A Sure Thing

September 19, 2016
In this enjoyable series launch set in present-day Seattle, Harte (Roadside Assistance) creates attractive and likable protagonists with serious professional lives who are drawn to each other by both their sexual compatibility and the genuine caring they witness in each other. Practical, organized psychologist Ava Rosenthal has a list of desired qualities for her future mate, and brawny, bossy Landon Donnigan doesn’t meet them, but the chemistry between them threatens to mess up her carefully laid plains. After a knee wound forces Landon to retire from the Marines, he struggles to adjust to civilian life, especially since his role as a caring older brother demands his constant vigilance over his three struggling siblings. After the two protagonists meet at the local gym, Ava signs up for a self-defense class for women that Landon teaches (mostly to benefit his younger sister). Landon’s drawn to Ava’s perky independence, and she’s hooked by his cocky humor and self-confidence. Decent people, playful banter, and steamy sex scenes add up to a satisfying romance. Introducing numerous supporting
characters looking for love, Harte lays the groundwork for future books in the series.

A clinical psychologist has to re-evaluate her expectations for a mate when she begins to fall for an ex-Marine who is the exact opposite of what she's looking for.After watching his Marine Corps career disintegrate following an injury, Landon Donnigan is settling into civilian life. With a good job and a loving though imperfect family, he's feeling good about his future, though he misses the military life he loved and expected to carry him through retirement. He's not looking for commitments of any kind, spending time at the gym and dating casually. So he's a little stunned when he meets Dr. Ava Rosenthal, the gorgeous clinical psychologist who's determined to keep him at arm's length, but can't fight their blazing chemistry. She's been trying online dating, looking for Mr. Right--cerebral, slight, low-key--to no avail, so giving in to sexual attraction with Landon won't lead to anything real. He's so totally not her type! Except that every minute she spends with him makes her realize that maybe her type is Landon. Which goes against everything she thinks she believes yet may be the answer to a happy future. At first afraid of her feelings, Ava is forced to reconsider when Landon challenges her assumptions at every turn and demands that she face her emotions and admit they were made for each other. Harte is known for sizzling sex scenes in her contemporary romances that feature everyday characters (as opposed to billionaires) and a sprawling cast of secondary characters who add conflict and depth to the story as well as hints at upcoming directions for the series. A blazing hot, emotionally intense love story launches a new series from an author on the rise. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.