3.5 stars!
Jen and Stefan are very different. She is free and fun while he is a bit stuffier. He is certainly a Dom and you learn about his past which helps explain some of his behavior. I will admit, I struggled with him because he hurt Jen so much. Their story is a second chance romance and Stef has lots to grovel for! There is a touch of danger from the people who think Jen stole some art; I alway enjoy the suspense aspect of the story because it adds some depth. In this book, I felt it wasn't quite as strong as in previous books. Overall, I enjoyed the story but Jen and Stef weren't my favorite for some reason.

The King of Bliss finally gets his!! I love Stef and Jen! The story is wonderful! I love it when a big strong Alpha male loses his heart!! Lots of intrigue in this one! And the murder rate in Bliss continues to rise!! Strange for such a nice mountain town!! ( )

2011, August 2

I have been looking forward to reading Stefan and Jennifer's story since I started reading the Nights in Bliss, Colorado series. Stefan is another one of those men that your heart goes out to because of his difficult past. He is a caring and fiercely loyal friend but he is insecure and very lonely. While he won't admit it to himself those around him know what the problem is and they know that Jennifer is the solution to that problem. It was also nice to Stefan get a little dose of his own medicine since he has meddled in all the other couples lives so far. This is another story that has lots of laughs and places that just tear your heart out. There are also places that you just wish you had a gun so you could make the bad guys really miserable. I really do like this author and I look forward to each new book. I just wish she could write faster so I would have more good stories to look forward to.

2014, August 2

Stefan Talbot has lived in Bliss, Colorado must of his life and he considers most of the people in town to be family. He helps all those people in any way he can. The problem is that Stefan or Stef as most of his friend’s call him is that he thinks he has to buy everyone’s affection. He has always thought that no one would like him if he did bribe them some way. His mother leaving when he was young and then his father going back to Dallas only enforced that belief. Stef has also held himself apart for the most part not wanting to be hurt again. There is one person that he can’t stay away from and that is Jennifer Waters. Stef wants her so much but she is younger than he is, like his mother was younger than his father. He continually thinks that she isn’t old enough to make a decision that will affect the rest of her life. He almost loses her because he can’t see past his hang-ups.

Stefan is a dominant and he enjoys his play every much. He is also a kind, giving and compassionate man. He is an artist. He works with Max Harper’s horses. He helps with planning in town. He volunteers his time for civic events. He is a tall, dark, drool worthy hunk of male flesh. I like Stef even with his imperialistic ways. Most of the funny parts of this story come from Stef having to deal with his father. I would have loved to be in on the discussion about all the stuff in the guest house. Stef is also protective of all those he cares about. We have seen that in the other books. I was also impressed that he can shoot handguns and rifles, fist fight and he has the courage to take on the Russian mod.

Jennifer Waters was raised by a woman that could stay in one place. She wants roots, a true home. It takes her running away to realize that Bliss is her home. Jennifer or Jen as everyone calls her in Bliss is a courage and a little impetuous. She tends to rush into things without thinking there will be trouble. In many ways Stef is the perfect partner for her. Jennifer is also an artist. I have liked Jen since the beginning but she comes to life in this book. I was glad that she had the courage to keep fighting for Stef. He needs her just because she will disturb his well-ordered life.

This is probably the hardest of these stories to read. There is a lot of violence, murder, torture and intimidation in this story than there has been in the early stories. Yes there was someone stalking intent on murder in the early books but they were caught before anything happened. We are introduced to the new doctor Caleb Burke. I look forward to reading his story. We are also introduced to Holly Lang and Hope MacLean. I also look forward to reading more about Alexi Markov. He is the Russian mobster that turns against his comrades and protects the people of Bliss. As always there are some very hot and steamy sex scenes in this story. These are made hotter and steamier when the application of toys and some spanking. Stef is very creative in finding ways to tie Jennifer up. We also find out that Stella is Stef's father great love. Yes there is a lot going on in this story and I have only mentioned a little of what is going on. ( )

Well, I guess I'll start out with what I liked.

I liked Stefan and Jen. They were both well-developed, interesting characters with their own issues to work through. I also liked that, while sex was part of their relationship, it was just one of many parts. The elements that actually lead to their HEA are more in the nature of trust, affection, the ability to learn from their mistakes and the willingness to forgive themselves and others.

What I didn't like.
The whole BDSM part needed some tweaking. After some thought, I think what the author was trying to do was create in Stefan a Dom who played not just because it was fun, but because it was a way for him to maintain control and emotional distance in all of his relationships... until Jen came along, and then he was able to let the lifestyle element go so it was just a fun game for them to play together. I think. But I'm not positive, and it took me some pondering to come to that conclusion given how unevenly it was presented in the story, especially at the end. And I'm ok with that as the explanation, but I'm kind of disappointed at the lack of clarity in the storytelling.

The part that I just wish had been completely excised from the book, though, was the whole suspense/Russian mob-art thief plot-line. There were holes big enough to drive a bus through and you'd have room to spare. Plus, it wasn't interesting or necessary.

But, the author's voice is engaging, the humor is plentiful and I adore the characters, so I mostly enjoyed reading it and look forward to more by her. I just hope she opts out of the romantic suspense in the future or gets more critical editing help in the plotting thereof. ( )