Probably my least favorite of all the books. I think Jordan was just too mysterious, quiet, and aloof throughout the rest of the series to really feel a connection with him. But, we finally get to meet the Mama of the clan. That was fun. And what a cliffhanger leading into Casey's book. ( )

Good book about the last of the four brothers to find love. Jordan has always felt a little different than his (half)brothers. His father was no prize, and Jordan has spent his life consciously ensuring that he's nothing like his old man. He doesn't drink, lie, or lead women on. Even as a kid, he was sensitive to animals, so it's no surprise he became a vet. He's active in the community, and that volunteerism is what got him where he is as the book opens. With several other townspeople, he arrives at a seedy bar just over the county line to ask the bar owner to limit the number of drinks he serves to people. Their town has had trouble with the drunks causing problems and damage there. But Jordan is distracted from his mission when a dancer appears on the stage.

I admit that I thought Jordan was extremely judgmental when he saw the dancer, making assumptions about her character and virtue. That didn't stop him from being attracted to her and envisioning what he'd like to do with her. Despite his attitude, he intervened when he saw her being accosted by a drunk customer after her dance. This started a brawl that ended with the police being called. With Jordan and the dancer from Buckhorn, their police chief was called to take custody of them. While waiting for the chief, who is Jordan's older brother, Jordan continues his judgey attitude in comments to her. It doesn't go over well.

Georgia is beyond angry with Jordan. She copes with the customers all the time without any problems. Thanks to Jordan, this night was a disaster. I loved seeing her blast him for his judgmental statements and set him straight about his interference. Georgia is a single mother who waitresses and dances to support her children and mother. She is fiercely independent and refuses to rely on anyone else. The home she bought is a fixer-upper, and the process is slow. She doesn't need to deal with Jordan's attitude, too. Complicating matters is her intense attraction for him, thanks to his gorgeous looks and sexy voice.

I laughed out loud at Jordan's teasing from his brother Morgan when he arrived to take custody of the two miscreants. It was fun to see Morgan's opinion of the sparks between Jordan and Georgia and Jordan's outright denial. Morgan and Jordan won points with me when they helped Georgia deal with the crisis waiting for her when she got home. In the process, Jordan realized he'd been a complete jerk and tried to make things up to her. There were sweet and fun scenes at the hospital as Georgia's kids took to Jordan and Morgan, and Jordan's nephew Casey also became part of the mix. Jordan's gentler nature comes out in his unexpected need to take care of her, which freaks him out more than a little.

I loved watching Georgia get absorbed into the entire family's lives, as everyone found a way to help her. Georgia is overwhelmed by the kindness and attention and doesn't know what to make of it. She isn't used to that sort of thing. The more time she spends with Jordan, the harder it becomes to resist him. At the same time, Jordan discovers that while his attraction is still just as strong, he also finds himself wanting more. His growing feelings are frequently expressed in bouts of overprotectiveness which rub Georgia the wrong way and become a huge distraction. It takes time and his brothers pointing out the obvious for Jordan to realize the truth of his feelings, but he isn't sure of Georgia's feelings. A conversation with her mother helps Georgia face the truth of her feelings. There's no dark moment that pushes them apart, only the satisfaction of seeing them confess those feelings and look to the future together. The epilogue was a nice wrap-up.

Jordan's family is a big part of the book. Their love and support of each other easily spill over to Georgia and her family. Morgan comes across as this big tough guy, but his inner marshmallow is evident whenever he talks about his wife and child. I loved how Sawyer, the doctor, made himself available if Georgia's mother had more health issues. Young Casey was my favorite. He's only eighteen, but you can see his father's and uncles' influence on him. I loved his kindness and compassion for the teenage girl, Emma, and how Georgia's kids adored him. I also loved how Jordan's sisters-in-law quickly became friends with Georgia. My favorite scene with them was when they showed up at the bar to see Georgia dance - without their husbands. Jordan's horror made me laugh out loud.

Reading this book reminded me that I still have a few from this series that I haven't read yet. Must remedy that. ( )

I didn't know what to expect from Jordan. In all the previous books, there were just small glimpses of him.. nothing to really define his character for me... but in the end I liked him a lot. Only Casey left to read about!!!! ( )

4

Two-dimensional characters, over-dramatic, unbelievable situations, and the stereotypical heroine who hates all men that I thought had gone out of fashion in the 80s. Its only saving grace was that it was short. ( )