J.P. Harrington first sees Kat Kiley in a war zone in Central America. He is a foreign correspondent and she is a combat photographer in the way of oncoming troops about to get herself killed. He goes after her, and wisks her away from danger although she doesn't seem particularly thankful. She's got a prickly personality but that isn't enough to dissaude J.P. He manages to track her down in the bar that night, and rescues her again when she leaves to photograph some local kids and the troops roll through again. They spend the night together but Kat makes her rejection of any further personal involvement pretty clear the next morning, although the sensual encounter rattles her enough that she forgets her precious camera in J.P.'s room.
Kat grew up poor with an alcoholic, abusive father and a mother who lived by the philosophy of turning the other cheek. She's trying to make it as a photographer and although her work is great, she is just scraping by so she's taking these ridiculous risks for the money - no man is ever going to get her in the same position as her mother (who even know refuses to leave the father, who has never gotten better). Except she starts getting random bouts of nausea, and practically throws up on J.P. at the night of the awards ceremony where she wins in her photography category. She spends the night again, but J.P. is clearly looking for emotional involvement - dare she get closer or will she drive him away?
This book is very well written and gives a fast paced, engaging story. J.P. and Kat were both likeable characters and their relationship feels very realistic - with natural separations and hurdles to navigate as they get to know each other. My only major complaint is the back cover blurb (totally not the author's fault) and the branding of this book as a pregnancy story, when it is so much more. Kat doesn't even find out she's pregnant until pg 192 (out of 219) so that's really not fair and it would be more fun not to know that that's what's going to happen. Anyway, definitely recommended.
