Book Review and Giveaway: The Proposal and Solid Soul by Brenda Jackson

Two 'solid' and engaging romances in one package!

Solid Soul
by Brenda Jackson

• File Size: 547 KB
• Print Length: 414 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 037383764X
• Publisher: Harlequin Desire; Reprint edition (June 1, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004XDXETY

Genre: Contemporary Romance

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 (both books)

The Proposal
Book DescriptionPublication Date: May 24, 2011 | Series: Westmorelands
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Brenda Jackson brings you the story of Jason Westmoreland. With one convenient proposal, he could have a Southern beauty in his bed and her birthright in his hands. If only the lovely lady would say yes….

Plus a Brenda Jackson classic—the first in the Steele family series, Solid Soul. (See below)

Review of The Proposal:
Bella Bostwick is a Southern beauty who has been sheltered by her wealthy, society parents. They have a plan for her to marry a man from their “set” and they are very unhappy when she decides to move to the Denver ranch that her grandfather left her.  Bella has had to put up with her controlling parents for years. Now she is even more angry with them since she discovered that she had a grandfather whom she was never allowed to know. And she is not about to sell out the land or the prize stallion that her uncle and others are trying to get.

Unlike her Uncle who turned his back on her when she wouldn’t sell out, Jason Westmoreland has made a fair offer for the land and horse but has been gracious to offer her help as well.  Bella plans to use her trust fund monies to cover expenses until she can manage the ranch. Her parents block her efforts when they discover a clause that requires her to marry by a fast approaching deadline or lose the funds.

Jason proposes marriage as a solution. She’ll get to keep her trust fund, he’ll help her with the ranch and he’ll get the stallion.  After a year they can part if she wants. That’s not to say it won’t be a real marriage...after all he has wanted the beautiful lady since he first saw her. Now he has to learn how to woe her to accept his proposal because the more he is around her the more he realizes that his intentions are serious and not just for the short term.  When the time comes how will he convince her that he wants her and not just a business deal?

I received two Brenda Jackson books (three stories in all) for Harlequin survey. I am glad to “meet” Brenda Jackson as I can share that she is clearly a talented romance author. She creates likeable characters, plots interesting dilemmas and conflicts, and builds good tension.  Although The Proposal isn’t based on a new theme, Ms. Jackson’s story is handled well with warmth and integrity. There is plenty of sensual tension in this one and just a bit of steamy intimacy. The writing flows well and all in all this is a nicely engaging romance.

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Bella’s early awareness of attraction to Jason:

Every cell in her body started to quiver under the intensity of his gaze. 22.

A kiss:

He lowered his head and kissed her, letting his tongue tangle with hers, reaquainting himself with the taste of her, a taste he had not forgotten and had so desperately craved since the last time. He kissed her deeply, not allowing any part of her mouth to go untouched. Page 130.

Solid Soul

Book Description

Publication Date: May 18, 2009

In the real world there was no way flower shop owner Kylie Hagan would ever meet up with millionaire Chance Steele. But the world of single parents and teenage hormones brought them together the first time--and a simmering passion they both tried to deny wouldn't keep them apart for long.

Chance made her think of hot, sultry Southern nights. Kylie had him imagining satin sheets and soul-stirring kisses. But in the cold light of day, they had to resist each other. There was no way they'd let uncontrollable desire ignite their carefully protected hearts.

But some things they couldn't ignore....

Review of Solid Soul:

Kylie Hagan is a beautiful, single mom with a 15 year old daughter, Tiffany. Since Kylie got pregnant and abandoned at 16 she is determined to protect her daughter from repeating her mistakes and experiencing the same shame. Kylie has wrapped her heart and world around her daughter and sheltered herself by staying away from men all together.

Chance Steele is a handsome, wealthy businessman. He has been widowed for seven years and set to raise his 16 year old son, Marcus, to have the advantages of college rather than marrying young, like Chance did.  

Kylie almost never dates and Chance hasn’t dated much either.  The teens decide that their parents need to get a life other than watching over them so they cook up a plan.  The kids pretend to be head over heals to bring their parents together to figure out how to control them.  The stage for conflict is set with Kylie and Chance drawn by attraction but reluctant to move into a relationship.

The plot is a cute premise and the characters, adult and teen, are likeable: sweet, strong, and  honorable. Ms. Jackson uses sensual images to build lots of warm desire into intense passion. The romance is sweet and the lovemaking plenty spicy.

The writing is smooth and engaging. Chance has brothers and cousins and Kylie has a good friend. I bet the stories of these other interesting characters would be good reading too.  If you like a strong romance story I suggest you try a  Brenda Jackson book!

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Some conflicting scenes:

His conscience gave him a hard kick. He shouldn’t be standing in the middle of her kitchen ogling her this way. The truth of the matter was that he couldn’t help it. Page 260 (67 into this story.)

She was fighting the chemistry between them. He knew that just as sure as he knew it was a fight she wouldn’t win. But he would let her try up to a certain point. He’d give her until the end of the week and if he didn’t hear from her by then, he would take some necessary action. Page 275 (82 in this story.)

This book was received from Harlequin.

These stories are set in Denver, Colorado and Charlotte, North Carolina for my Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add this to my New Author challenge list.

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