The Twin's Bodyguard (Fresh Pond Security, Book Two)

 

VERONICA FORAND

Stats: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Romantic Suspense, 2025.

How acquired: From the author.

First line: For as long as Zoe Goodwyn could remember, she’d put the needs of her twin sister, Allison, first, even if it meant sacrificing her own needs.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I don’t usually like to read series books out of order, but I also know with Harlequin category romance series the books can usually be read as standalones, so when the author offered ARC copies of this, the second book in her Fresh Pond Security series, I jumped at the chance and was very excited to receive a copy. And while I subscribe to the author’s monthly newsletter, I will confess a little secret – I’d not ever actually read any of her books before now.

I’m happy to say that I was thoroughly impressed. It’s very well written, with fully developed and fleshed out characters. When we meet Noah, who other readers had already met in the first book, enough information about the events of that book was seamlessly woven into the narrative that I didn’t feel lost or wondering what I had missed. On the contrary, I was very intrigued by Fiona and especially Jason, who occasionally seemed like a bit of a jerk here, that I’ve already ordered the first book in the series and look forward to diving into their story.

But back to Zoe and Noah. We meet Zoe as she’s on her way to her sister’s apartment to check on her dog, and we quickly learn that Zoe has spent most of her adult life looking out for her twin. It’s obvious that Zoe is the nurturer in the family. When she is attacked in her sister’s apartment, Noah, who works for Fresh Pond Security, happens to be stationed outside the building doing surveillance, and rushes to her rescue. Thinking, of course, that she is Allison, a hard hitting television news journalist working on a corruption expose which has put her life in danger.

Allison. I didn’t much like Allison. She and Zoe may be twins, but they and their lives are worlds apart. Zoe is a schoolteacher, and is thoughtful and considerate. Allison seemed to be thoughtless and inconsiderate, walking all over Zoe. Indeed, at one point her selfish actions put Zoe and the others in even more danger. Of course we don’t get to know Allison as well or get inside her head the way we do with Zoe, but I very much admired Zoe. Noah’s boss wants her to impersonate Allison and go to the television studio, with Noah along pretending to be Allison’s boyfriend, so that Noah can do some covert spying/information tracking. Zoe is naturally afraid, and I really liked that her responses, her feelings and fear, were portrayed realistically for a civilian who does not have any training, security, self-defense, or otherwise. But she does have guts.

I loved Noah. He’d been sidelined to a desk job after taking a bullet on his previous assignment, and being out in the field, guarding Zoe and being active in this investigation, is his chance to prove himself. Close quarters and facing danger together often leads to attraction, but the author allowed their feelings for each other to build up slowly. Of course the events take place over a fairly short period of time, but the relationship still did not feel rushed.

The supporting characters were never wasted in this tense and engrossing story. Once the action ramped up it was nonstop, and for awhile it all felt pretty hopeless, as I had no idea what would happen next or how Zoe would survive. I was riveted from beginning to end.*Received from the author and voluntarily reviewed*

Synopsis from Goodreads:

For Zoe Goodwyn, dog-sitting for her twin shouldn’t be a life-and-death situation. But when she’s mistaken for her hard-hitting journalist sister, security specialist Noah Casey stops the kidnapper. And designates himself her bodyguard to keep her safe. Zoe knows the only way to catch the culprit is to use herself as bait—endangering her life and her heart. The heated attraction between Zoe and Noah is almost as overwhelming as the current threats, even with Noah vowing to protect her. But will this well-meaning mission lead to deadly consequences?

The Cowboy's Pride and Joy

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

MAUREEN CHILD

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin, 2014.

How acquired: Bought.

First lines: “When Boston comes to Montana, it’s never a good thing.” Jake Hunter frowned into the distance.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: It’s been quite some time since I read a Maureen Child book but I’ve enjoyed them (I especially recommend SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL), so I looked forward to this one. And it did not disappoint.

Jake Hunter took over running the family ranch when he discharged from service. After having spent vacations at the ranch with his grandfather when he was a child, it and the mountain in Montana are the only home he ever loved, the only place he felt comfortable and at peace. His mother runs the other family business, a media empire started by his father’s family, and she has long been after him to take his rightful place there, but the last place Jake wants to live is Boston. His mother has finally agreed to let him completely off the hook for that business, and sends her assistant to Montana with paperwork for Jake to sign, which will absolve him of all dealings with the business.

This is a Harlequin (Desire), so of course Jake is wildly attracted to Cassie, said assistant, and of course a snowstorm rolls in, closing down roads so that Cassie cannot get back down the mountain to catch her flight back to Boston the next day. You can guess what happens between them, but once the weather clears up, it’s back to real life and they part company, because it was purely physical. No emotions involved. At least, none admitted to.

Fast forward fourteen months. Cassie is now a single mother to five month old Luke. Once she realized she was pregnant, she quit her job to keep Jake’s mother from finding out. Of course she didn’t notify Jake. He’d made it all too clear that he preferred to be alone on his mountain. But her sister has stepped in and taken the decision away from Cassie, going behind her back and telling Jake’s mother, and now Jake’s mother is threatening legal action. So off to Montana Cassie goes with Luke, to enlist Jake’s help in calling off his mother.

I’m always a little leery going into a secret baby story. I need there to be a compelling reason for the heroine to not let the hero know he’s a father. But again, Maureen Child, so I was curious to see how she would handle this. And I’ve gotta say, I totally understood where Cassie was coming from, and could sympathize with her reasoning for not telling Jake. Not saying it was right, but believable. But even more, after being lambasted by her sister and brother for keeping Jake in the dark, Cassie can admit she’s had some guilt over her decision. And after spending some time with Jake again, facing his anger but also seeing the hurt in his eyes, she’s finally able to admit she was wrong. And not admit it just to herself, but to Jake.

That doesn’t mean they’ll become a happy little family though. No, there’s still a lot to sort through and a lot of clashing with each other before they can finally get their HEA. I love a hero who is grouchy and angry and prickly, and the heroine has to get past his defenses, actually gets a little past them without even trying. I loved Jake and Cassie, plus Jake’s grandfather, loved their story, loved this book.

Goodreads Synopsis: All former marine Jake Hunter wants is peace and quiet. But when his business-minded mother sends her assistant Cassidy Moore from Boston to see him about a long-standing family dispute, chaos ensues. Their attraction rages out of control as a snowstorm strands them on his Montana ranch.

Flash-forward fourteen months: Cassie can't bring herself to tell Jake she's had his child. But when his mother interferes again, Cassie rushes back to Jake…just in time for another blizzard—and for the Christmas spirit to open one reclusive cowboy's heart. 

The Baby's Christmas Blessing

 

MEGHANN WHISTLER

Stats for my copy: Kindle ARC, Love Inspired, 9/27/22.

How acquired: Hidden Gems ARC Program

First line: Chloe Richardson gazed down at the baby in her arms.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This is my first time reading Ms. Whistler, and I enjoyed this sweet Love Inspired story. I’m a little partial to single fathers, and here we have Steve, who is actually a single uncle but that’s just as good. His sister died of a stroke while in labor, and Steve has custody of her baby. Chloe has recently broken up with a guy who was cheating on her, and after the Christmas holidays she will be moving to Boston where she’ll be starting a student teaching placement, the last step in finally getting her teaching degree.

But to back up a little, Steve and Chloe first met at a summer camp, when she was fifteen and he was seventeen. On the last night of camp, they shared an amazing kiss by a bonfire, and then Steve left, and Chloe never heard from him again. Now their paths have inadvertently crossed, as Steve needs a nanny for little Aiden, and Chloe applied for the job through his aunt Mabel, not knowing she’d actually be working for Steve.

Steve and Chloe are both great characters, each with their own particular baggage. Eventually Chloe learns why Steve dropped completely out of her life, and his backstory is just heartbreaking. He’s struggling financially between having just started a new business, then losing his sister, paying her funeral costs, and taking on Aiden. He’s determined to give his nephew the best life he can, and the childhood that his own father cheated him out of. I loved how earnest and sincere he was and how protective of Aiden, plus looking out for Mabel, who has debilitating arthritis.

The supporting characters are a bit eccentric, at least Mabel is, as well as Irene, another senior citizen who owns a candy shop and just happens to be Chloe’s roommate. Both of the elderly ladies were fun to read about. Chloe’s best friend has a daughter who is five, and she was cute, though her dialogue was a little tiresome as she talked like she was a bit younger, for instance: “We putted up our Chwistmas twee!”. I mean I guess some five-year-olds talk that way? My four-year-old granddaughter does not.

I read the entire book in two days, which I’m not able to do very often, but it was an easy and fun read, that also made me smile a few times. There is a theme of friendship running throughout, as Steve and Chloe begin to realize they want more than friendship, but are both afraid to be in a romantic relationship due to past issues. Watching them laugh and enjoy each other’s company, and then get scared and bicker, and then come back around to the easy friendship, was an enjoyable journey, and of course the resolution at then end was very satisfying.

*I received a free copy of this book from through the Hidden Gems ARC Program and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Goodreads Synopsis: A second chance at love... with a newborn as matchmaker!

Nothing will be merry about Steve Weston’s Christmas if he doesn’t find a nanny for his newborn nephew fast. But the best choice is Chloe Richardson, the woman he pushed away years ago. He has a second chance at making the season’s joy last for a lifetime—unless he allows old wounds to separate them once more…

Windward Crest (Harlequin Presents No. 494)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT SOME MAY CONSIDER SPOILERS.

ANNE HAMPSON

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Books, 1982.

How acquired: Do not remember.

First line: Snow lay thick on the hills, glittering like a myriad diamonds under the light of a full moon floating in a purple sky.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: When I started this book, I was already reading a hardback that did not fit easily in my purse, so I pulled this one off the shelf to leave in my desk at work, for reading on my lunch break. But I got so caught up in it, that two days later I took it back home with me, and then sat up until 1 in the morning to finish it.

Two years after the death of her younger brother, Dominie inherits some money, and still grieving and not wishing to spend the Christmas holiday with her well meaning friends, she takes a Caribbean cruise. On the cruise she meets Jake and his two young children, Susie and Geoffrey. Jake and his wife had been separated when she passed away, and he was taking the children to his home on St. Thomas.

Fifteen pages in I was laughing out loud, while cringing slightly at the same time, over the first night’s dinner conversation. Susie mentioned “Uncle Rohan”, and Jake was explaining to Dominie that Rohan was their neighbor and close friend who adored the children.

‘He like little girls best,’ interrupted Susie. ‘He likes boys too!’ Geoffrey glared at his sister across the table. ‘Yes, he does – a bit. But he told me he likes little girls – not big ones. Only little ones.’

Not a conversation you’re likely to come across in a book in this day and age! It turns out that women have caused Rohan some pain and unhappiness, first the young strumpet who stole his dad away from his mother and then inherited his father’s fortune, then by a fiance who jilted him, and later still by a drunk woman driver who caused the accident that killed his younger sister.

Dominie enjoys spending time with Jake and the kids, and exploring the various islands together. When the ship reaches St. Thomas, Jake persuades her to come home with them for the day rather than take the excursion with the other cruise ship passengers, telling her he’ll bring her back to the ship that evening. But as luck with have it, car trouble causes them to arrive at the dock too late, and the ship has left without her. So Jake arranges a flight for her to meet up with the ship at it’s next destination, and then for some reason ship changes destinations, and he is unable to get her another flight, and convinces her to just spend the rest of her holiday with them. And then when her holiday is over, he offers her a position as the children’s nanny, and she settles in to her new happy life on St. Thomas.

In these older category romance books, the heroes are generally arrogant, dominant, demanding men, sometimes even downright cruel, and I love them. (On paper. I suspect I would not love any of them in real life.) Anyway, I did not feel that way about Rohan once Dominie met him. In fact, I disliked him very much. I very much did like Jake, on the other hand, and I found myself wishing he would be the one Dominie ended up with, despite his being considerably older and treating her in a fatherly manner. When talking to her about his marriage falling apart, he speculates over whose fault it was, saying “Perhaps it was mine. I believe women like a masterful man and I’m not that sort. I’m always afraid of hurting people. I suppose I’m not manly enough.” Dominie indignantly tells him of course he is, but, well, we know they aren’t meant to be. Not once she meets Rohan. Fortunately she later meets Erica, who loved Jake once upon a time before he married his wife, and Dominie determinedly sets out to get them together.

Like me, she dislikes Rohan very much. At first. And like me, she warmed up to him, although I never loved him as much as she came to. Maybe because of all the times he called her a silly child, or threatened to shake her, or beat her. I do believe he truly loved her though, and don’t think he would ever carry out those threats, but still.

Anyway. The course of true love never did run smooth as they say, so there were obstacles and an other woman determined to marry Rohan, and then the biggest obstacle loomed up that sent Dominie running back to England, but of course Rohan chased her down and cleared things up and they all lived happily ever after.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Dominie was delighted when an unexpected legacy enabled her to enjoy a Caribbean cruise--her first real holiday in years. But she certainly hadn't bargained on missing the boat halfway and finding herself the sudden guest of a fellow traveler. Nor had she expected the island's most eligible bachelor, Rohan de Arden, to fall in love with her. Their plans to marry were shattered when Dominie realized that an episode from her past would surely turn Rohan's love to hate.

Caught in the Middle (Amhearst Mystery, Book 1; (Love Inspired Suspense)

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT MAY BE CONSIDERED SPOILERS.

GAYLE ROPER

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Suspense, 2007.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: “It was a dark and sleety night,” I muttered as I slid behind the wheel and slammed the car door, grateful to have reached protection without drowning.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I was thrown off just a little as soon as I started this book because it’s written in first person POV, which I don’t think I’ve come across before in a Love Inspired. Not that I’m complaining. Merry is very likable and self-deprecating. Something else I’m not used to seeing in a Love Inspired. There was quite a bit of humor. Not laugh out loud, or even chuckle humor, but witty, bantering humor.

Merry is a journalist for the local paper, writing up mundane stories about Board of Education meetings and the like. After finding a dead body in the trunk of her car, Merry finds herself at the center of a murder investigation, and the killer seems to have turned his focus to her. Giving her the opportunity to write the biggest story of her life.

When her boss sends her to interview a local artist, she chafes at the thought. “A personality puff piece was the last thing I wanted to do now.” However, that interview introduces her to Curt, “a man in his early thirties who exuded energy, whose mass of curly dark hair was a far cry from the sparse gray I had anticipated.” Now, at this point you’re probably thinking Curt is the hero of the story and at the end he and Merry will have an HEA. It is a category romance after all. But no. Don’t get me wrong, he is the hero, as far as I’m concerned anyway, but by book’s end, while they’re squabbling like an old married couple, there is nary a kiss in sight, and certainly no declarations of love. Apparently their relationship will play out over the course of the series. Another thing I’m not used to in a Love Inspired!

The mystery was intriguing, with a couple of red herrings, and an on-the-edge-of-your seat chase through a steel factory. My only issue with the story was that when Merry realizes who is trying to kill her, it was quite obvious to me also, even though she doesn’t say his name. Then when he shows up immediately after, she only refers to him as the gunman, and doesn’t reveal his identity until the police close in on him. Which I understand as a narrative choice to keep the reader guessing, but I can’t imagine any reader not having already figured it out at the same she did.

But the fact remains, this is a delightful, amusing, suspenseful and engaging read, and I can’t wait join Merry in her next adventure.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Amhearst, Pennsylvania was just the kind of place for new beginnings for brokenhearted reporter Merry Kramer. But she soon discovered that danger lurked behind the lilac tree when a dead body turned up in her car!

The trouble didn’t end there—gunshots, attacks, and a handsome new friend who might not be what he seemed. Surrounded by suspects, Merry would have to use all her investigative skills to keep from becoming front-page news—as the killer’s next victim.

Running for Cover (Heroes for Hire, Book 1; Love Inspired Suspense)

 

SHIRLEE MCCOY

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Love Inspired Suspense, 2010.

How acquired: Via Book Mooch.

First line: Pain.

(Goodreads synopsis below)

My thoughts: In 2013 I read UNDERCOVER BODYGUARD, the sixth book in this series, and in 2014 I read NAVY SEAL RESCUER. I must have liked them, since I added the series to my list of series in progress, and hunted down and collected copies of the first five books, plus books eight and nine. So after finally getting around to starting at the beginning with book one, I looked up the two I’d read, only to discover that not only did I not write any type of review on either book, but I didn’t even add them to my Goodreads shelf. Maybe I wasn’t really using Goodreads a lot yet, even though I’ve been a member since 2008.

That being said, I loved this first book. Page one throws us right into the action, as Morgan wakes up on her kitchen floor, in serious pain and lying in her own blood, while two men are tearing apart her gallery downstairs. Meanwhile, Jackson is in town for a wedding, looking for a last minute wedding gift, which brings him knocking on the gallery door and right into the action, and subsequently appointing himself Morgan’s personal bodyguard, against her wishes.

Morgan’s backstory was heartbreaking, abandoned by her mother as a child, never feeling like she really belonged with her adoptive family. Divorced from a cheating husband, who then murdered his business partner and went to prison. Now there are men after her, demanding a disk that belonged to her ex, of which she knows absolutely nothing. Jackson has his own baggage, blaming himself for his sister’s death two years ago, believing that he should have been able to save her from her abusive husband.

Jackson was such a great character. A private investigator, and former police officer. He sticks to Morgan like glue, even buying a last minute plane ticket and flying across the country with her, without a suitcase or anything, determined to protect her and keep her safe. When she gripes at him and tells him she doesn’t need him, she can take care of herself, he just smiles and follows along behind her.

Fast paced, with plenty of suspense, some edge of your seat moments, and of course the requisite happy ending. I would have liked to immediately start the second book, but alas, I still have boxes of books in my garage that haven’t been unpacked since I moved, and no idea which box it is in, so it’ll have to wait a bit. But I’m eager to continue the series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Morgan Alexandria moved to Virginia to escape her past...but her past isn't ready to let her go. Thanks to her ex-husband's shady dealings, someone's after her, and if it weren't for Jackson Sharo, she might already be dead. Can Morgan trust Jackson? Maybe not. The former big-city cop is practically a stranger. But trying to handle everything on her own just leads to new disasters. And without Jackson's help, she could find herself running right into a trap....

Hot Chocolate on a Cold Day

 

ROZ DENNY FOX

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Harlequin Signature Sagas, 2006.

How acquired: Bought.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: We first met Megan Benton (or at least, I did) in ANYTHING YOU CAN DO…, which was an absolutely delightful book. Megan was a teenager, and the hero and heroine of that book were her mother Emily, and her now stepfather, Camp. That book was followed up with THE BOSS NEXT DOOR, which starred Camp’s sister, Sherry, and which I just loved. So when I finally found a copy of this book, I was eager to revisit the characters.

Megan is an adult now, and working for the Coast Guard in Michigan. Her brother Mark has graduated from college, and Emily and Camp are expecting him to take a job in the child psychology field in their tight knit community. But he’s decided he wants to try his hand at photography and he’s come to Michigan to stay with Megan and take some pictures around the island where she lives.

I loved Emily and Camp in their book, but it was a little disconcerting to now see them heaping expectations on Mark and belittling his love of photography and his desire to pursue that. And then Megan and Mark’s grandmother, Mona, also comes to visit. Megan is not happy about that at first, as Mona and Emily have never gotten along. In fact, the whole point of Emily taking Mark and Megan on the wagon train trip in the first book was because she felt her deceased husband’s parents were interfering in their lives too much and constantly trying to buy the kids. She hoped to spend some time with them and try to ground them in reality, and when I read the book I agreed that they needed it. They started out as spoiled, coddled kids who looked down their noses at their mother and couldn’t stop talking about their grandparents’ money. Since then, Megan has come to realize her mother was right, and she’s pretty much cut off ties with Mona, but Mark has stayed close to her, and Mona provided Mark the money to launch his photography efforts.

Megan quickly comes to realize that Mona has changed, and now that she’s no longer under her late husband’s thumb, she’s sold her huge house, is planning a trip around the country, and has become a softer, nicer person, who has some regrets about the past. Unfortunately, every time Megan tries to tell Emily and Camp that, or talks about Mona at all, they get angry and yell at her on the phone, and it just really gave me bad vibes.

Ok, so getting past that. Sterling moves into the apartment below Megan’s, with his four year old son, Tyler, and his late wife’s younger sister and brother, who he is guardian of. They are sullen and angry about Sterling moving them away from New York. Sterling’s wife was a police officer, and he recoils from Megan initially because of her job, putting her life on the line. It didn’t make him very likable to begin with, but he grew on me quickly, and I knew he’d get past it eventually. And of course it provided some conflict for them to overcome, which I always like.

Megan is constantly making hot chocolate, and it inspired me to do the same, so I bought some Hershey’s Cocoa and followed the recipe printed on the label, and oh my god, it was soooo good. And my three year old granddaughter loved it also, although her mama added milk to hers because she thought it was too sweet. But back to the book.

There were some tense scenes towards the end, a couple of scary rescues at sea, and of course Sterling, and then Megan, realizing they love each other and a great happy ending. Although I never did warm back up to Emily and Camp. I definitely recommend reading the first two books, and I also recommend reading TROUBLE AT LONE SPUR, which is my favorite of Ms. Fox’s books, followed closely by ROMANTIC NOTIONS, which was my introduction to the author.

Synopsis from Goodreads: After a family tragedy, Captain Sterling Dodge and his kids move into the apartment below Coast Guard Lieutenant Meagan Benton. Soon they all learn to love and care again--together.

Love Chronicles (Silhouette Romance No. 1749)

 

LISSA MANLEY

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Silhouette Romance, 2004.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Connor Forbes glanced up from the medical journal he was reading at the receptionist’s counter and looked at the office window.

(For Goodreads synopsis, scroll down.)

My thoughts: I needed something light and quick to read in between a couple of review books and pulled this off the shelf at random. This is my first time reading this author.

It started out pretty great, with Sunny’s Great Dane getting away from her and rushing up to the window of Connor’s office, barking at him through the glass, then racing away again with Sunny giving chase. Connor is unimpressed with Sunny’s attempts to control the dog, and the first thing he says to her is “What’s up with your dog?”. He then sorta lectures her about how her dog needs obedience training, insulting and embarrassing her, and that was their meet cute. I love having a dog involved in a book, so I was pleased. Unfortunately the dog, whose name I can’t even remember now, ended up basically just being a plot device. There was one more cute scene with him at the park, after which Sunny struggles to put him in her van. And then for the rest of the book I think he was only mentioned three times! In passing! So that was very disappointing.

Sunny grew up in a commune, with parents who never married. Sunny spent her whole childhood terrified that her parents would split up and one of them would just leave, because to her, not being married meant they were not committed. As a result, Sunny and a childhood friend made a pact that they would marry someone and have a family and a happy life by the time they were thirty, and if neither was married by then they would marry each other. Now that friend is happily married, but Sunny is determined to still fulfill that pact, and frankly I got tired of hearing about it and tired of her internal angsty whining about her parents being unable to commit. I liked Connor a bit better than I liked Sunny, though he too had angsty issues. He’s given up on love because he’s a “failure” at it, in that every relationship he had ended in a break up. But he was a really good guy and his angst didn’t bother me as much as Sunny’s.

There was a very funny scene at a square dance, with Connor dancing for the first time in his life, and very badly. I actually laughed out loud. But other than that, the book is pretty standard category romance fare. Rufus! I just remembered, the dog’s name is Rufus.

Happily, the ending of the book was very satisfying, thanks to Connor’s realization that he loved Sunny, and finding a wonderful way to show her that. So, an okay book but with a great resolution.

Synopsis from Goodreads: SHE GOT UNDER HIS SKIN…

And besides, Dr. Connor Forbes didn't want a partner. Even if Sunny Williams was the most beautiful blonde he'd ever seen, the uptight physician knew Sunny's crazy New Age ideas -- and her irresistible lips -- would only wreak havoc on his practical, well-ordered life.

But with her sweet smile and luxurious deep tissue massages, the spunky siren had made it impossible for him to turn her away without risking the wrath of the entire town of Oak Valley...and his traitorous heart.

Maybe having Sunny as a partner was just what the doctor ordered...