My Best Friend's Girl - Patricia Ryan

If you've read my blog before, you'll know that one of my favourite author's is Patrica Ryan. I've been reading her North Moon Bay and Hot City Night's series. I've been a bit behind with the reviews unti now, so I'm hoping to share my thoughts over the next few weeks, starting with this one.

My Best Friends Girl

He had a damn good reason to stay away from her… and now a million reasons to come back.

Dean Kettering: The quintessential lone wolf, he’s led a solitary existence on his sailboat since leaving the Air Force. Then one simple act puts this antisocial bad boy in the middle of a media frenzy, earning him the title of “hero” along with an unexpected windfall of a million dollars. He doesn’t want the money—doesn’t feel he deserves it—but he knows someone who does….

Laura Sweeney: Dean’s polar opposite, devoted to home and hearth, she’s the woman he secretly longed for even after she married his best friend… the friend who made Dean promise to take care of her as he lay dying. But when he finally sought her out, their long-simmering passion flared into irresistible, white-hot need.

Dean walked out of Laura’s life that night, only to return years later with a million dollars he insists she must take. But if she does, she’ll have to let him back in… and tell him the truth about her little girl’s father.

My Review

I have read this book before, under it's previous title, Million Dollar Baby. It's one that I really enjoyed though, so reading it again was no hardship. This series has been updated from the original version, to modernise it slightly too, so it wasn't exactly the same as the last time I read it.

Dean has always loved Laura, even when he knew that he shouldn't love her. Even when she was with his best friend and he knew that he could never do anything to hurt him or their relationship. Laura had always know that Dean was attracted to her. She felt something for him too, even though she loved her husband and didn't want anything else.

Laura doesn't trust Dean any longer. He hurt her and seemed to prove that he was the heartless, love them and leave them type that he'd always seemed to be. He runs away when she needs him most and for years she hears nothing more. When Dean returns with a million dollars to give her, Laura want's nothing to do with him. For all these years she's been keeping a secret from him and to let him into her life and heart could endanger everything.

I loved the way that the relationship between Dean and Laura developed. Dean had to learn to accept who he really was in order to get all he'd ever wanted. Laura had to learn to trust that Dean really could offer all that she'd ever wanted. Laura's best friend was a great character too and I enjoyed the dimension that she added to the story. I also loved Laura's five year old daughter Janey.

The only downside with this book is that it was over far too soon. That might be my own fault though, for reading it far too quickly and not putting it down.

The Black Sheep - Patricia Ryan

A few weeks ago, I read and reviewed The Marriage Arrangement by Patricia Ryan. This was actually the second in North Moon Bay series. Although the books are linked by a similar location, they are actually completely stand alone novels. I decided to go back and read the first book, The Black Sheep.

The Black Sheep

While house-sitting at a waterfront estate, sweet, straight-laced Harley is stunned by the arrival of her employer’s supposedly dead son, an Alaskan bush pilot with a bad boy rep who’s been wounded in an airplane crash. Coming home after years of estrangement—and a stint in prison—to make amends with the old man is difficult for Tucker, but not half as difficult as keeping his distance from the super-sexy but virginal Harley while they share the house, awaiting his father’s return.

Having given up on the idea that he’ll ever fully heal from his ravaged leg, Tucker balks when Harley urges him to swim as physical therapy—until she adds a unique incentive: “Catch me and you can have me.” Her certainty that he’ll never be able to swim that fast evaporates when he embarks on a rigorous training regimen, determined to claim her as his prize. But when she unearths the dark secret in his past, will she still be willing to pay up when the time comes?

My Review

It will probably come as no surprise to hear that I really enjoyed The Black Sheep. I like a good bad boy story and this is certainly that. Although Tucker seems to be the stereo typical bad boy, it soon becomes clear that there is much more to him than that. I did find Harley a little annoying, because she was so uptight, but she soon relaxes with Tucker.

The relationship between Tucker and Harley is lovely and I loved the way that he had to work to get to know her and work to get better in order to win her. The relationship is believable and I like both of the characters. There is, of course an 'issue' for them to get over, before they can have their happily ever after. In some ways, I would have liked Harley to have handled things slightly differently, but as she had the experiences of her childhood to deal with, I can understand why she immediately assumed the worst.

If I had to find fault with the book, I would just have to say that it is over too soon. It was a great quick read, but of course I wanted more.

The Marriage Arrangement - Patricia Ryan

A few years ago now, I came across a wonderful series of historical murder mysteries set in Boston in the late 1800's. If you've been to this blog before, then I'm sure that you'll know that the Nell Sweeney books are some of my absolute favourite books. You might have also gathered from my reviews of them, (which are here by the way) that I'm a bit of a fan of their author; P.B.Ryan. 

While the Nell Sweeney series is written under the P.B.Ryan name, it just so happens that the same author writes some pretty great romance novels under the name Patrica Ryan. I happen to be a bit of a fan of them too, although, until now, I haven't actually reviewed any of them on here. In actual fact, Patrica Ryan can claim credit for making me realise that I do enjoy a good romance novel and opening up all of those wonderful (and yes, some not so wonderful) stories that I've consumed over the last few years. I started with Nell Sweeney, decided to try out her historical romances (to be reviewed at a later date, I promise) and then moved onto the contemporary romances. Loving each and every one as I read them.

Until recently, all but a few of Patricia Ryan's back catalogue of contemporary romances have not been available on Kindle or in eBook format. But recently she has been able to re-release them with new titles, new covers and (I believe) having been slightly updated. When I was given the chance to review one of them, I jumped at it. I did get this book in return for a review, but lets face it, I would probably have purchased it anyway, and I will be buying the others too. Enough waffling though, on with the review.

North Moon Bay Series

The Marriage Arrangement is number two in the North Moon Bay series, don't let this put you off though. Although there are currently 3 books in the series, they are actually stand alone novels. The setting of the books is what ties them together, rather than any links between the characters from each story. 

What's it about

Clay Granger, a billionaire extreme sports star, thrives on taking risks and pursuing thrills. When his friend Izzy Fabrioni finds herself pregnant, alone, and broke, Clay proposes an arranged marriage that should solve all her problems while making his own life a bit more bearable. As one of the most eligible bachelors in the world, he's found himself hounded by matchmakers and gold-diggers. A wife—in name only, of course—should be just the ticket to get them off his back. 

Wary but desperate, Izzy agrees to the insane plan. It's just another escapade for Clay… until he discovers that sharing his life—and bed—with sweet, sexy Izzy makes the “in name only” part of the deal a whole lot harder than he had anticipated.

My Review

While the whole two people getting married for something other than love, but falling in love once they are married, is hardly a new theme in love stories, it is one that I enjoy. Most of the previous books that I have read with this as the story line, have been historic fiction. This one by contrast is a modern take on the theme. The idea that Clay and Izzy might think that marriage was a good idea to help them out of their problems, is believable and works. There is a hint though, right from the beginning, that as Izzy has long had feelings for Clay, she might be hoping for something more over time, even if she doesn't admit it to herself.

One of the things I loved about this story, was that it wasn't just about Clay and Izzy discovering how they felt about one another. Izzy has baggage from her previous relationships, men very like Clay have in the past treated her badly and she's reluctant to fall into the same trap again. For Clay the ghost of his previous wife has meant that he's kept women at arms length emotionally speaking, and had no closer relationships than one night stands. Both of the characters need to work out exactly what they want and except that, then make the changes in their life, or see the changes in the others life, before they can accept the growing relationship.

Over all this was a great book, perhaps a little bit of a lighter read than some of Patricia Ryan's other books, but still very enjoyable. The Marriage Arrangement was a good read, give it a go, I'm sure you'll like it.