TBR Day. Magnolia Moon / JoAnn Ross. 2003

I know this is series catch-up month, but I decided to dig back into the big ol' basket of books for this month's read. Interestingly, this is the third in a trilogy, but I've read neither of the earlier books. In fact, I've read only a few books by JoAnn Ross, and none recently.


Here's the blurb:

L.A. homicide detective Regan Hart’s life is turned upside down with the discovery that she was adopted. Following a trail left in her birth mother’s journal, she lands in Louisiana’s Blue Bayou, where she’s determined not to let Nate Callahan, the town’s handsome, sweet-talking mayor, distract her from her search.
Nate Callahan loves women – and they’ve always loved him right back. No-nonsense Regan couldn’t be more different from his usual type, but as they spend time together, unlocking the puzzles of Regan’s past, neither can deny the attraction sizzling between them – and both come to realize that family bonds are forged not through blood ties, but through choices of the heart.
One of the things that often happens when you pick up the last book of a trilogy first, is the sense that you're missing enough back story to dull your enjoyment of the book in your hand. I'm happy to say that I didn't find that to be the case here. Nate's two brothers, heroes in the first two books, are either present or talked about, but aren't really key to this story. Their back stories are told, but briefly. The book focuses on Nate and Regan, a fact that I appreciated.

The setting in the small Louisiana town of Blue Bayou was charming and fun. Everyone knows that Regan is looking for information about her birth mother, but they also think she's going to leave L.A. to fill their vacant sheriff's position. The romance is a slow build as Nate takes Regan around town to help her discover the truth about her background. There's a mystery to solve, but this isn't in any way a suspense novel. There's also a secondary story about a runaway teenager who Nate takes under his wing.

All in all, another pleasant read out of the basket. I enjoyed this one a lot, but I won't go back and read the previous books in the series (I'm pretty sure they aren't in the basket). I may, however, go read some newer books by this author.

Comments

  1. S.July 20, 2017 at 11:33 AM

    This sounds interesting enough... I'll check GR to see the opinions on the other books as well!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PhylJuly 20, 2017 at 12:00 PM

      I thought the earlier books also sounded interesting. But the pile of books is big enough :)

      Delete

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