Linda Howard

Cate Nightingale, a young widow, runs a bed-and-breakfast.  The local jack-of-all-trades Calvin Harris holds everything together for her.

Shy Calvin is quietly in love with Cate, but she doesn't know it.

Then one day a group of armed men invade the house and hold the whole town hostage. 

Bailey Wingate's plane crashed in the wilderness the same day as her hateful adult stepchildren had threatened her life.

Sexy Texas pilot Cam Justice is stuck in the wilderness with a snooty bitch who barely speaks to him.

This book started a tiny bit slow but the pace quickened as I fell in love with handy-man turned rambo Cal.  Pining away for three years, waiting for his true love, widow Cate Nightingale to be ready to accept his love.  Shows you that tough guys need love too. 

Really nice read displaying how a small town community pulls together in a crisis and helps everyone out.

Okay, here is my second keeper.  Once you read the first Blair Mallory book, you have to read the second. In this book, someone is trying to kill Blair Mallory again.  However, this time Wyatt doesn't believe it is true.  The two have some major issues to resolve as well. 

Okay, here is the start of my keeper reads - TDF is one of my favorite books.  Blair Mallory witnesses a murder and fortunately or unfortunately Wyatt Knox reenters her life.  The two had had a relationship two years ago and Wyatt had walked away from her. 

"Bailey Wingate's scheming adult stepchildren are surprised when their father's will leaves Bailey in control of their fortune, and war ensues. A year later, while flying from Seattle to Denver in a small plane, Bailey nearly dies herself when the engine sputters-and then fails.

Cam Justice, her sexy Texan pilot, manages to crash-land the aircraft. Stranded in the wilderness, and struggling to douse her feelings for the ruggedly handsome man by her side, Bailey begins to wonder whether this was a mere accident. Who tampered with their plane? Who's trying to reunite Bailey and her husband in the afterlife? Cut off from the world, and with little hope of rescue, Bailey must trust her life-and heart-to Cam, as they battle the harsh elements to find a way out of the unforgiving wilds and back to civilization . . . where a killer may be waiting to finish the job."

Rating:  Okay - 2 stars

Okay, I'm several years behind everyone else in reading this book...but better late than never. I've heard different views of Mr. Perfect over the years from Howard fans - some think it's her best work, others don't like it so much. I haven't read a lot of Linda Howard, but I thought this book was great.