The Wife He Needs - Brenda Jackson (HD #2773 - Dec 2020)

Series: Westmoreland Legacy: The Outlaws (Book 1)

Will this billionaire bachelor say "I do" to love?

He desires her more than any other woman. But falling in love isn't part of the plan. The arrangement is simple: a two-week getaway, then a marriage of convenience. Until Garth Outlaw's potential bride is a no-show. Now family pilot Regan Fairchild is sharing his bed -- and he can't get enough…even though he's vowed never to love again. Can Regan convince him the wife he needs and the woman he desires are one and the same?

Good start to the new series about the recently discovered Outlaw branch of the Westmoreland family. The various members are introduced in Breaking Bailey's Rules, including the fact that family patriarch Bartram Outlaw wants nothing to do with the Westmorelands. His kids, however, are happy to meet their cousins, some of whom make brief appearances in this book.

Garth is the oldest of the Outlaws and in charge of running the company. He decided it is time to get married, but there's a catch. Years earlier, while in the Marines, Garth fell in love with a woman who was killed in action. He believes he can't (or is it won't) fall in love again, so he plans a marriage of convenience. He has a two-week getaway scheduled with a woman he met through a dating service to see if they would suit. But when he arrives at his destination, the woman is a no-show, leaving him at loose ends. So he asks Regan, his pilot and longtime friend, to stick around.

Regan has known Garth all of her life. Her father was the Outlaws' pilot before her, and she grew up with the Outlaw kids as friends. However, her feelings for Garth are decidedly not friendly. She had a crush on him from the time she was sixteen, and in recent years that crush turned to love. Regan knows he only sees her as a friend. Even though she's been a fill-in date a few times, she longs for more. When he invites her to stay with him for those two weeks, she sees her chance to show him she can be what he needs.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Regan and Garth. We know Regan's feelings from the beginning, but Garth's are more complicated. He's sure he will never love another and plans to enter a loveless but convenient marriage. One motivating factor for the marriage is the inconvenient attraction Garth feels for Regan. He thinks that marriage will solve that problem. For the first couple of days Regan and Garth spend together both struggle to hide their attraction though some of it leaks through their erected shields. Garth gets the bright idea that they can indulge themselves for the two weeks, as long as she realizes that love and marriage are not in the cards. Though Regan is stunned and angry at first, she decides that the best way to show Garth what he needs is to give him what he thinks he wants.

I loved watching Garth and Regan spend time together. While their physical connection was intense, the time they spent otherwise occupied deepened their emotional connection. Many scenes of shared interests, from performances to hikes to cooking, brought them closer together. They also shared some more painful memories, such as Regan's loss of her mother and Garth's loss of his fiancée. But Garth is a hard nut to crack, and their return to Alaska ends their affair.

I ached for Regan, who had such high hopes, only to have them dashed by Garth's actions. Meanwhile, Garth is deservedly miserable without Regan. By the time he sees the truth of his feelings, matters become complicated by an unexpected visitor. I ached for Regan and how, devastated, she makes a hard decision about her future. I loved the scene with Garth's siblings and the kick in the pants they provided. Garth did an excellent job of not quite groveling but finally opening up his heart to her. I loved the ending and Garth's over-the-top demonstration of his love.

I enjoyed getting to know a little bit about each of the Outlaw Westmorelands. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would also like to find out the story behind Bartram Outlaw's attitude about his Westmoreland family.

The Warrior's Princess Prize - Carol Townend (HH #1524 - Aug 2020)

Series: Princesses of the Alhambra (Book 3)

He’s competing for her hand

And her freedom…

Held captive by her tyrannical sultan father, Princess Zorahaida lives an isolated life. A tournament is held and Jasim ibn Ismail, a handsome knight in arms, claims his prize: Zorahaida’s hand in marriage! Political reasons must be driving his offer—he’s certainly not offering love. Should Zorahaida grasp the tantalizing taste of freedom marrying the impulsive knight would gift her?

Very good book. This is the third book in the series but can easily be read as a standalone. I really enjoyed the different setting of this one, in the Alhambra area of Andalusia, Spain, during its Moorish time. The descriptions of places, people, and objects were vivid and added to the realism of the story.

Princess Zorahaida is a captive in her own home, thanks to her abusive sultan father. The restrictions have gotten worse since her two sisters' runaway marriages, and Zorahaida has all but given up any hope of marrying. She is intelligent and good-hearted and has earned the love and respect of the palace staff. With their help, she escapes as often as possible to help at a nearby infirmary. She also does what she can to protect the people around her from her father's erratic and cruel behavior.

Jasim came to the Alhambra to participate in the Sultan's tournament. Years earlier, his father had angered the Sultan, who expressed his rage by ending trade with the town. Jasim hopes to win the tournament and speak with the Sultan about repairing the trade agreements. Instead, through a series of unexpected events, Jasim wins Zorahaida as a bride.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Zorahaida and Jasim. His request for her as a bride was an impulsive action. After seeing her only twice, something about her called to him. Zorahaida had only seen him once before the tournament, and that was very brief, but something draws her to him. Jasim is a kind and honorable man, and I loved the way he made sure Zorahaida wasn't being forced. It was a sweet scene, as well as one that showed the sparks that were already there between them. The days and nights after the wedding let them get to know each other, but there is trouble looming. Zorahaida knows her father well and fears what he may do. When her fears come to pass, she uses trickery to get them away, but it drives a wedge between her and Jasim.

I hurt for Jasim because Zorahaida's actions made him wonder if he could trust her. It also hurt him that she hadn't trusted him to handle her father. I ached for Zorahaida because she wants her marriage to work, and she knows that she has made it more difficult. There is still hope, however, as they spend time getting to know each other on the journey to Jasim's home. Despite his anger at her actions, Jasim is deeply impressed by the thoroughness of her planning and her reception along the way. Their feelings for each other grow, but Zorahaida doesn't want to say anything if she doesn't know how he feels. Meanwhile, Jasim knows his feelings for her are changing, but he doesn't recognize them as love. I wanted to shake Zorahaida a little later, as she doesn't seem to have learned her lesson about disregarding Jasim's wishes.

Their troubles with Zorahaida's father aren't over yet. The story picks up in intensity when her father's men kidnap Zorahaida. I was on the edge of my seat as she ended up back under his control. Jasim's fear for Zorahaida, and a little advice from his brother, clarified his feelings and increased his determination to rescue her. There were some exciting twists to the kidnapping that kept me glued to the pages to see how it would turn out. I loved seeing Zorahaida and Jasim finally share their feelings and look to the future together.  There was also a surprise for Zorahaida at the end.