Catherine Bybee - Everything Changes

As the only female civil engineer in her department, Grace Hudson needs space from men. Her last love interest traumatized her in ways she never saw coming; with that behind her, she is determined to focus on her career. Even so, a little flirting with a handsome stranger over coffee can’t hurt, right?
In their short interaction, Grace dazzles Dameon Locke. But he’s focused on his newest development project and keeping his company afloat after his biggest investor pulled out. So during the planning huddle with the city board, he’s stunned to find the petite spitfire he met at the coffee shop running the show.
Grace can’t ignore Dameon’s charm, but when a disgruntled developer accuses Grace of taking bribes, her world is upended. Worse still, something much more important than her job may be in peril.
With her career in shambles and her life in danger, Grace turns to Dameon…but will she risk putting him in danger too?

Comment: This is the third installment in the Creek Canyon trilogy.  have liked the other two books and although the heroine of this one wasn't as seemingly compelling as the ones in the other stories, I still wanted to see the trilogy completed.

In this final installment it's the turn for Grace's story, the youngest sister of the protagonists from the previous book. Grace works in a field more often populated by men but she wants to prove she is as able as them even if she has to adapt herself to what is expected of an engineer. She has been doing the work for years now but she still finds issues here and there, something she tries not to be bothered about when a new job comes along and with it, Dameon Locke, a fascinating and alluring CEO. As the two work together, Grace also must deal with another projects and sometimes things don't go as easily. As the problems mount, Grace can count on her family's support as well as Dameon, who turns out to be someone she can trust. But what will it mean for her when things get harder at work?

Once again, I was enthralled by the cast of characters in this book. I think the author really got it right when she decided to create this family and the characters that surround them. It's not something over the top nor are the elements crazy or larger than life types but I found myself glad I was able to spend all these pages with them.

The story is deceptively complex. At first sight, it seems to be a simple romance with the fact the heroine faces some complications on her job but to me the interesting part is precisely how all details are mixed well and we cannot stay away from any issue being dealt with, especially as the plot advances and things seem to become more complicated. For me, the best part of the novel is still the family interactions but I also liked how invested I was made to feel about Grace's worries and problems. It's all quite realistic.

I mean, I don't think the author wanted to pass any kind of message but it felt like it was so in some parts, how women still face a lot more obstacles in fields usually fulfilled mostly by men. It does seem society can't seem to evolve quick enough as generations go by and things change anyway, but some of those things are slower than watching paint dry. I think Grace was a very likable character and see her face some issues which shouldn't happen made me mad as a woman and anxious as a reader to see if it would be solved somehow.

Grace is a good enough heroine but to be fair, I liked the female protagonists of the other books more. I can't really explain why, it's nothing related to her position or storyline, perhaps her personality... she is likable yes, but I didn't find her as challenging, emotionally speaking, as the others. Still, she had a path to go and of course I liked she felt supported by her family and that she found a way to have her voice heard. It was also good to see that we are allowed to change our minds when the paths in front of us don't seem to be right. Would it be possible to always follow an instinct ahead of time...

The hero, Dameon, was a bit more generic, I would say. He is the type of guy that is contemporary, values women and such but he still has that alpha type of personality and his actions often seem to come out of a sense of traditionalism mixed with a 21st century mentality, which can be appealing but there were scenes where it felt a little too good to be true. Still, he was a good hero when it came to be helpful, supportive and allowing Grace to have her moments.

The romance wasn't amazing, in my opinion. It was a bit bland because of their personalities and positions in live, which were pretty much in sync. Nothing wrong with it and in real life it would mean they would get along well but in a fiction story I wanted something extra to bond them, something special to make me feel they were the best for one another. I guess I can say it was good but not really exciting to see them together.

Like I said, what I liked best were the scenes with other characters, especially the family connections... It's always wonderful to see how everyone is getting along and to see interactions with characters we've come to like, after all their lives carry on even after their story is told. In this regard, I think the author did a good job and it will probably be the element I'll remember the most from these books, even if I forget names and plots.

All things considered, this was a good enough story, yes, I had a good time reading it even if it was slightly weaker in general, comparing to the others. I might read other things from the author if her style keeps on going the direction of these books, in terms of atmosphere and style.

Grade: 7/10

Catherine Bybee - Home to Me

After Erin Fleming escapes from her controlling and abusive ex, she finds refuge in the heart of Santa Clarita, California. Eager to start over, she has a new name, a new look, and a new career. Settled into a private guesthouse, Erin can breathe free. Far from the shadows she’s outrun, Erin is finally learning to live for herself. Her new unexpected friendship with her landlord starts to crack open the armor Erin’s enclosed herself in. But it’s Matt who speeds up the pace of Erin’s heart and makes her wish for things she believes she can never have.
Matt Hudson, a firefighter in one of California’s wildfire epicenters, has a passion for danger. He lives for the adrenaline rush his profession awards him. But his protective instincts take over once Matt meets Erin. So does an attraction he can’t deny. Above all else, he’s determined to prove to Erin that she can trust him. As the sparks between them ignite, so does a real-world danger. Erin’s past is not letting go. It’s just in hiding.
Before Erin’s ex finds her, she and Matt have to find him. And finally put an end to everything that’s becoming a threat to their love, and to Erin’s life.

Comment: Having enjoyed the first book in the series, I was more than convinced I would read the following one and this is the second one, which I also liked.

In this second book we have the story of Erin, she is the woman who started renting a room homeowner Parker (heroine from the previous book) made available on her propriety. Erin feels safer by having people close and she has found in Parker and her family people she can trust. However, she is still hiding from her ex, who was abusive, and she believes she can't have new relationships in danger he might find her and hurt those people as he threatened to hurt her sister, whom she hasn't seen in a long time. Still, it can be difficult not to worry and not to care when those she meets are caring and friendly, especially Matt, brother to Parker's boyfriend, and someone she feels likes her too. But will she be able to trust a man again, knowing another might be dangerous?

As soon as I've finished this book, apart from the overall feel of enjoyment, my first thought was how unoriginal the story was but how I still liked it and enjoyed spending time with the characters. Someone hiding from an abusive ex, or trying to stay under the radar but being helpless to care and like those closer isn't anything new in the world of romance, but the way this was told, its natural simplicity really made me happy.

Erin has had a good life until her marriage. We learn things went in a very common road when it comes to classic cases of domestic abuse, and her slightly older husband was suave and charming at first but quickly became someone she didn't recognize anymore. Erin found a way to escape, has her lawyer helping her but she feels she needs to stay away, not having close bonds with other people for fear he might find her and hurt them to attack her. This has been seen in many other novels but what I felt was different here is how the author wrote things, how the feel of the small community and group of friends - mostly through Matt and his family - made Erin realize she is actually stronger if she has people who can help her.

I did like Erin as a character. She is resourceful but she also tries to protect others so I could understand her behavior and reasoning. I also liked how her relationship with Matt developed, slow at first as one would expect from someone who is still afraid of having people too close, but he was persistent in a funny, non aggressive way and I could believe they would suit one another and could be a happy couple. It really was fun to see the small steps they both took into being comfortable in each other presence and how caring Matt was to try to let Erin feel good around him and, at some, point. even taking the first step to be near him. I found the romance to be cute.

Matt is a traditionally good guy. He understands and respects Erin's boundaries but he lets it be known he is there for her. I liked how their relationship progressed, things were slow at first but through the scenes included, I could believe they were in the same page and would be a good couple. I think this is where sometimes some authors are more appreciated than others. For me, somehow, this story works out on this author's words and in the way she wrote it, whereas similar plots don't feel as engaging and romantic written in a different way.

As expected, Erin ends up having to confront her ex but even that went on a road one might not think would be the one chosen. I think it allowed things to be solved, Erin to find closure but I also found it great she decided to get back with her life even before that confrontation happened, it proved she was doing things for herself and not to follow a pattern.

There were scenes, moments I didn't find as appealing, there was some dragging here and there but overall, this was another good installment and I will definitely read the next one.

Grade: 8/10

Catherine Bybee - My Way to You

When a wildfire nearly destroys Parker Sinclair’s family home, it’s just one more disaster to add to her

mountain of stress. For the past two years, she has shouldered the responsibility of raising her younger brother and sister after their parents’ untimely deaths. Forced to leave college for a crappy job that barely pays the bills, Parker manages her family property, which consumes every aspect of her life. Now winter is coming and the forecast isn’t spreading sunshine on the dark cloud over her head. The last thing Parker needs is a mudslide destroying everything she has worked so hard to maintain. Colin Hudson’s job as a public works supervisor is to protect Parker’s property and neighborhood from further damage. But it’s a little hard when the owner of the land is a control freak who tries to do everything herself. The hardworking, attractive young woman is far from the “hot mess” she claims to be. In fact, her tight grip of control is one of the things that attract him the most. It’s also the hardest to crack. Now Colin’s working overtime to help Parker open up her heart, trust him, and let him in. As Parker and Colin work together to keep her home and neighborhood safe, they may be in for another disaster. Or they may just realize that sometimes it takes destruction to create something new.

Comment: I had my eye on this book for some months now. I finally picked and what had made me interested was the fact this would feature a young woman ho had to raise her siblings. I imagined her a little down on her luck but with courage she would manage. I wanted something realist but uplifting. It ended up being a little more than that but I actually liked the book.

In this story we meet Parker Sinclair,, a young woman who is enjoying her life in college, still unsure about which road to take in terms of where she sees her life going when an accident kills her parents. She then leaves college and returns home full time to help take care of her young siblings, still minors. She knows her life won't go as she would want but her need to honor her parents and raise her brother and sister make her see things differently. Their house, though, means a lot of expenses but Parker is trying her best to maintain the home her family has always had. However, fires threaten all she loves and when that is behind them, there's the danger of mudslides after it starts to rain. Thankfully, the public worker supervisor of the job which will be done partially in her property to avoid a future tragedy is there to help her and to show her life can be more than worries...

I had read other books by this author before, all from the same series, and while one was quite good, the others weren't as interesting so I stopped there. This time, I've decided to try this different series because the blurb seemed to be something I could appreciate more and I was hoping I could have a good time reading this novel.

The writing style isn't too different although I admit I barely remember stuff from those other books apart from the theme. However, what I can say is that this book felt like it was written by a more mature person, perhaps not in age, but in writing experience and both the theme and the development felt a lot more thoughtful than the other books I've read. A story about a woman doing what she can while dealing with worries about her house does seem more mature than the challenges of marrying billionaires.

Parker is a young woman but she grew up quite fast when tragedy happened. I still got the sense, throughout the book, that she was unhappy with her fate but at the same time, she stepped in to become a grown up. I think the dichotomy was well done, and all the tension and almost annoyance Parker showed about what she had to do was quite realistic. I did wish she weren't as unsure about what to do in her future, profession-wise, but that was just another factor to add complexity to her. I think she was a little too stressed out and focused on problems, but who wouldn't, in her shoes?

Her love interest, Colin, is a few years older, already established professionally, and I think the balance between them was believable, especially because he had a good family behind and that compensated for the  - in my opinion - lack of chemistry between them romantically. I'll explain: they come from different experiences in life and although to me Parker was still a little naive when it came to what it means to commit to a relationship, Colin's family helped and I could see them work as a couple after the biggest stress in her life (worry about the house) was behind them.

I did wish they could have had a more...I don't know, stage by stage development of their relationship. It wasn't filled with sexual or emotional tension. They acknowledged their interest, it was sweet, there some cute moments, but to me there was no spark, no evidence of what they felt in a way that I'd feel I had to see what happened. The biggest conflict between them came from the fact Parker acted too independently (for believable reasons) and Colin felt she didn't lean on him enough.

I do think the subject was quite well researched by the author. She does include information in the end about the consequences of fires and following rain on the ground in areas like the California setting chosen for this book. The progress of the story is very realistic and with a lot of technical information which can be interesting on one hand, but a little too much on the other. Still, I felt it added maturity and competence to the overall plot.

It might seem I wasn't so keen on the book but I did like it and I was happy with the ways things happened. There are hints about future books (featuring Colin's siblings) and I'll definitely read them in some future month.

Grade: 8/10

Alphabet Soup Challenge: Catherine Bybee - Fiancé by Friday

Gwen Harrison:
The beautiful, high-born daughter of an English duke came to America to take over her sister-in-law’s matchmaking business. But just because she’s the boss doesn’t mean she can’t fantasize about making her own perfect match with bodyguard Neil MacBain. Will the enigmatic man who haunts her dreams cost her more than she bargained for?
Neil MacBain:
The retired Marine can’t deny the effect blue-blooded Gwen has on his troubled soul or his battle-hardened body. But as a client, Gwen is off-limits—until a threat from Neil’s past returns…and Gwen is caught in the crossfire. Now to keep her safe he will risk it all: his career, his life…and his heart.

Comment: This is the third installment in the Weekday Brides series by this author. I liked the previous two enough to want to read this one despite neither being such an amazing read. They were average good and interesting enough, so I've picked this one too.

This is Neil and Gwen's story. Neil is the friend and bodyguard of Blake, hero from book #1. Gwen is his sister. She has had feelings for Neil for a long time and since being in the US she hasn't been able to get him out of her head. Seeing her two friends Sam and Eliza marrying the man of their dreams makes her realize Neil might never acknowledge her feelings so she looks and looks but nothing happens.

Neil has had fantasies about Gwen but she's the sister of his boss and friend so he tries to see as a job. But now someone from his military past is trying to send him a message and Gwen might be in danger. But who's behind the dead ravens he finds and Gwen finds too?

The previous books weren't perfect but they had content amusing and entertaining enough to keep me interested in reading them. I hoped the same for this one but that didn't happen.

First of all, one thing about the author's style: this author is one of those who sets the next story in the current one, meaning we see many scenes with the next main character and a bit of the setting up of their story. This happened to Gwen and Neil on the previous book and when this book begun w already knew all about the looks they sent each other when the other wasn't looking and how it seemed there was something between them.

As another character feature so much in this story, obviously the next book will be about her.

Now, why does this matter, well, it's a good tool to make the reader interested in reading more because then we'd know the character and there would be something engaging that makes us want to read. It's actually smart but in this author's case, twice I've seen how promising the next story will be, there are scenes that are done well enough to be captivating but then the actual story isn't as good as that. A bit of a letdown to be honest. So, I don't know if I'll read more and if i ever do it won't be so soon.

Anyway, the key plot of this book is Gwen and Neil's relationship and the problems around Neil's past experience with the military.

The plot surrounding Neil was a cliché and honestly I wasn't that interested because somehow it didn't strike me as that emotional. Maybe the way it was told or my state of mind, but the truth is, I was bored with the story and didn't really care about it. The bad guys weren't that hard to figure out and their motivations same old.

As for the romance, I also expected much more. The way they acted in the other books I expected fireworks and more challenging takes on what was happening between them but their romance lacked excitement, a little more angst and heartfelt emotions. I don't know, it wasn't mesmerizing and again, I found it boring. Their intimacy also didn't seem the finally moment all the scenes before would indicate and after all things considered neither personality seemed strong enough to support their romance much less the overall plot.

After such a reading experience I don't find myself eager to read more so soon like I said. I was a bit disappointed in how this book was told, how things happened. I don't know, but it felt like a weaker story for me.

Still, in terms of series, it has its positive details like the appearance and importance of secondary characters, those know and those to know.

Grade: 5/10

Catherine Bybee - Married by Monday

Carter Billings:
Sandy blond hair and Hollywood good looks, Carter Billings could have any woman he wants. However, when he makes his bid for the Governor's seat in the state of California, he needs to settle down and become a family man. Eliza, the woman he secretly adores, embodies the perfect amount of spice and passion to suit his marital needs, but she's not interested in becoming Mrs. Billings. She can't even stand to be in the same room with him.
Eliza Havens:
It's much easier to drive Carter away than to give into desire. Matching couples is how she earns a living, but getting married isn't an option. The secrets she carries are too dangerous to entangle anyone else. When her hidden identity and past threaten her future, she's left with little choice. Carter is quick to offer solutions to both their problems, but saying yes could mean endangering the man she's growing to love. 

Comment: This is the second story on the Weekday Brides series by the author. I've read the first book months ago and it was a story good enough to keep me interested in the sequel, so here are my comments about it.

This is Eliza Havens story, she's Samantha's business partner from book #1. Eliza is a very reserved person because she has a secret. She thinks her life is god enough but after meeting Samantha's new husband's best friend Carter Billings, her life isn't the same. If they had their arguments was only to hide a mutual attraction and now that Carter's career is at risk, Eliza takes a chance on living without fear or restrictions...

Carter has liked Eliza from the start but didn't realize how much until he realized she's the only one he sees himself getting married to...

I think this story is sweet and easy enough to be quickly read, it's not overly dramatic nor full of silly characters that we wish could go away.

However, this story keeps having a little issue which didn't seem to matter as much on the first book but which I now realize might be part of the author's writing style. I'm talking about the way the story is often told and now showed. It didn't seem to matter much but then if one thinks about it it's rather obvious. At least for me, as soon I had that thought, I couldn't not think it again and it seemed so present. 

The thing is, Carter and Eliza have been attracted to each other and we don't see that, we didn't have many scenes where this was shown, not in this book which already starts with the premise they do, and not on the first book where they were secondary characters and even if we were told they were attracted, we didn't really see it that much.

This wouldn't have to be a problem, had it happened differently, but as it is, it feels like we are told they have the hots for each other which is very convenient so from this book on they can start to work on it.

My issue is, I don't feel enough time was spent on preparing them to be a couple. I also know the idea behind this is the quick decision to marry propelled by an outside need, but I still wish we could see more of them before they make that decision. Sure after the marriage the situation would be different, but before that, something more to cement their views of each other would have been nice.

The plot offers quite the different issues to be dealt with. 

Carter has his intended government career and what that entails, the kind of money one needs to have before starting something like that. In a superficial kind of way it was interesting. Also interesting were the themes on his background, social differences, money matters, love matters more, and so on.

Eliza had a different background and issues to present. She has a secret which I won't tell but that is told quickly during the story, which controls her life in a way she can't ignore, only work around it. I think that this also presented interesting ideas of how people in real life with the same life experience she is portrayed having here can exist and how they might manage.

The romance, as soon as they get married becomes what one would expect and sincerely, nothing amazing happens on that front, they do get their HEA but for me they're personalities never really were highlighted as I imagined.

The secondary characters had a pertaining role and, most likely, we have the beginning of the set up for the next story. I will read it and see if the author's style is a trademark or a "spur of the book".

Grade: 7/10

TBR Challenge: Catherine Bybee - Wife By Wednesday

Blake Harrison:
Rich, titled, and charming…and in need of a wife by Wednesday. Blake turns to Sam Elliot, who isn’t the businessman he expected. Instead, Blake is faced with Samantha Elliot, beautiful and feisty with a voice men call 1-900 numbers to hear.
Samantha Elliot:
Owner of matchmaking firm Alliance and not on the marital menu…that is, until Blake offers her ten million dollars for a one-year contract. And there’s nothing indecent about this proposal. The money will really help with her family’s medical bills. All Samantha will need to do is keep her attraction to her new husband to herself and avoid his bed.
But Blake’s toe-curling kisses and sexy charm prove too difficult for Sam to resist. It was a marriage contract that planned for everything…except falling in love.

Comment: This book was recommended to me by one of my friends on GR. As this month's theme is exactly recommended reads I thought about picking up this one which seemed to be a sort of book you read fast and with a lighter tone. I was totally right and this proved to be one of those stories you read between darker or more serious ones.

This story features Samantha Elliott, she has a matchmaking firm and matches men and women looking for a wedding, for whatever reason. She plans to grow her company into the top. Her newest client is the wealthy Blake Harrison, a man who is also a British duke, so she knows publicity will be enormous should she be successful.

Blake Harrison has to be married in order not to lose the land that goes along with his dukedom. His father's will has said so clearly. Blake meets Sam and the more he thinks of her a the perfect wife, putting aside the other candidates' names. But what should be only a marriage of convenience develops into something more...

These kind of stories don't seem to be the ones most romance readers get nowadays. Still, I was curious over how the author would play this along and how it would work without looking silly or too much fantasy-like.

The main premise is a marriage of convenience which sounds pompous and unlikely to the kind of society we live in but maybe it's not that unfeasible, if one considers any circumstances that could make it the only option. Still, it's harder to accept it these days but the author uses this idea as a business deal and Sam had good reasons to accept it.

I think the author had to go the only path good enough to make this more believable and it added to part of the relationship's details, but deep down it still feels too weird on a book out of Harlequin, for instance.

Sam is a pragmatic woman and she works fairly and in order to help her younger sister Jordan, who is hospitalized. Her past makes sense and it's the explanation to her attempts to work hard and have an uncomplicated life once more. I think her past was a good tactic to shape her character but I think a deeper take into her life and emotions would suit this story a lot, I also think more pages wouldn't hurt either, for despite everything having a place to work, there's still a slight feel of rush and more pages with some more time delving into the character's path in life could accomplish a deeper meaning into everything, My opinion, of course.

Blake is powerful but he still feels he needs to follow his father's wishes because he wants to keep his estate not only for him but mostly out of his cousin's hands. I get the ideas and the reasons but one again, it's something a bit more hard to accept these days, even more so considering he was rich on his own. On the other hand, he tried to keep a tradition, something people these days don't seem to pay much attention to, so it was good to see how he wanted to keep things in a way that would respect the whole meaning of what it was like to be part of aristocracy and to maintain place he was fond of.

So, both characters were in unusual places in life, dealing with things they wanted to preserve so they joined forces to reach their goals. When one thinks about it, it can be justified so, not so unlikely as I imagined at the beginning. I guess this is me looking for clues where they weren't meant to be - did the author have this aim? - but overall, I must say, this worked for me in the end.

Sam and Blake's relationship started as a partnership but evolved into something more. I guess I would find it more romantic if they were a bit more reluctant to change the relationship, which I found was done too easily and too fast. It almost felt like this was staged all along and this was it, but I think some more surprise and sexual tension before they got together would suit this a lot, would make the romance more passionate and true. Once again, my opinion.

In the end, I gave this a good grade because I surely was entertained and I am curious to read the following story, at least. This one had many great elements, it had a satisfying conclusion and interesting details, although I confess it also has all the expected clichés in this sort of story, jealous exes, secrets and friend's advices and so on. Still, I enjoyed it and in the end that's what matters.

Grade: 8/10