This is a combination series book. It is the last story in the Taggart family and the first story in the Falcon family series.
Madelyn "Addie" Taggart, is the family's youngest child and
only daughter. Daniel Falcon is
a charismatic, no nonsense businessman who, in tribute to his
African-American and Native American heritage, creates documentary
films as an avocation.
Madelyn Taggart, has graduated from
college with a degree in chemical engineering. For three years she has
lived in Houston, where she works as a production engineer for Sinclair
Petroleum Company. She's made it in a mostly older, all-male, all-white
industry. Yet, for all her professional aplomb, Madelyn is inexperienc with love. She saw a picture of family friend and millionaire
businessman, Daniel Falcon with her brother and was immediately
smitten.
Madelyn and Daniel meet for the first time on business in San Antonio.
Madelyn was so busy having a Daniel daydream, she literally didn't have
sense to come in out of the rain. She
crashes headlong into him in a storm-soggy gauze dress. Daniel
gallantly offers her the use of his jacket and hotel room so she can
regroup. She reluctantly accepts. He is pleased to discover that she
dries off very well. He is not thrilled to find out she is the little sister of two of his best friend and therefore off limits. In the spirit of his friendship with her family, Daniel shows Madelyn around San Antonio.
They spend a pleasant day together. She knows what she wants, but
Daniel fights their mutual attraction. He lets her know that he's not
into long-term relationships – particularly not with her because of his
close relationship with her brothers. In Houston, weeks later, the best
laid plans of Daniel Falcon go awry when he and Madelyn
go to bed together. It was a spontaneous encounter. He immediately sees
this as a mistake; she is devastated by his reaction.
Daniel takes commitment-phobia to new heights. He's never been in love.
Using his parents' off-again, on-again relationship as an example, he
vows never to put his heart in jeopardy. In so doing, he destroys most
of Madelyn's romanticized illusions about him.
The underlying themes of Daniel's relationship with Madelyn are
redemption and trust. She must
come to grips with the impact of his parents' marriage on Daniel's
perceptions of love and marriage before she can understand him fully.
I'm paraphasing a review I read by Gwendolyn Osborne but I agree with her assetment of the book.
The only problem I had with the book was that Madelyn was not forceful enought with Daniel until the very end.
