Slow Ride - Lori Foster (HQN - Mar 2019)

Series: Road to Love (Book 2)

You can’t put the brakes on love…

Ronnie Ashford needs a distraction. In the morning, she has to offer arrogant, conventional Jack Crews a job and convince him not to take it. She doesn’t need anyone’s help, thank you very much. But tonight is all about the tall, sexy stranger who just walked in the bar -- and all the delicious trouble they could get into together. Too bad just as things are heating up between them, he whispers the three little words that destroy everything: “I’m Jack Crews.”

Jack is determined to connect with fiery Ronnie -- in bed and out of it -- but her terms are clear. If he takes the job, helping her acquire prized artifacts for her mysterious bosses, anything between them is strictly off-limits. Somehow he has to convince a woman who’s never felt like she belonged that she’s found her place -- with him. And with the danger sparking hotter than the fire between them, it’s going to be one unforgettable trip…

Good second installment in the Road to Love series. This one is about Jack, brother to Driven to Distraction's Brodie. Jack is the face of their business, Mustang Transport Courier Service, as he presents a more refined persona than Brodie does. Where Brodie is blunt and occasionally on the raunchy side, Jack tends to be calm and polite to just about everyone. Both men are drop-dead gorgeous, protective, and bad-ass when they need to be.

Ronnie was in town to meet with the man her employers wanted to hire as her driver when she purchased items for their collections. She didn't want the help. Over the years Ronnie learned that the only person she could depend on was herself. She planned to offer him the job, but convince him not to take it. In the meantime, she wanted a distraction, and the sexy guy who walked into the bar was just what she was looking for.

The chemistry between Jack and Ronnie was combustible from the very beginning. Ronnie knew she wanted him as soon as she saw him, and Jack was right there with her. That first meeting was intense but also funny. Ronnie made her desire very clear and was in a rush to make it happen. Jack was just as attracted, but he was also somewhat amused by her intensity. He got a kick out of throwing a delay in the works by insisting on eating his meal first. But once he finished, he planned to enjoy himself. The sparks flew between them until he happened to mention his name, at which point Ronnie threw on the brakes. If they were going to work together, there would be no hanky-panky.

I loved the development of the relationship between Jack and Ronnie. Jack was determined to get her into his bed, but he also saw that he would have to get past her walls first. Spending so much time together to collect the items for her bosses gave them time to get to know each other and for Jack to show Ronnie that she could trust him. I loved his patience and his ability to put Ronnie at ease, making it easier for her to open up about herself. Her prickliness and independence fascinated Jack and no matter what she did to try to push him away, Jack would not budge. I loved how easily he saw past that façade to the woman underneath, and how much he liked her. Ronnie worked hard to keep Jack at an emotional distance, but his clear respect for her and her abilities went a long way toward getting past her walls. She also had some serious self-esteem issues making it difficult for her to believe that he truly wanted her just as she is. The chemistry between Ronnie and Jack was intense. I loved watching the tension between them build until they could no longer hold back. One of the best things was seeing the always- in-control-of-himself Jack lose it when he was with Ronnie. The connection between them went much deeper than either expected it to. Jack accepted it first and became intent on showing Ronnie that they belonged together. She was a tough nut to crack, intent as she was in protecting her heart from further pain. I loved their big moment at the end, as Ronnie finally believed that Jack's love wasn't going anywhere.

I liked the suspense in this story better than the previous one, as it seemed more intense. Some disturbing occurrences were what drove Ronnie's bosses to insist on her hiring Jack as a driver/bodyguard. Ronnie wasn't convinced that she was in real danger at first, but escalating events finally made her see reason. I loved Jack's protectiveness, and even Ronnie eventually had to admit that she felt safer with him. The occasional part told from the bad guy's point of view made the danger Ronnie was in practically ooze off the page. The final confrontation was truly frightening for both Ronnie and Jack. I loved Ronnie's presence of mind and her contribution to her rescue. I ached for Jack who was afraid that he would lose her. That confrontation had me on the edge of my seat until it was over.

The secondary characters are fantastic. Ronnie's bosses just seem weird at the beginning, and more interested in their odd acquisitions than in Ronnie's safety. But the more I saw of them, the more I liked them. It was also clear by the end that they cared for Ronnie and thought of her as family. As far as families go, Ronnie's was horrible. I hated the things that they did (and didn't do) to her. Jack's family, on the other hand, was wonderful. I loved their closeness and their support of each other. There was also a lot of teasing that went on, and it was fun to watch Ronnie's reactions when she was around them. I also adored the way that Jack's mom, plus Charlotte and Mary, mad Ronnie one of them so easily. The makeup session part was hysterical, and I loved seeing Jack and Brodie trip all over themselves trying to recover from stupid comments. I can't wait to read Charlotte's book. But my favorites had to be Howler and Peanut. I loved that mutt in the previous book, and he continued to make me smile and laugh in this one. Peanut was the kitten that Jack and Ronnie rescued and who wormed his way into both their hearts. I loved the parts of Howler and Peanut together and the image of that big dog taking care of a tiny kitten.

 

Driven to Distraction - Lori Foster (HQN - Dec 2018)

Series: Road to Love (Book 1)

When desire gets this hot, you’d better buckle up…

Mary Daniels doesn’t let anything get in the way of her job acquiring rare artifacts for her wealthy boss. But this particular obstacle -- huge, hard-muscled, unashamedly masculine -- is impossible to ignore. Stuck in a cramped car with Brodie Crews for hours en route to their new assignment, Mary feels her carefully crafted persona -- and her trademark self-control -- is slipping, and she won’t allow it.

Brodie can’t imagine what secret in Mary’s past has left her so buttoned-up, though he’d dearly love to find out. Maybe then she’d trust him enough to explore their explosive chemistry. But he needs this job, so he’ll play by her rules and bide his time…until an enemy determined to outwit them strikes and he needs to get close -- in every way -- to protect her. Otherwise they could lose much more than a precious collectible. They could lose it all.

Good start to the new series. Mary works for an eccentric collector. With the help of a driver, she is the one who picks up Therman's purchases, some of which may skirt the boundaries of legality. Therman sent Mary to Mustang Transportation to hire Brodie Crews to be her driver for the next pick-up, with the probability of offering Brodie steady work with them. However, Brodie didn't make a very good first impression on Mary. Her first sight of him was as he was shirtless, sweaty, dirty, hungover, and being fondled by a woman while working on one of his cars. Brodie saw a beautiful, curvy, bossy, and uptight woman who intrigued him from the moment he met her. It was fun to see the sparks fly between them.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between these two very different people. Brodie is laid-back, friendly, and confident in himself. He has a very close relationship with his family and a large, goofy dog that he rescued. Mary grew up under very different circumstances and has created a controlled and professional persona that hides a rather lonely woman. The chemistry between them was off the charts, though Mary desperately tried to hide it at first. Brodie was determined to uncover the woman behind the walls and had the patience to chip away them. I enjoyed their road trips, the two of them and the dog, as they slowly got to know each other. Brodie's non-judgmental attitude and kindness made it easier for Mary to open up about her past. I loved seeing Mary blossom under Brodie's attention, discovering that she was loved for who she was. There were some terrific scenes of her realizing that she didn't have to be Ms. Perfect all the time. I especially loved the part in the kitchen at Brodie's house when Mary first met his mother. Mary also had an unexpectedly sexy side when she finally allowed herself to let go, and I loved seeing her knock Brodie off balance regularly.

The suspense side of the story was pretty good. Mary's boss, Therman, is one of several wealthy and eccentric collectors. There was one collector who seemed to be determined to get what he wanted at any cost. Brodie became super protective of Mary when some of their pickups either took place in sketchy locations, or they were physically attacked. One of the things I enjoyed was seeing that Mary does not take a subordinate role during any of the confrontations. She is smart and capable and holds her own when necessary. It was fun to see her outthink and outmaneuver a couple of the bad guys. We do get the point of view of that other collector, and he is definitely bad news. The final confrontation was pretty intense and resulted in some changed attitudes all around.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I did feel that it lacked a little bit of the intensity of some of the earlier series, such as Love Undercover and Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor. That will not stop me from reading the rest of the series.