Wow what a so called 'Hero'.
He is so angry, bad tempered and at the start down right cruel to the heroine. Poor girl.

Alex returns home from a near death experience, knowing everyone thinks he's dead, he's looking forward to seeing his family only to discover a strange woman claiming to be his wife. Alex doesn't take this very well and even after explanations are made he doesn't treat her well. He quickly learns the error of his ways and spends the rest of the time trying to convince her to remain his wife. Sarah has been badly used since her parents died at seventeen and wants no part of being Alex's wife, she only became his wife by proxy in order to protect his children. Toss in mysterious men in the woods, attacks and vandalism and you have a nice Chapman read. Sweet romance.
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Another fantastic book by Janet Chapman, full of her trademark humor, heat, and family. Alex has been away in South America working as an engineer. Unfortunately, he was caught in a rebel attack and reported to his family as being killed in the attack. Imagine his surprise when he makes it out of the jungle and home again, to find himself married to a woman he's never met.

Sarah grew up on an isolated island where she ended up running her family's B&B after her parents' deaths. She also married quite young to a bully of a man. After his death and that of her mother-in-law, she was very happy to accept Grady Knight's offer of employment as housekeeper and nanny. Quickly growing to love the family, she was happy to marry the deceased son by proxy to protect the children, gaining the children she's always wanted without the inconvenience of a husband. Alex's surprise resurrection plays havoc with her plans - and her emotions.

The first meeting between Alex and Sarah was funny and a little heartbreaking. Alex's confusion over being confronted by his "wife", and held at bay by gunpoint, had me chuckling, while Sarah's fear at being confronted by a wild-looking and angry man made me ache for her. With the rest of the family away, Alex and Sarah are left to deal with explanations on their own - with the help of some whiskey-laced lemonade and the resulting poor decisions. One romance novel inspired dream results in an alcohol-enhanced passionate encounter, and equally passionate regrets a short time later. Alex makes a first class idiot of himself, shouting wild accusations and kicking Sarah out of the house. I loved his father's reaction when he showed up in the morning and how he made Alex feel like the jerk he was. All Alex has to do is find her and convince her to come back so that they can then figure out what to do. I loved that Sarah didn't make it easy for him, setting the tone for the development of their relationship.

I liked both Sarah and Alex. Both have been hurt in the past, making each of them reluctant to marry again. Finding themselves married to each other is not what either wants, but they have to let it play out for a little longer. Alex is actually a pretty nice guy, a terrific father, and feels guilty for the way he treated Sarah. He'd really like to change her opinion of him, but he'll have to get her to trust him first. That's going to take a little doing because he has a hard time keeping his hands off her. Sarah doesn't have much in the way of life experience, having been isolated for most of her life. She tends to base her thoughts and actions on the characters in the romance novels she reads, which gets her into trouble when Alex doesn't quite fit that mold. I found it especially amusing that the romance novels that Sarah quotes are other books that Janet Chapman wrote. I laughed out loud at this: "He's not even real," Sarah ground out "He's the figment of some demented woman's imagination."

I thoroughly enjoyed the development of Alex and Sarah's relationship. Both of them get a great deal of enjoyment out of pushing each other's buttons, creating sparks of all kinds. Sarah is determined to resist the attraction she feels for Alex, fearing the loss of her hard-won independence if she gives in to him. Alex quickly realizes that he doesn't want to lose her, and tries to seduce her into staying. I also liked how quickly Alex came to understand Sarah and what made her tick. She was an intriguing mix of naïve and worldly. I ached a bit for her cynicism over the way men treat her and her wish for a romance hero of her own. From driving lessons to ice fishing, so many of their encounters had me laughing out loud because they didn't go the way they expected. But there were also some really sweet times, such as the way that Alex cared for Sarah when she was injured and Sarah insisting that they accept her help when it's needed. An unexpected complication gives them extra motivation to work things out, but even that isn't enough for Sarah if Alex can't convince her that he really cares. I loved the ending, as both of them finally take the risk of confessing their feelings.

There is also a bit of suspense running through the book. Strangers in the woods and vandalized equipment have everyone on edge. I loved Alex's protectiveness toward Sarah when she runs afoul of those strangers. But it is Sarah who saves the day in an intense, though somewhat amusing, rescue mission to keep Alex from walking into a trap.

The secondary characters are terrific, too. Alex's kids, Tucker and Delaney are adorable. Tucker is the little boy who is thrilled to have Sarah as his new mom. Delaney is Alex's eleven-year-old daughter who is smarter and more observant than he realizes. I loved some of the things she said, and the way she helped take care of Sarah. Alex's father, Grady, is something of a schemer. He has multiple plans goings, most of which he keeps to himself until he's ready to spring them on the family. From the sports camp to the mill, he has his reasons. I also liked Alex's brothers, Ethan and Paul. There is plenty of teasing, but the love and support are also evident. There's a bit of a teaser for the next book, with a contentious encounter between Ethan and the mill foreman (forewoman?). ( )

Alex Knight has been in Brazil, and Rebels attacked his work site, he escapes through the jungle and is missing for 10 days and is reported killed.
Mean while back in Maine his Dad marries him by proxy to the new housekeeper to protect the Grand-kids.
Sarah Banks married for 8 years, widowed for 4 years, virgin. Things are about to get real interesting when Alex comes home. ( )

I thought the premise sounded good when I picked this book out.
When I looked up the reviews online though I saw it was sort of a mixed bag.
Well, I guess I would have to say I fall in the middle somewhere. I didn't love this one, nor did I hate it.
Alex Knight is presumed dead, leaving behind two children. Grady, Alex's father ,takes steps to insure that the kids are not taken by their maternal grandparents by having Sarah marry Alex by proxy.
Sarah agrees to marry Alex and adopt the children. This gives Sarah the family she always wanted without having to hunt down "Mr. Right".
The only hitch in the plan is that Alex isn't dead. Now Alex and Sarah are both in a marriage they hadn't bargained for.
After a drunken interlude with Alex, Sarah is determined to get control of her life and move forward with some business plans she has.
Alex wrestles with his feelings for Sarah. Part of him just wants a little fun while they are officially married and the other part of him wants to make the marriage work.
After the first 'encounter' Alex and Sarah have, there's not much chemistry between them. Alex tries to get Sarah into bed a few times, but she sees his intentions and doesn't fall for it. So, she spends her time trying to fade into the background .
The good part of the book was the suspense element which took me by surprise. I thought this was just a contemporary romance, but there is a romantic suspense element in this one. That was the part I liked best about the book. Otherwise it was just kind of lukewarm. Overall a C- ( )