"Steamy! Love lands right in the laps of the two Hudson brothers"
ONCE AND AGAIN is a reissued duet of the first two
tales in Lori Foster's Buckhorn Brother's series. "SAWYER": What is a fellow supposed to do
when a beautiful woman sails into his lake after crashing
through the fence he's just finished repairing? What does
he say if she says she's being pursued, but doesn't know
why she's being chased, or who is chasing her? If your name
is Dr. Sawyer Hudson you haul her out, clean her up, treat
her injuries, straighten out her problems, love her like
there's no tomorrow ... then send her on her way. At
least that's what he had planned for Ms. Honey Malone. His
three brothers, teenage son, and his own traitorous heart
have other thoughts. Sawyer is a dream come true, handsome, caring, and as the
only doctor in town, a real giver. He'd spent the bulk of
his adult years taking care of his family and their
community. Unfortunately he'd learned from bitter
experience with a needy ex-wife, that his vocation spread
his time and caring too thin to make a success of a
personal relationship. He likes who he is and is not about
to change, so when Honey crashes into his life he is
determined to protect her, without getting involved
emotionally. His brothers are more than willing to share
the "burden" and he hasn't a clue why the very
thought of that stirs his jealousy. From the start, Honey is entranced with the entire family,
and Sawyer in particular. She's never known the kind of
family closeness that they share, and she envies them that.
For that reason she refuses to endanger them by exposing
them to her problems. Her attempt to sneak away quietly is
thwarted. Sawyer's brothers come up with every excuse to
keep her there, not only to protect her, but also for the
sake of their very stubborn brother who has yet to realize
what he's found. His all male family loves Honey, but Sawyer is very
determined to let her move on, once they've solved her
mystery. But Honey is really nothing like Sawyers ex-wife.
She doesn't allow his brothers to dote on her as they are
inclined to do. She pull her own weight, determined not to
be a burden. Ironically the more independent she proves to
be, the more he desires to take care of her. When the danger finally peaks, so do the wayward emotions
that he's kept under control since he'd met her. Is it
possible that he's finally found a woman he can share his
life with? A proud, and courageous one, who could be his
partner rather than become one more responsibility to weigh
him down? "Sawyer" is the first story of Ms. Foster's Buckhorn
Brothers tales. I enjoyed this story very much and am
looking forward to the other three brothers' stories,
including
Morgan's which is also included in this dual work. I had
been skeptical about the ability of four grown men to live
comfortably together under one roof. But in this case it
really seems to work. "MORGAN": Morgan's is the second tale in Ms.
Foster's Buckhorn Brothers series. These brothers are every
woman's fantasy come true. Though each is different, they
are all tall, gorgeous, strong, wonderfully sexy and very,
very, protective of each other and the women they come to
love. The last thing Morgan Hudson had expected, when he'd dozed
off in the summer sun, was to awaken to a vision. Oh he
wasn't complaining, that is until the woman introduced
herself. After that, the only thing he wanted to do was to
send her packing, and fast! The wedding of her sister Honey to Morgan's brother
Sawyer was what brought Misty Malone to town. Her sister
had regaled her with wonderful things about the houseful of
men who were soon to become her family. Misty had hoped she
could stay here indefinitely, having recently suffered more
setbacks than even a resourceful woman like herself could
handle. She really needed to regroup, but the greeting
this big Neanderthal was dishing out didn't offer much
promise. The rest of the family is in fact wonderful, but Morgan
avoids Misty like she's carrying the plague. When they are
forced to interact, he acts like a grouchy old bear. Why?
Morgan has always prided himself on his self control. That
was one of the major reasons he'd been elected as sheriff.
His brother's upcoming nuptials had given him thoughts of
wedded bliss for himself as well. He wanted a girl just
like Honey, sweet and settled. Misty was certainly nothing
of the kind. She was bold, brazen, and certainly not
marriage material, not for him. No, she was the perfect
woman for a wild fling, but for that she was totally off
limits! Sawyer and Honey would both have his head. Okay, so
why does he feel pangs of jealousy every time she looks at
one of his brothers, or they look at her? During the wedding, Morgan corners Misty in a gazebo and
lets her know that she has got to go. His sizzling kiss
lets her know the reason. That's just fine with Misty.
After what she's been through lately, she's done with men
forever. But the next morning finds her ill and quite distraught.
Naturally Morgan is the first to discover her, and she is
forced to share her woeful tale. First she'd been arrested
for a crime she hadn't committed, and then she'd lost her
job, her home, and her fiancé because of it. To top it
all off she's learned that she's pregnant. Enough said.
Once jump started, Morgan's true nature kicks in fast.
He's just as capable of protecting a damsel in distress as
his big brother Sawyer, he'd just needed a reason. Misty
needs him. He can't allow her to leave now, and he'd do
anything possible to help her. But can he keep his hands
off of her? Misty isn't looking for pity. Can Morgan
convince her that he is the one man who would never let her
down? It was wonderful fun to watch this big, blustering, guy
lose his cool and control, and go all tender for this
feisty yet vulnerable lady. This story was extremely
sensual, packed with humor and appearances by the other
family members. I am greatly looking forward to the
companion duo, FOREVER AND ALWAYS, coming in August 2002,
which contains Gabe and Jordan's (the heartthrob and the
vet's) tales. This will be followed by the story of
Sawyer's son Casey, in December. Copyright © 2002
Reviewed by Leslie Tramposch
Posted May 20, 2002
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