of her character, more invigorating to watch unfold than any of the cops and robbers stuff, I only wish that had occupied a larger portion of the book.

While I haven’t read the previous novels in this series and therefore went into this unfamiliar with the background stories of Lila’s friends, their scenes of friendship and support were the other highlights I found in this one, I just really liked the warm, caring vibes between these young women, and would have heartily welcomed more of their interractions.… (meer)

Meredith Worthington has just returned to Angel Falls, Montana, from finishing school back east. She didn’t care for the school, or for the rich life her parents’ lead. She just wants to be a school teacher and live a simple life. Meredith’s father has hired a couple men to help with the horses in their stable. One man is very kind and handsome (Shane Connelly). At first, Meredith and Shane didn’t get on, but as time goes by, they discover they have some things in common. (Shane has also come from a wealthy family and is also yearning for a simpler life, training, and working with horses.) But will Meredith’s family ever approve, thinking Shane is a poor traveling man? And what will happen when Shane’s short-term employment working in their stables is over?

This was a very sweet and heartwarming read. Meredith wanted to be independent, move away, and teach children. She was a good heroine, even though she jumped to the wrong conclusions sometimes about Shane. Shane was a dreamy hero, he was kind and sweet. I liked how he treated Meredith’s younger sister. I enjoyed reading about the other characters in the book, some who also have their own stories in this series (“Buttons & Bobbins”).

Another lovely romance by Jillian Hart.… (meer)