The CEO'S Baby Surprise by Helen Lacey

Reviewed by Nas

THE CEO’S BABY SURPRISE by Helen Lacey is Harlequin Special Edition release for April 2015.

Unable to ignore the sizzling chemistry, Mary-Jayne Preston gave in to passion and had a fling with the CEO of the hotel group where she was looking after a boutique for her friend. She walked away the next morning before Daniel Anderson even woke up.

Yet Daniel doesn’t think one night was enough and he pursued her. But she thwarted all his effort. She knew widower Daniel had closed off his heart to love and commitment. Wanting it all, she was not ready to be Daniel’s short-term fling. 

Then she found out that one night had consequences and she was pregnant. Would she tell Daniel? And what would Daniel do? Would he commit to her for his twin sons she’s carrying or for the love he had in his heart for MJ? Would MJ accept Daniel’s proposal of marriage knowing he was doing the honorable thing only?

THE CEO’S BABY SURPRISE is a story that will stay with a reader long time after she closes the book. It has that momentous impact by all the emotion depicted in this romance. Another shimmering and mesmerizing romance full of breathtaking emotions from author Helen Lacey.

Highly recommended for all readers of romance. 

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Reviewed by Maria

Mary Jayne Preston is quite a firecracker.  Even when extremely  pregnant and in the worst predicament in which a woman can find herself, she has a cracking sense of humour that makes her a joy to read.  The man who’s gotten her into this situation had better watch out!

Daniel Anderson suffered beyond anything anyone could imagine when he lost his wife and unborn child in an accident.  But now that he has the feisty Mary Jayne in the family way, and a family is literally what she’s carrying, he has a second chance to have the love and the family of which he’d always dreamed.  But Mary Jayne isn’t going to step into another woman’s shoes so easily.

She’s strong and gutsy and ready to take on the world as a single mom.  And although Daniel’s a successful businessman and would make a great husband, she’s not sure if she can buckle down and settle for the white picket fence and the perfect family.  She’s a free spirit indeed.

I enjoyed revisiting Crystal Point and catching up with what my favourite characters are doing.  But be warned!  This is not what you might call a predictable story.

So what’s it to be?  Read and enjoy!  This family story is lots of fun.

5*
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Reviewed by Janie

"The CEO's Baby Surprise" by Helen Lacey is a quick, easy and lovely read. We have Mary-Jayne Preston, M.J., who is one of the good girls. She is watching her friends boutique in a hotel and meets Daniel. Daniel Anderson is the CEO of the hotel and sweeps M.J off her feet. 

After a very HOT one night together M.J. leaves but Daniel wants more time together with her intimately, and she is looking for more than being the girl he comes to just for sex. Daniel who is a widower whose wife and unborn child died wants the fun, but not the commitment. That is until he finds out their one night has consequences and M.J. is pregnant.

You'll love this story. It makes you root for this couple and hope that things turn out well in the end. Much more to the book than what I've given you but it is definitely worth the read.
5*

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Reviewed by Desere


The saying never say never comes true in this wonderful read from Helen Lacey. Mary-Jane Preston never does one night stands until she comes face to face with an out of control attraction that completely overpowers her. The attractions comes in the form of Daniel Anderson, he's devastatingly handsome , suave and everything a girl could want,except for the last four years he has made sure to never let his guard down, letting it slip will just bring tragedy to his life again.

So when Mary-Jane informs him that their one night stand has resulted in her being pregnant with twins , he 's all for marriage to make sure their twins are protected but falling in love with her is the one thing he refuses to do. But Mary-Jane doesn't just want his ring and his protection she wants his heart and fight to get it is what she will do.

This is one of those books that will stay with romance readers for a long time after the last page has been read. I adored the character of Mary-Jane, even with everything the world of an unexpected pregnancy brings she still holds her head high, and even still sees the humor in life. Spunky, fun and just so very likable, that I doubt any reader will be able to find fault with her.

Daniel was the one that my heart broke for, the heartache and loss he faced in the past really is something no one ever has to go through. He is a truly broken man and of course in desperate need of some serious tender loving care. But as we all know not every broken person wants to let anyone in so the author letting Mary-Jane be this really awesome in your face try and make me go away kin of character was really neat.

It's a stunning story of romance, new hope and all set within the perfect bubble of beautiful writing. I highly recommend this read for all lovers of romance journeys with powerful emotion and a message of there is always being a new tomorrow.

5/5 star review
" One night and nine months leads to the road to of happiness " 

A Lot Like Love by Helen Lacey

 

Reviewed by Desere

A really fantastic little read about secrets being exposed and new relationships being formed in the mist of tragedy. I really liked the emotion, it was in depth and raw at times but also sweet and slow building.

The relationship between father and daughter is what made this read for me, it was so touching and really spoke to my heart.

I recommend this read for anyone that loves a romance read with real in depth emotion, budding romance and a great message of nothing is ever as it seems !

5/5 star review

" This feel a lot like love, or is it?"

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Reviewed by Shirley Buchanan
 

With Jessica Dennison's death, an entire family was affected in different ways. Sophie, her two year old daughter was now motherless. Mark, her husband, was now a widower with a secret and the sole parent of his child. Catherine, her twin, was tormented by a secret and banished forever from the family by her brother-in-law because of the accident. Now ten years later, circumstances have changed. Sophie needs the help of her aunt to live. Mark must swallow his anger and resentment to request it. He would do anything for his child, even this. But would a possible cure for Sophie's illness be all they would find together? Could a long ago attraction lead to something Mark and Catherine could call forever?

Would he act on his attraction or would his secret be in the way?

Would she act on her attraction or would her torment and secret be too much to overcome?

Would this treatment be the cure they have been praying for or was it another dead end?

When I start to read a Helen Lacey book, I know I will find a sweet, sensual romance with an intricate plot and well developed characters. This story did not disappoint. Building gradually throughout the book toward a climatic end, I rode a roller coaster of emotions as this family tried to meld together. Excellent story. Well written.

I would recommend this book to all romance readers.

4/5 stars Could love overcome all their problems?

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Reviewed by Maria

Helen Lacey is a talented author who excels in writing deeply emotional and compelling love stories with a love of family values at the very core.  Catherine hasn’t seen her brother-in-law Mark since the death of his wife, her sister, ten years before.  But now, Mark needs her help.  A donor is needed to give his young daughter a life saving transplant.  As the girl’s mother’s sister, Catherine is the closest female relative and the likeliest match.  Can this pair overcome the shadows of their past – the hurt and the pain – not to mention the misunderstandings – and give Mark’s daughter what she so desperately needs?  What the child actually needs will have readers sitting up in amazement.  This gripping story held my attention until the very end.  Highly recommended for readers of emotional love stories and mature romance.   Catherine is a delightful character with whom readers will identify – she gives the hero, Mark, a run for his money.  That was one of the things I loved about the story.  I always enjoy an interesting heroine who gives the hero what he truly needs – which is usually a few life lessons.

Readers who have read Helen Lacey’s Harlequin Special Editions stories will enjoy this.

The Cattleman's Ready Made Family by Michelle Douglas

Reviewed by Desere

The loss of a loved one can be very painful and life altering to the point where nothing seems real any more and your faith is so low that it will take a truly special event to restore your strength.

In the case of Tess that special event does not come in the form of something but rather someone.

That someone is I'll-knock-your-boots-off  Cam. He is immediately intrigued by Tess and falls in love with her niece and nephew on the spot, not to mention the woman herself.

But both Tess and Cam have a past that can shatter their future. Betrayal, hopes, dreams, love and the hope of a family all come into play in this fabulous read!

The characters of both Tess and Cam were nicely written, and I liked that they are both tortured souls and that all their insecurities and heartache ties into their past, but also has a definite impact on their immediate future if not fully and completely addressed.

I have seen it happen in some reads were the past is tied in with the future but the characters do not actually square up with their past in order to take control of their future, but instead their love blossoms and little bits of the past are resolved at the end of the read but it still lingers in a big way thus the future is still kind of bleak, and I walk away from the read feeling empty or like I missed out on some vital piece of the puzzle. So very nicely done Michelle!

I loved, loved, loved the idea of kids being part of the deal in this read. It gave the book a very homey feel and certainly gave me moments of heartwarming family tied happenings. It was also a very unique touch to bring the main characters together, yes it has been done in other reads but usually it is their children before the romance gets set back into motion. In this case the kids are already there and they are more like the rope between Cam and Tess, pulling them towards each other.

The backdrop setting was terrific! I loved the town of Bellaroo Creek, it matched the theme of this read to a perfect tee, all family and stand together till the end no matter what or who comes our way.

The dialogue was heartfelt, sensual and caring. The perfect romance read for any fan of romance. I am taking away a message of loss can bring you down and betrayal can make your heart a dark place, but you need to pick yourself up, fight back and learn to trust again in order to gain happiness.

I highly recommend this read for all fans of Michelle Douglas books, her unique manner of story telling will leave you with feelings of joy, happiness, love and all things sweet.

4.5 star review
" No matter where she goes he will follow" 

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Reviewed by Nancy Crocker

In The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family: Tess Laing has moved to Bellaroo Creek with her little niece Krissie and her nephew Ty after they were orphaned. She is hoping Bellaroo Creek is just what the three of them will need to start a new life. They are all three suffering the lost of Sarah "Tess's sister and Krissie and Ty's Mother". But Tess also feels guilty over her sister's accident. So grief stricken she could have prevented the accident had she returned home, she has given up the love and passion in her life because of that guilt. 

Cameron Manning has come to deliver the keys to the cottage and get the new tenant to sign the rights to the land back to him so he can plant the canola crops he has been committed to. Once he gets Tess's signature on the papers he is off to Africa for two years to help the Feed the World organization. He is instantly attracted to Tess, but refuses to even give into the attraction after being betrayed by his finance and brother.
Estranged from his family, there is nothing keeping him in Bellaroo Creek. Soon Cam is drawn not only to Tess, but too Krissie and Ty. This is what he has always wanted. The family he feels he was cheated out of.

This is a heart warming story of people stepping up and putting their lives on hold, to help two young orphans overcome the loss of their parents. There is more to this story regarding the children that will just break your heart. You can't help but feel for these two little ones. It is also a story of forgiveness and moving on with life. It also shows a great community coming together and supporting each other, weather a welcoming luncheon or taking time out to clean the local cemetery. At times it is a very emotional book for a couple of reasons. And the last chapter was a real tear jerker.

I thought the author did a really good job of describing the scenery throughout the book. I felt at times that I was at the cottage in Bellaroo Creek. She even had me looking up a sultana cake recipe. And if their is a place like Bellaroo Creek, that has amazing rate for renting a cottage, then sign me up.

I must thank Michelle Douglas for sending me an ARC of this book. My review was optional. 

4.5/5 stars

Reviewed by Maria

The cattleman of the title, Cameron Manning, is an unsociable character, something very unusual in the close knit community of Bellaroo Creek.  His dreams of a family were shattered when his fiancee left him for his younger brother.  In fact, he's made plans to wind up his affairs and leave town.  But now the new neighbour Tess Laing, a young lone parent, has turned his head.  She has two cute little wards, Tyler and Krissie and before long Cameron, or 'Cam' as he's better known, is helping the little family find suitable pets and start a vegetable garden.

Cam is intrigued by Tess, especially when he discovers that she gave up a successful international career to raise her orphaned niece and nephew.  What sort of person does that?  A woman, who instead of buying a chicken that lays plenty of eggs, buys a showy, fluffy bird just to make little Krissie smile.  A woman who allows her little niece and nephew to plant marigolds in the vegetable patch because it was their late mum's favourite flower.  A woman who will put on the radio and dance like crazy with the kids, just because it's fun....  Soon, Cam's thinking that leaving town isn't such a good idea after all......

This is the type of book I dream of reading.  This is about a relationship where two people with different needs and different experiences come together and help each other to grow and move on in life......absolutely perfect.  One thing is sure...Cameron is all man.  But he's not afraid to drop his guard and show his vulnerable side to the woman he loves.  And while Tess knows very well that she can raise these kids on her own, she knows that with the man she loves by her side, she can do it so much better.

Congrats to Michelle Douglas for writing this beautiful, family story which nonetheless sizzles with excitement.  And do you know what?  If I'd had the opportunity, I'd love to rename this story.  As:  Marigolds in the Vegetable Patch!

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Reviewed by Nas

The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family (Bellaroo Creek!)
Mills & Boon : The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family (Bellaroo Creek!)
The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family (Bellaroo Creek!)

THE CATTLEMAN'S READY-MADE FAMILY by author Michelle Douglas is a Harlequin Romance release for July 2013.

Tess Laing leaves her musical career and her city life to move to a small town. She wants to give the perfect life to her orphaned niece and nephew.

She and her charges begin to depend more on their neighbor, Cameron Manning.
Cameron was on the verge of leaving the small town and go to Africa. He couldn't wait to get away yet he postponed his trip for a month to help his neighbor settle in. He was getting attracted to Tess and her family. But would it be enough to stop him from leaving? And would Tess take a chance to bring a man who may not stay for long, into her family?

Author Michelle Douglas has written a fun, engrossing and fast paced story in THE CATTLEMAN'S READY-MADE FAMILY. There are hidden depths to Cameron and Tess's characters. The emotional and sensory details are exquisitely done. THE CATTLEMAN'S READY-MADE FAMILY has strong characters, snappy dialogue, and tender, sweet and exciting moments which will keep a reader riveted from the first page.
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Review by TashNz

Michelle Douglas's Bellaroo Creek:
The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family

Can I go and live in Bellaroo Creek please? 

My first taste came with Michelle Douglas's The Cattlemans Ready-Made Family.  What a magical tale, heartwarming and just a fantastic good old fashioned love story based on two people gradually getting 
to know each other and slowly letting their guards down.

Tess has taken over the care of her neice and nephew because her sister has died in a car accident.  We learn later that she's turns away from her prestigious career to live in the Australian country town of Bellaroo Creek, where everyone knows their neighbors and say good morning in the street.  Tess has won a contract to rent a farmhouse for $1 a week.  She thinks of it as a fresh beginning for her new family and a chance to settle the kids down and provide them what we all really want for our kids, a happy, stable and enriched environment to grow and nurture our little ones.  When she arrives she meets Cam, the co-owner of the land who needs to talk her into signing back some of the land that has inadvertently ended up in the contract.

A friendship forms and grows and Cam and Tess reluctantly start to let their guards down.  The kids become accustomed to Cam and a strong bond forms there too but when Tess learns Cam is about to leave town for an adventure in Africa.  

One of the best aspects of this wonderful romance is the characters.  Tess, Cam, the kids Tyler and Krissie.  Tess just wants to do right by her sister.  She's strong in so many ways, she just doesn't realise it.  Cam is hardworking, salt of the earth kinda guy who's had personal loss too with his family.  His good nature naturally causes him to help out around the place with the building of the chicken coups, the vege patch, mowing the lawns and the fact that he's hot is a total bonus!  Tyler and Krissie are so well written they add to the story instead of detracting from it.  

When I look at the cover of The Cattleman's Ready-Made Family, I feel warm inside.  That's exactly how this story made me feel.  If you need a break from the angst filled romances and feel like reading a great, no - a fantastically great, warm-hearted, soulful romance, you cant go past the Cattleman's Ready Made Family.

Bellaroo Creek: Three brave women, three strong men ... and one town on the brink - I can.not.wait for the other two books by Barbara Hannay and the amazing Soraya Lane.

4 Warm Stars

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins

Reviewed by Desere


When meeting the man of your dreams, having children, building a life together and growing old together is pretty much the only thing on your minds, and thinking of being apart is the last thing that is brought into the equation.  But things to happen to tear us apart, be it divorce or death, and in the end there is not much we can do about it, except fight our way back to the top in our own way.

However we all deal with loss of any kind in our own way and sometimes it changes us for the worse, and coming back from the dark side and back into the light is not easy.

In this read I was shown just how cruel and unemotional a person can be when they loose that special someone, the author clearly showed the almost total disconnection from the outside world of Lucy and how she is towards one person as oppose to the one person that can save her from a life time of being hurt and alone.

The main characters were extremely well written. Lucy yes coming off as cruel, disconnected, some what emotionless and to me as reader a total cold hearted woman, but when the author delves into her hurt, anger and despair one can clearly see exactly why she is this way. And it became clear that she needs the right person to give her back her sparkle, hope and joy in order to become the loving person hiding inside.

The character of Ethan was in all honestly the sweetest most kind and caring guy around, his patience with Lucy was incredible as most guys would surly long ago have given up and ditched the whole friends with benefits idea and gone of in search of a woman who truly wants to be with him, again here the author let me as reader pick up on the idea of when you truly love someone you just need to keep at it until that person sees it, never give up on love.

The secondary characters were wonderful and each and every one brought the book that extra vital "this is from our side" sense and added to the entire element of , you cannot judge someone when you truly do not know what they are going through, you have not experienced their loss and grieve and until you do, it is best to rather try to understand the person.

The Black Widows in the book were to me the most fun to read about as the author showed that when you have been there then the connection is one that can never be broken and a lifelong friendship is formed and happiness found amongst grieve.

The dialogue was fun and witty at times but also mostly emotional and I would have expected nothing less seeing that this is a book that's main focus is on finding happiness and love after having suffered loss.

I highly recommend this read for readers who love a good, heartfelt romance that delivers a strong and powerful message.

5/5 star review
" He is the only one that can bring back her smile, one sexy kiss at a time"