New Zealand

Kyla Vernon runs her own shop in northern New Zealand, but the new owner of her building complex, Marc Nathan, is trying to persuade her to allow them to buy out her lease.

Cressy Cross is a wildlife photographer who's just got a new assignment for a newspaper to document the tusked giant wetas (endangered insects). The book opens with her on the road, driving towards the wetas, getting more and more ill each mile she goes.

Tycoon's Valentine's Vendetta by Yvonne Lindsay is Jack Dolan and Lily Fontaine's story.  Jack feels that he needs to get revenge on Lily for what happened in the past.  Unfortunately he doesn't have all the facts.  Lindsay gives us a sexy second chance romance. 

4 out of 5

April tally

Lee Palmer is happy enough working as assistant editor at Lively Lady magazine and visiting her widowed mother and crippled brother on the weekend when new owner Adam Boothe takes over to give the magazine a sexy new makeover, including a new name, New Lady.

Fancy Free by Shelley Munro, Ellora's Cave, March 2000

A tale mirroring Alice in Wonderland. Alice Beasly was told that she was left a company called Fancy Free by her godmother, but had no clue of what kind of company. At the reading of the will she finds out it is a condom company. The godmother added a codicil to the will. If Alice (along with company manager) is an active member in running the company for 6 months she will receive $300,000 and a share of company profits but if she chooses not to, then she gets $10,000. Alice wanted a safe, predictable man in her life like her boyfriend (almost fiancé), like her and manager Jason Bates looked anything but safe and predictable. $300,000 could go a long way in paying off her student loans and giving her a secure future. Her boyfriend gave her an ultimatum "if you stay, we're through". Alice not liking his bossy attitude decided to stay. But is this almost virgin out of her depth? With the company developing a new condom and someone trying to sabotage them and it is up to the new owner to conduct trials. And who better to conduct the trials with but her dangerously sexy manager?

4 Stars! ~~~ Though published in 1988, this one marvelously hold up to the changing times.

Country of the Heart by Robyn Donald

Harlequin Presents # 1040 ~ January 1988

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Julia Fry is Cordon Bleu trained personal chef living and working in Auckland, NZ - she's very much in demand and whenever her regular employer is away he puts her on retainer and she hires out on other jobs.  This time she's engaged to spend a month with the Marlows, a well-known family in the entertainment industry

When I started reading this book, I kept checking the cover to see if it was a Harlequin Presents. Why? Because the hero sounded like a womanizing Alpha male. And that's who the heroine, newspaper columnist, Kate Brogan thinks he is. Her father was one so she should know. Kate also thinks Jordan is immature and a home-wrecker? Not only does she think it - she writes about it in her column.

Of course, Jordan King is nothing like that. He might be rich and know his own mind, but he's a selfless philanthropist who just hasn't found the right woman yet. However when Kate's column hits the stands, Jordan realizes he has to do something about her because she's putting plans for a youth camp in jeopardy. And he might be a home-wrecker, but it was an accident!

Jennifer Jordan is happily running a B&B with her mother when her step son, Rafe Jordan, who she has claimed is her husband, shows up and moves in. 

ER nurse Amy Brooks breaks off her engagement and finds herself falling for new ER Consultant Tom Barlow. But her insecurities and misperception make her keep him at bay until he can convince her that she's really what he really wants. A sweet read with several dramatice ER scenes. NFC (= No Further Comment)