“Brenda Jackson writes romance that sizzles and characters you fall in love with.”—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling authorSome things shouldn’t be left to chance… too. Knowing that Mama Laverne is vetting unsuitable candidates—like rising US senator Roman Malone—makes things easy.
But Roman unexpectedly ticks all of Victoria’s boxes. The longtime family friend is outrageously sexy, and every time they meet, their chemistry crackles. Being a journalist, though, Victoria just doesn’t trust politicians. Plus, her matchmaker’s expert opinion keeps pointing to the charming and handsome Tanner Jamison. And everybody knows, Mama Laverne is never wrong.
Suddenly, Victoria sees Tanner everywhere—as if by fate—but she doesn’t feel any attraction. Meanwhile, the more Victoria gets to know Roman, the harder it is to resist him. Her head is saying play it safe, but is her heart strong enough to go against her better judgment…and Mama Laverne’s?
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What can you say…..it’s Brenda Jackson…..have loved all her books
Victoria and Roman had that instant attraction that was fast and furious. I couldn’t put this book down until the end and than I wanted more great work Ms. Jackson but as many Brenda Jackson books that I own you never disappoint you are the best and my go to author. Keep the books coming and I will continue to buy and read them all.
Wonderful exciting romantic moments with happy ever after.
Victoria is next in line for her matchmaking grandma extraordinaire. But not like another member of her family, she is very happy to be next and to meet the love of her life. She thinks she has her grandma all figure out and knows who the guy is, but she feels nothing for him and he for her. Regardless she is willing to put all her trust in her grandma.
In the meantime, she meets Roman. He is a politician, but also hot and kind, and they have inside chemistry. The more time they spend together deeper the bond gets. But she is still holding back.
Tanner, the guy she thinks she is supposed to be with her, falls for the health inspector. 🙂
It’s a lovely story of two reluctant couples finding love. While I somewhat liked the storyline, I had a hard time staying focused on the book, it was overly long.
received from NetGalley
Good book. I love it when an author has crossovers from two series, and this one combines Catalina Cove with the Madaris family. Here we have Victoria Madaris, a tv news anchor in New Orleans, living in Catalina Cove. She left Texas so she could succeed on her own merits and not because of her family name.
Victoria knows that she is next on her great-grandmother’s matchmaking list. Unlike her male cousins and siblings, Victoria wants Mama Laverne’s help because of her career and being burned in a previous relationship. She’s a little bummed because Mama Laverne won’t tell her who her match is. It seems the gentleman in question isn’t ready to give up his bachelor ways, and Laverne doesn’t want Victoria to spook him.
When she encounters Tanner Jamison several times, Victoria believes he is the chosen one. He’s handsome, charming, and a friend of the family, so she already knows him a little bit. However, Tanner exhibits no interest in her, and she feels no sparks for him. She’s willing to wait a while for him to see the light, but she won’t put her life on hold while she does.
Then there is Roman Malone. The rising young senator came to Catalina Cove for some R and R. He plans to keep a low profile and spend his days fishing. Recently told that he needs to be married if he wants to progress up the party ladder, Roman made it plain that he will marry when he decides it’s time and only for love. Having just escaped from a relationship with a woman with her own agenda, Roman is in no rush to start anything new. But sharing some quiet fishing trips and a few meals with family friend Victoria should be safe enough.
I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Roman and Victoria develop. Despite the sparks between them, Victoria insists that she’s not available but is happy to hang out with Roman as a friend. I love the scenes of their fishing trips and meals as they get to know each other and discover how much they have in common. Though Victoria doesn’t trust politicians, she admits that Roman is different than most. I liked seeing their friendship grow along with trust and respect. It doesn’t take long for Roman to realize that he’s smitten and wants more than friendship from Victoria. Meanwhile, thanks to irresistible chemistry with Roman and a lack of interest from Tanner, Victoria suspects that Mama Laverne may have been wrong this time. I loved that Victoria and Roman built a solid friendship before giving in to the desire that burned between them.
There is a second romance in the book that involves the MIA Tanner. He’s horrified when his friends tell him of Mama Laverne’s matchmaking successes and resolves to stay far away from Victoria. In the meantime, sparks fly with the building inspector for the club renovations he and his friends are doing. Tanner, who is supremely confident in his ability to charm any female, discovers that Lyric resists quite easily. Intrigued, Tanner goes all out to get closer to her and seduce her. I enjoyed seeing Lyric hold him off and make him work for her attention. I liked seeing Tanner fall hard while fighting against the inevitable. His misery after they parted ways was just reward for his past. I had to laugh at his conversation with his friend Blade, a previous recipient of Mama Laverne’s attentions, and the truth he had to face. I liked Lyric and how she called out Tanner’s attitude. She fell as hard as he did, but she had trust issues that held her back thanks to a former betrayal.
Meanwhile, Roman’s ex-girlfriend won’t accept Roman’s defection willingly. Audria is a spoiled, selfish woman who will do anything to get what she wants, and she wants Roman. Her sneaky, underhanded actions aim to ruin Victoria’s reputation and drive Roman back to her. I ached for all of the people involved in her attack. Victoria, especially, saw her worst fears come to pass. I loved the family support that helped her overcome those fears. I also loved the combination of efforts that fought back against Audria’s machinations.
The ending was fantastic. I laughed at the conversations with Mama Laverne and all of the behind-the-scenes actions that led to that moment. While I suspected some of it, other parts came as a complete surprise. I can’t wait to see what’s next for Catalina Cove and also for the Madaris family. Mama Laverne has her sights set, and the targets are shaking in their shoes.