In this final entry to the series youngest sister Jade Radcliffe has outgrown her angry teen rebel years. College degree and certificates in hand, she’s on her way home to become Warburg’s newest second grade teacher and fulfilling her dream of opening classes for young riders on her family’s horse farm. Avoiding the torrential rain and slick highways, Jade decides it’s safer to get a hotel room overnight.
Officer Rob Cooper has been content to raise his small daughter with the help of his family in Warburg and hasn’t made room for a woman on any level in his life since his wife Betsy died. Waiting out the rainstorm after a conference, Rob stops for a quiet drink in the hotel bar. His fellow bar patrons went wild when she walked in smothered in sensuous sex appeal and rushed to spend time with her.
Rob stops the clumsy but amorous fans of the not quite a damsel in distress by spending time with Jade himself. Time that ends in a memorable and passionate night before they go their separate ways, not realizing they’ve got the same destination. Jade’s welcome to the bosom of her family included a cottage of her own, a barn for her riding venture and a substitute teaching position until the New Year.
Hearing a recommendation for Jade as his daughter’s riding teacher reminds Rob he’d always associate rebellious teenaged Jade to the worst time of his life. Adding insult to injury, Jade’s his daughter’s teacher and more unbelievably, she’s the unforgettable not quite a damsel in distress in Norfolk that he’d shared one of the hottest nights of his life.
Jade and Rob have been likeable characters throughout the series and this reader had to ignore the unlikelihood they didn’t recognize each other given their history. Following its predecessors these leads had great chemistry but not much depth and thankfully children that haven’t been precious. Overall a good series and perfect beach or rainy day reads.
Rating:3.75stars
