A man sets his hopes for the future by buying into someone else’s dream.Jack Talon is on a mission to correct his mistakes of the past. After lending money to an American professor to fund his expedition to Peru, the professor dies without repaying his debt. Jack needs that money because now his restaurant is in peril. He has high hopes that the professor’s search for Incan treasure was … was successful, and that the man has left him something of value. To Jack’s surprise, the professor did leave something behind, but it is not what he expected.
Eden Ramirez is called from the mountains of Cuzco, Peru to be at her American father’s side. On his deathbed, he gives her a Bible and a pouch to give to Chicago restaurant owner Jack Talon. He also assures her that the man will help her get back home. But when Eden meets the rude man named Jack, she realizes he doesn’t want to help her because of his anger toward her father. Instead, he keeps trying to push her away. Coming from another culture and a simple way of life, Eden has survived on very little while Jack has always had more than needed. Or has he? It seems the thing Jack needs most in life right now is something that cannot be bought.
A man with everything to lose is made guardian of a woman who has everything to gain in this relationship of two opposites from different walks of life. Culture, love, honor, and forgiveness pave the road to what can be the most valuable treasure of all!
(A version of this book was first published in 2000, called Eden’s Garden.)
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Book 2 of the Working Man series tells the story of down-on-his-luck Jack Talon, who’s been running his father’s Chicago restaurant while he’s traveling in Greece, The Golden Talon, and of Eden Ramirez from Peru, who is also down-on-her-luck. Jack just wants what’s rightfully his after lending a lot of his father’s money to a customer and so-called friend, Professor Jonathan Starke, who has died. Eden just wants to get back home, but she’s stuck in Chicago with no money after the death of her father, Professor Jonathan Starke. Jack is a sucker for a person in need, but he doesn’t want to help Eden because she’s the Professor’s daughter. I didn’t really like Jack at first, but as the story went on, he grew on me as his generous nature was revealed. The two opposites eventually find a way to get along and help each other and discover they have a mutual attraction to each other. The story gives lots of interesting information on Peruvian customs, and I enjoyed the way Jack and Eden evolved into something more than strangers with ulterior motives. The secondary characters added to the likability of the story as well. I look forward to reading the future books in this series.
When Jack loans money to a customer turned friend of his dad’s restaurant while he is running it, he finally believes he will get the money back when his friend dies. What he gets is his friends Peruvian daughter Eden who needs a bath and clothes that don’t smell and aren’t so ugly. What Eden needs is a plane ticket back to Peru to her mother and the culture she is accustomed to.
Jack starts talking so fast to Eden that she has a hard time keeping up so she doesn’t respond. Jack assumes she can’t speak English and says things he shouldn’t and makes Eden angry. She decides to tell him she can understand him when she is ready. Lots of laughs about this subject!!
As Jack tries to figure out how to save the failing restaurant before his father returns, get rid of Eden, and how to stop thinking about her, things start heating up.
This is a great book with descriptions of Peru mixed in, which I found very interesting and really was an asset to the storyline.
This book was phenomenal. I couldn’t put down until I finished it.
When Jack Talon, a Chicago restaurateur, loaned a treasure hunting professor money to help fund an expedition, he hoped for a large return on his investment. Unfortunately, the professor dies before he can repay the debt. Before he dies, he asks his Peruvian daughter to deliver a pouch and a Bible to Jack in Chicago. Jack is finding it difficult to cope with his situation. He has a business in trouble, no money, and a strange girl to contend with. Eden knows how to deal with having very little and making the best of hard times, so she offers to help. As they work together, their feelings toward each other warm. What will Jack do when Eden returns to Peru? Can he forget her? Can he follow her?
I enjoyed this story, and I really liked the characters. Jack and Eden are opposites, you know, the kind that attract. They see things through their own cultures and experiences, but they learn from each other. Eden was sweet, honest, and strong. Jack is a good guy who just needs a little adjusting. This story is a little different; quite interesting. Travels and a look at Peruvian customs adds charm and a bit of excitement. A good read, I recommend it.