Cop On Loan by Jeannie Watt

This was pretty standard fare for a romance novel. Strong hero, feisty yet vulnerable heroine, and a plot that keeps you guessing. So it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, but it was still a decent read.

Tony is in town on temporary assignment, he's filling in for a cop that is out in the precinct. So when his life gets more complicated with the introduction to Jasmine Storm, he is less than happy. But when she thinks someone is breaking into her home, it gives him a good enough reason to offer to rent her basement. He's about to get kicked out of his other place because of his dog, and he feels the need to protect her. But her boyfriend isn't too happy about it either, and he's the least of Tony's worries. He can't get attached to this girl, he's got to go back to Seattle and undercover at some point, but there's something in him that wants more than his usual solitary life.

I wasn't a big fan of Jasmine. She's vulnerable one minute, strong the rest, and it just doesn't mesh well. Combine that with her list making and she was just a little strange. Although she did have a cool cat. Tony was a little better. He had a sense of humor and plenty of flaws, and he was willing to recognize those flaws. I'm still not sure why he is so attracted to Jasmine, must be from living in close parameters with her. The other characters in the book weren't really given that much time so they weren't really developed at all.

The whole cop going to live with a girl who may or may not be being house invaded actually wasn't that interesting of a plot for me. Maybe if there had been more instances of real danger, instead of just small things, it might have shown more of a thrill. But more time is dedicated to her dates with her boyfriend than actual danger. Still, it was an interesting read and the characters interacted well. There were a few steamy scenes but nothing too extreme. Definitely not as risque as some others books that I have read. And it didn't move too fast, it had a fairly steady pace.

Not too bad. Good for those who like the romance genre. A pretty solid 3.5 I'd say.

Cop On Loan
Copyright 2008
307 pages

A Cowboy's Redemption by Jeannie Watt

Yikes, this book just went a little too fast. And it could have been really exciting and interesting. Characters were decent, but not spectacular too.

Kira Jennings needs to make a business deal, especially if she wants to make it in the family business. Her brother Bryce, is her main competitor, and there's no love lost between the two. So when she heads into the country to talk to a property owner, Jason Ross, she knows its going to be tough. Jason and Bryce have a history and it resulted in Jason being sent to prison for awhile. Kira isn't sure what happened there, but she does realize that it is going to make this business transaction hard. Add in a fire and some underhanded dealings and things certainly stay exciting for the two.

I liked Jason. Even if he is considered a felon he's an all around good guy. A bit bitter perhaps, but that's understandable. And he has a love for animals which is nice. Kira didn't have much of a personality for me. Sure she wants to belong to her family and do her best, but that's really all the personality we get for her. It would have been nice for her to open up a little more. The brother, of course, was a jerk. He only served as the bad guy in the book, no other sides to him.

I'm not used to having a guy who's been in prison as a main character. It was an interesting twist. And the fact that he's running a ranch, while common in itself, makes it a little different as well. Add in a wealthy family trying to get something from him and yes, that part of the plot is pretty standard. But the felon thing, that's not. So a little twist, not huge, but interesting. As this is a romance, there are romance scenes. You have been warned if that's not your thing. Honestly the worse thing about this book is the pace. It just went way too fast in my opinion. Slow it down a bit and it might have been a little better.

Just an average romance. Nothing too special but not a terrible read. Good for a rainy day I suppose.

A Cowboy's Redemption
Copyright 2009
246 pages

Maddie Inherits a Cowboy by Jeannie Watt

A different take on a Western romance, but still, not as good as it probably could have been. I just couldn't really connect to the characters in this one, although I liked the theme.

Madeline is headed out to visit a ranch. A ranch that she inherited a share of when her brother died. It hasn't been doing as well financially, but that's not the real reason she's going. She needs to hideout for awhile as she's under investigation for academic misconduct. Even though she's not guilty, she still needs to get away from it for awhile. Her brother's partner, Ty isn't too thrilled about the visit though. He doesn't like the way Madeline questions his business running tactics and he can't really look at her without remembering what happened to her brother Skip. Skip's death is something he blames himself for and he hasn't really been the same since the accident. But Madeline isn't the type to let him hide from her, and he does find himself a bit attracted to her.

Madeline is a little too hard nosed for me. I know that's the way she's supposed to be, but it comes off as irritating sometimes. Especially when she rushes forward aimlessly. Considering she's a college professor, I guess I just expected her actions to be more thought out. Ty is a bit irritating too. He has this martyr vibe going on and its not attractive, even if Madeline thinks so. He's real I guess, but just not as likable as I'd like. And since they're both out on an isolated ranch we really don't have much contact with a whole lot of other characters in the book. So its mainly just the two of them to keep us entertained.

I did like the western ranch theme of this book. Anyone running an organic cattle ranch is something I can get behind. And launching a professor into the middle of it is a good twist. Although I did think that the chores and the running of the ranch seemed greatly watered down from what I would have expected them to be. Granted, I don't know a lot about the business, but it just seemed too easy. There is a sex scene in this book, but it was fairly mild in my opinion. The rest of the book read fast and was an easy read, didn't require a lot of concentration.

Ok romance, nothing special. But nothing I would rush out of my way for definitely.

Maddie Inherits a Cowboy
Copyright 2011
283 pages