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scoutmomskf's review
4.0
Good book with enough suspense to keep me enthralled and some wonderful emotional growth on the part of the hero. Continuing from the first book in the series Her Secret, His Duty, the investigation into the attempted murder of Thad's mother goes on. Thad feels responsible for not protecting his mother and is determined to find out who is responsible. He runs into roadblocks all along the way, being told that the feds are in charge and with no one sharing any information. Thad and his partner aren't backing down, even after they are threatened. There are quite a few twists and turns on their investigative path, including a connection to Lucy's stalker. Even when they find out the identity of the shooter, they are left with more questions than answers.
Lucy is his mother's nurse. She is very good at what she does and has a very caring personality. She also has no trouble standing up to Thad when she feels he's out of line. She's attracted to him, but he's made no secret of the fact that he is anti-marriage. He's just as attracted to her, but he knows she's not the no commitment type. He is adamant that there will be no marriage in his future. Thad witnessed the way that his parents' marriage fell apart as his father had multiple affairs and his mother ignored them because she loved him. He believes that even if you're in love it won't last and that everyone ends up hurt and refuses to put himself or anyone else through that kind of pain.
Thad's mother, Kate, takes every opportunity she can to throw Thad and Lucy together. She is convinced that it will just take the right woman to overcome his objections and that Lucy is the right one. Lucy is having problems with a stalker and Thad's protective instincts kick in. He finds himself spending a lot of time with her, fighting his attraction the whole time. When Lucy takes in one of the foster children in her literacy class, Thad ends up in situations mirroring family life. The things he's starting to feel for both Lucy and Sophie scare him. I loved the way that Lucy could see what an awesome family man he could be if he would just allow himself to believe it. I also liked the way that she stood up for her own needs.
The time that Thad spends with Lucy and Sophie makes him start to question his attitude. He is constantly being surprised by how right it feels to be with her. I loved watching all the people around him point out what his feelings are, even though he doesn't believe them. It takes two attempts on Lucy's life before he can finally accept the truth of his feelings. I found the ending interesting and not quite what I expected.
Lucy is his mother's nurse. She is very good at what she does and has a very caring personality. She also has no trouble standing up to Thad when she feels he's out of line. She's attracted to him, but he's made no secret of the fact that he is anti-marriage. He's just as attracted to her, but he knows she's not the no commitment type. He is adamant that there will be no marriage in his future. Thad witnessed the way that his parents' marriage fell apart as his father had multiple affairs and his mother ignored them because she loved him. He believes that even if you're in love it won't last and that everyone ends up hurt and refuses to put himself or anyone else through that kind of pain.
Thad's mother, Kate, takes every opportunity she can to throw Thad and Lucy together. She is convinced that it will just take the right woman to overcome his objections and that Lucy is the right one. Lucy is having problems with a stalker and Thad's protective instincts kick in. He finds himself spending a lot of time with her, fighting his attraction the whole time. When Lucy takes in one of the foster children in her literacy class, Thad ends up in situations mirroring family life. The things he's starting to feel for both Lucy and Sophie scare him. I loved the way that Lucy could see what an awesome family man he could be if he would just allow himself to believe it. I also liked the way that she stood up for her own needs.
The time that Thad spends with Lucy and Sophie makes him start to question his attitude. He is constantly being surprised by how right it feels to be with her. I loved watching all the people around him point out what his feelings are, even though he doesn't believe them. It takes two attempts on Lucy's life before he can finally accept the truth of his feelings. I found the ending interesting and not quite what I expected.
theeditorreads's review
4.0
I have always wanted to do this!
https://sassyshaina.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/adair-winston-family-tree.jpg?w=1024
The Adair-Winston Family
Yes, make a family tree! And since neither of the ‘Adair’ series has one, I felt compelled to create one. Do let me know how it is, and whether it needs improvement (after reading all the books, of course)!
The reading order of the series is as follows:
“The Adair Legacy” (published 2014)
Her Secret, His Duty by Carla Cassidy
Executive Protection by Jennifer Morey
Special Ops Rendezvous by Karen Anders
Secret Service Rescue by Elle James
And then comes:
“The Adair Affairs” (published 2015)
Carrying His Secret by Marie Ferrarella
The Marine’s Temptation by Jennifer Morey
Secret Agent Boyfriend by Addison Fox
Heir to Murder by Elle James
Read the books in the above-mentioned order, and you are good to go!
Needless to say, as all the books in both the series come under the Mills & Boon imprint of ‘Romantic Suspense’, all of the above have tons of suspenseful action! Published a year apart, you can draw parallels between the books of the two series. There are many similarities in their storylines, and it surprised me a lot as nowhere it is given that there is any link between the two series, and I myself stumbled upon them almost a year apart! Thankfully, I had read ‘The Adair Legacy’ first; otherwise, it would have been a bit of a spoiler.
I love the way Kate’s character has been written and also how beautifully it has shaped up over the course of the 8 books. While all other characters are flitting in and out, she is the only constant. Even if briefly, she appears in all the books and makes her appearance count (always the ‘matchmaker’)! Also, being the former vice-president, you almost don’t expect the homey atmosphere of ‘Winston Estate’ which welcomes you to the books, especially in ‘The Adair Legacy’ series.
Both the series are the individual stories of three brothers and their sister, with the only exception being the sister’s daughter replacing her in ‘The Adair Legacy’ (which makes Kate a Grandma!)
Her Secret, His Duty (by Carla Cassidy)
(The Adair Legacy #1)
What I felt about this one is that it could have had a bit more romance. And the same goes for:
Carrying His Secret (by Marie Ferrarella)
(The Adair Affairs #5)
Appearing under the category of ‘Romantic Suspense’ these two appeared to have missed the romance a little.
Similarities: Both are classic M&B ‘secret’ pregnancy tropes with the eldest sons (Trey and Whit) heading their respective businesses while the female protagonists (Debra and Elizabeth) work for one of their parents (part office romance).
Executive Protection (by Jennifer Morey)
(The Adair Legacy #2)
And
The Marine’s Temptation (again, by Jennifer Morey)
(The Adair Affairs #6)
Similarities: The first one above has the lady convincing the man about falling in love while the second one is vice-versa. But of course, it is only if you narrow it down to that; otherwise, both the books are great to read.
Now’s where the order is getting a bit muddled, as far as similarities are concerned.
Special Ops Rendezvous (by Karen Anders)
(The Adair Legacy #3)
Secret Service Rescue (by Elle James)
(The Adair Legacy #4)
And
Secret Agent Boyfriend (Addison Fox)
(The Adair Affairs #7)
Heir to Murder (by Elle James)
(The Adair Affairs #8)
Similarities: While #4 and #7 have secret agents (Daniel and Derek) acting out as boyfriends to their respective female protagonists (Shelby and Landry) as a ruse for investigative purposes, #4 and #8 are all about long-lost identities (of Shelby and Jackson).
While the first series deals almost entirely with an ‘attempt to murder’, the second series deals with an ‘actual’ murder.
And one thing which is common to all of them is that ‘someone is always trying to kill someone’, so definitely suspenseful!
Special Mention: Be sure not to miss Elle James’ books as both of the titles will send you on a roller-coaster ride of nail-gripping action. (I am writing this while searching for more Elle James books. I have fallen in love with her writing!)
Boggled your brains? Well, read it out and then you will know!
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/the-adair-legacy-and-the-adair-affairs-by-various/
https://sassyshaina.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/adair-winston-family-tree.jpg?w=1024
The Adair-Winston Family
Yes, make a family tree! And since neither of the ‘Adair’ series has one, I felt compelled to create one. Do let me know how it is, and whether it needs improvement (after reading all the books, of course)!
The reading order of the series is as follows:
“The Adair Legacy” (published 2014)
Her Secret, His Duty by Carla Cassidy
Executive Protection by Jennifer Morey
Special Ops Rendezvous by Karen Anders
Secret Service Rescue by Elle James
And then comes:
“The Adair Affairs” (published 2015)
Carrying His Secret by Marie Ferrarella
The Marine’s Temptation by Jennifer Morey
Secret Agent Boyfriend by Addison Fox
Heir to Murder by Elle James
Read the books in the above-mentioned order, and you are good to go!
Needless to say, as all the books in both the series come under the Mills & Boon imprint of ‘Romantic Suspense’, all of the above have tons of suspenseful action! Published a year apart, you can draw parallels between the books of the two series. There are many similarities in their storylines, and it surprised me a lot as nowhere it is given that there is any link between the two series, and I myself stumbled upon them almost a year apart! Thankfully, I had read ‘The Adair Legacy’ first; otherwise, it would have been a bit of a spoiler.
I love the way Kate’s character has been written and also how beautifully it has shaped up over the course of the 8 books. While all other characters are flitting in and out, she is the only constant. Even if briefly, she appears in all the books and makes her appearance count (always the ‘matchmaker’)! Also, being the former vice-president, you almost don’t expect the homey atmosphere of ‘Winston Estate’ which welcomes you to the books, especially in ‘The Adair Legacy’ series.
Both the series are the individual stories of three brothers and their sister, with the only exception being the sister’s daughter replacing her in ‘The Adair Legacy’ (which makes Kate a Grandma!)
Her Secret, His Duty (by Carla Cassidy)
(The Adair Legacy #1)
What I felt about this one is that it could have had a bit more romance. And the same goes for:
Carrying His Secret (by Marie Ferrarella)
(The Adair Affairs #5)
Appearing under the category of ‘Romantic Suspense’ these two appeared to have missed the romance a little.
Similarities: Both are classic M&B ‘secret’ pregnancy tropes with the eldest sons (Trey and Whit) heading their respective businesses while the female protagonists (Debra and Elizabeth) work for one of their parents (part office romance).
Executive Protection (by Jennifer Morey)
(The Adair Legacy #2)
And
The Marine’s Temptation (again, by Jennifer Morey)
(The Adair Affairs #6)
Similarities: The first one above has the lady convincing the man about falling in love while the second one is vice-versa. But of course, it is only if you narrow it down to that; otherwise, both the books are great to read.
Now’s where the order is getting a bit muddled, as far as similarities are concerned.
Special Ops Rendezvous (by Karen Anders)
(The Adair Legacy #3)
Secret Service Rescue (by Elle James)
(The Adair Legacy #4)
And
Secret Agent Boyfriend (Addison Fox)
(The Adair Affairs #7)
Heir to Murder (by Elle James)
(The Adair Affairs #8)
Similarities: While #4 and #7 have secret agents (Daniel and Derek) acting out as boyfriends to their respective female protagonists (Shelby and Landry) as a ruse for investigative purposes, #4 and #8 are all about long-lost identities (of Shelby and Jackson).
While the first series deals almost entirely with an ‘attempt to murder’, the second series deals with an ‘actual’ murder.
And one thing which is common to all of them is that ‘someone is always trying to kill someone’, so definitely suspenseful!
Special Mention: Be sure not to miss Elle James’ books as both of the titles will send you on a roller-coaster ride of nail-gripping action. (I am writing this while searching for more Elle James books. I have fallen in love with her writing!)
Boggled your brains? Well, read it out and then you will know!
Originally posted on:
https://sassyshaina.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/the-adair-legacy-and-the-adair-affairs-by-various/
stephanywrites's review
1.0
Wow, this book was just bad. Really, really bad. I never expect GREAT WRITING from a Harlequin novel, but this was not a great book. The novel had a lot of potential and that's what drew me in, but as time went on, the writing grew weaker and weaker and the plot grew more and more unbelievable. (And, frankly, quite silly, in my opinion.)
What I started to realize midway through the book was there was a real lack of emotion. I didn't feel anything from the characters, not even when Lucy gets kidnapped. You didn't know what Thad was thinking or feeling. And if there was emotion, I didn't FEEL it. Everything fell flat and I think it was a matter of the author telling, and not showing. Show, show, show! Don't tell me, show me!
Another issue I had was that the writing involved a lot of short sentences, which interrupted the flow of the book. (Example: "It wasn't even dinnertime and a person wouldn't be able to tell. It was so dark." How about, "It wasn't even dinnertime, but it was so dark outside a person wouldn't be able to tell." I have a ton more instances of these oddly-worded sentences and choppy flow.) All I really want is to get my hands on the manuscript to edit it.
I also felt like the author was forcing the plot too much. It felt very formulaic, as if she was following a guideline for writing a Harlequin mystery novel. (And most romance novels are formulaic, but this one had no spunk to it.) She was really harping on the theme of "Thad doesn't want to marry because his dad couldn't keep his pants zipped. Lucy wants to get married because ISN'T THAT WHAT ALL GIRLS WANT?!?!?!" It rubbed me the wrong way because I never learned WHY Lucy was so hellbent on marriage and children. Are we just supposed to assume because she's a woman, she should automatically want that lifestyle?
I rarely give out 1-star reviews because I feel like if I finish a book, it's good enough for at least 2 stars, but when you spend an entire novel rolling your eyes at the language and the cheesy plot, it's the best I can do.
What I started to realize midway through the book was there was a real lack of emotion. I didn't feel anything from the characters, not even when Lucy gets kidnapped. You didn't know what Thad was thinking or feeling. And if there was emotion, I didn't FEEL it. Everything fell flat and I think it was a matter of the author telling, and not showing. Show, show, show! Don't tell me, show me!
Another issue I had was that the writing involved a lot of short sentences, which interrupted the flow of the book. (Example: "It wasn't even dinnertime and a person wouldn't be able to tell. It was so dark." How about, "It wasn't even dinnertime, but it was so dark outside a person wouldn't be able to tell." I have a ton more instances of these oddly-worded sentences and choppy flow.) All I really want is to get my hands on the manuscript to edit it.
I also felt like the author was forcing the plot too much. It felt very formulaic, as if she was following a guideline for writing a Harlequin mystery novel. (And most romance novels are formulaic, but this one had no spunk to it.) She was really harping on the theme of "Thad doesn't want to marry because his dad couldn't keep his pants zipped. Lucy wants to get married because ISN'T THAT WHAT ALL GIRLS WANT?!?!?!" It rubbed me the wrong way because I never learned WHY Lucy was so hellbent on marriage and children. Are we just supposed to assume because she's a woman, she should automatically want that lifestyle?
I rarely give out 1-star reviews because I feel like if I finish a book, it's good enough for at least 2 stars, but when you spend an entire novel rolling your eyes at the language and the cheesy plot, it's the best I can do.
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