BRIDE BY MISTAKE by Anne Gracie

OMG, I just finished Bride by Mistake by Anne Gracie.  I loved this book!  I have been waiting for Luke's story and it was worth the wait.
Luke Ripton married a young thirteen year old Isabella to save her during the war.  She is sent to live in a convent where her aunt is a nun.  When Luke applies for an annulment it is denied.  He begins his journey to Spain to collect his bride after 8 years.
Isabella has been dreaming of the day when he would come and has had very romantic dreams about how that would all work out.
Well it didn't work out the way either of them thought.  Luke thought he would find a very obedient, passive woman and was he ever surprised.  Isabella thought he would be so happy to finally see her and her disappointment and hurt was so obvious.
I loved seeing the way their relationship developed and how they came to trust and love each other.  These two characters were so well developed.  Luke from being withdrawn from all emotion and finally finding his heart and learning to trust and Isabella relatively open but hiding some secrets to becoming such a comforter and partner.
I didn't want this book to end as I was so drawn to Luke and Isabella, I wanted to know how their life developed after they reached England.  I am eagerly awaiting Gracie's next offering.

A PLACE CALLED HOME by Jo Goodman

As I have mentioned before I have been a big fan of historical romances but lately I have been drawn to contemporaries.  First, Emily March's Eternity Springs series and then I discovered Jo Goodman's A Place Called Home.


This story of Mitch Baker and Thea Wyndham becoming legal guardians of their friend's three children was not quite what I expected.  Gabe and Kathy have been killed in a car accident.  The children are living with Mitch.  No one has been able to get in touch with Thea for a month.  When she finally gets the notification of her responsibility to her friend's children her reaction is not positive.
I really liked Mitch's character from the beginning.  He remained pretty much the same person throughout the book.  He had a good sense of humor and a caring nature.  While Thea came across as a cold hearted snob.  But I really liked the way her character developed and once one knew of her childhood and upbringing it was easy to understand her.  The relationship that developed between Mitch and Thea was one of growing respect for each other and genuine caring.  The sexual tension between them gave me goose bumps.  You might call this a hot novel but it was nicely done.
The kids characters were well drawn and I loved Emilie, who was older in wisdom than in years.  Case and Grant, five year old twin brothers were great characters.
I absolutely loved the scene where Thea brought her mother and father to the twin's ball game and I chuckled as I pictured her dressed in her career suit with a baseball cap on her head, dragging her snobby mother and father through the crowd with foot long hot dogs and cokes.  It was surely not what they had expected as a dinner out.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary romances.  It is a winner!