Book Review: The Most Important Catch By Jaclyn M. Hawkes

Book Blurb
Run or die!
She knew too much, and she’d seen too much.
And the police refused to help.
Knowing that she was to be the next scheduled death, Kelly Campbell hid under head to toe black leather and a tinted motorcycle helmet and ran for her life.
When the weather turned cold, she turned south.
She ended up in North Carolina, home to one of the most famed and eligible NFL football stars in the whole league; only she didn’t know that. She thought he was a businessman.  Not being a huge fan, all she knew was that he was incredibly attractive, kind, generous, and that she was safe with him.
 Or was she?
His brand of fame proved to be all but deadly, but his fame wasn’t nearly as lethal as his attraction. He kept her safe and protected. Except for her heart.


My take:

First of all the idea of a beautiful girl on a bike and in black leathers who is also kind and giving and strong was a huge draw for me. I loved the concept of it all. Then to pair her with a hunky built generous NFL player, kept me turning the pages.  The way their world's collide was wonderful to see, as they struggle to deal with their own personal insecurities. And growing feelings for each other while keeping important secrets from each other.

I fell in love with the characters instantly. I didn't want to put The Most Important Catch down, not even to sleep, I loved it that much! I felt the contrast of who they were on the inside and what they looked like on the outside played well with the challenge of trusting each other and then through that protecting one another, even when that meant hurting themselves to keep the other safe.

There are so many things in The Most Important Catch that will make you laugh out loud and make you appreciate that sometimes beauty and fame have an extremely high price tag. And that it isn't often you can find those who don't allow the world they are a part of be part of them.  Robby shows us how he manages to stay beyond the reaching effects of being a highly recognized wide receiver.

Kelly's deep abiding faith and strength help her handle the fact that she is being hunted. Through the turmoil of not being able to go back home, she learns to find the wonderful things life can offer even when faced with insurmountable obstacles. I found Kelly's ability to grow beyond the things she was faced with an inspiration.

To me, Kelly's incredible striking and very recognizable beauty worked perfectly in creating the need to hide it and to disappear, but the juxtaposition of that with the high profile life of Robby's position with the Carolina Panthers puts that in jeopardy because of the media following him. Out in public he was a camera magnet, and Kelly doesn't exactly blend in with the crowd unnoticed. I felt these character aspects were integral to the story line.

I am a huge huge fan of Jaclyn M Hawkes. I have read all of her books and find that I love each book more. The Most Important Catch takes it's place as my new favorite. She can't write fast enough for me. Her writing style pulls you into the story and you feel as if you know the characters so well, they could walk off the page and be real people. The sweet way in which she allows her characters to grow to love each other makes your heart warm and you feel their emotions as deeply as they do.

There is fun, laughter, adventure, intrigue, mystery, and evil villains all together. The character arcs are wonderfully written and the plots and themes weave together keeping you on your toes until the very last page, when you realize you don't want it to be over yet.

Don't miss out on this wonderful LDS romantic suspense! You won't be sorry you entered Robby and Kelly's world. I am confident you will love this book as much as I do.
You can get your copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and The Book Depository
e book depository. Visit Jaclyn's website here where you can also view a fun book trailer and learn more about her. The Most Important Catch will keep your heart singing long after you finish the last page.

Book Review: The Outer Edge of Heaven

I have just one thing to say about Jaclyn M. Hawkes book The Outer Edge of Heaven! I absolutely love, Love, LOVE it!


Okay, really, I actually do have more to say about it. . .


I never wanted The Outer Edge of Heaven to end, and when it did, I wanted more. I could not get enough of this story. It was so well written and the characters so well developed that they were three dimensional. The plot was laced with intrigue and anticipation, not to mention lots of humor and butterfly inducing events. And besides, who can resist a gorgeous hunky cowboy or two?

Charlie(Charlene) is tired of being bullied by her high society influential parents and makes the decision to go with her best friend, Fo to his cousin's ranch in Montana for the summer to escape them. She looks forward to the opportunity to work there and finds that she loves learning the little ins and outs of ranch life and falls in love with the Big Sky Country.

While there she finds that there is a lot to love about the Langston Family, and feels more at home and at peace than she has in a long time in spite of all the dysfunctional craziness that comes with it. It all adds up to lots of great adventures, and some unexpected surprises, especially one in the form of Fo's gorgeous cousin Luke Langston.

While at the ranch Charlie learns that she doesn't more about what it is she really wants in life and finds that it doesn't match up with the path her parents have chosen for you. But instead of running and hiding from them as she has in the past, Charlie struggles to find a way to stand up for herself, all while chasing baby pigs, a bunch of impetuous kids and discovering that she has lost her heart in more than one way to a Big Montana Ranch all while fighting to escape a lurking danger.

This story kept me turning pages as fast as I possibly could. I couldn't read it fast enough to find out what happened next. I was up all night reading, I honestly couldn't help myself. I was so wrapped up in the characters, the story line and the laugh out loud humor that it was impossible to put down. Each page lured me further on into the depth of the story. Unexpected surprises popped up as well as comical out takes that made reading The Outer Edge of Heaven a pure delight!

This is a must read! Treat yourself to a great time. You won't regret it! I highly recommend this book if I were a 5 star rating kind of girl, this book would get 6!~ I am a sucker for a romance and this one delivered and then some.

So what are you waiting for? Get your copy of The Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M Hawkes click here. And lose yourself on the Langston Ranch for a while. The smile that will soon be on your face will be worth it!


Disclaimer: While I sometimes receive books to review, my opinions are and always will be my own!

Book Review : Journey of Honor By Jaclyn M. Hawkes

In Jacyln M Hawkes debut novel Journey of Honor the author takes you on a journey filled with adventure and danger. The story is about Giselle, a young LDS (Latter-day Saint) immigrant and Trace a young doctor, turned teamster leader, who discover they are traveling in the same wagon train west. Leaving from St Joseph Missouri in 1848, they find themselves in a situation which requires a marriage in name only for the sake of protection.

The marriage takes an interesting twist when attraction turns to longing and then to love. These two main characters are thrust into many perilous and at many times, life-threatening situations. The secret that Giselle carries with her, becomes a situation that endangers her life, regardless of the consequences she is determined to pull her weight no matter the cost, especially when she needs to help those that fall ill. Unbeknownst to Trace he leaves her to care for the sick which allows him to put both distance between their growing attraction and frees him to lead the wagon train and check on every one's progress.

This arrangement seems to be working well, until Giselle no longer is able to continue with her ministrations, forcing a change of events that forever alters Trace and Giselle's relationship. While Trace still holds honor to his promise to keep his marriage to Giselle in name only; it becomes more and more difficult as he fights his growing attraction and feelings for her. Especially when he holds her close during the cold winter nights. Just as Giselle also attempts to stop the burgeoning feelings of love that are taking root inside her as she allows Trace to comfort her as she faces the emotions of horrendous events that happened before they met.

These feelings of growing love become more focused for Trace and Giselle with the humorous interaction of an Indian Warrior who finds he wants Giselle for his own, and isn't willing to follow the rules of decorum.

Their journey forces them to analyze certain truths they hold dear about what they intrinsically believe and causes them to make decisions that will effect them forever as they reach The Salt Lake Valley. Trace and Giselle must determine if they will or will not get their marriage annulled as the need for protection nears its end.

There are many sweet side stories that brought tenderness and tears to my heart as I read Journey of Honor. I found myself growing attached the secondary characters as much as the primary ones. I thought Trace's adopted brother Mose was sweet and gentle and kind. He had such goodness in him, I couldn't help but love him. I also found Giselle's grandparents to be supporting and compassionate. I loved how her grandfather supported Giselle in her decisions when her parents would not, and were there to lean on during horrific events. I found the quiet strength of these characters to be a great addition to the story as faith and understanding of gospel truths played an important part in helping the main characters discover what truly was most important.

I felt sensitive issues relating to gospel truths were handled with care and were presented in such a way as to be informative and enlightening, in a story where the characters themselves discover what they mean to them, as they learn from one another and grow.

I really enjoyed reading Journey of Honor and found it to be a quick read. I felt at times that I wanted a bit more, wanted it to last just a bit longer in certain parts of the story. I thought that the love between Trace and Giselle was sweet and filled with just the right amount of longing and tension to keep the reader wondering what would happen next in their relationship. There were a number of funny scenes that had me laughing and tender moments that had me crying.

This is a book that has no swearing and would be considered a clean romance. I would recommend this book for ages 12 and over and if you enjoy a light hearted historical romance with out all the heavy history but filled with unexpected adventurous twists and turns, this is the book for you.

If you would like to get your own copy, click HERE. You can visit Jaclyn at http://www.jaclynmhawkes.com/ I know you will enjoy the story as much as I did.

Disclaimer: Although at times I do receive copies of books to review, my opinions are and will always remain my own.