His Texas Baby - Stella Bagwell (HSE #2199 - July 2012)

Series: Men of the West (Book 23) 

West Texas horse trainer Kitty Cartwright didn't expect a romantic proposal…especially from the New Mexico rancher who was her business rival. She didn't expect a proposal at all! But Kitty was having Liam Donovan's baby. And now the daddy-to-be was insisting they make it legal. 

No child of Liam's was going to be born without him around. The surprise was how quickly Kitty said "I do"—for the sake of the baby, of course. But with passion reigniting, this marriage of convenience was starting to feel an awful lot like the real thing. Was Liam ready to risk his heart? Because Kitty wasn't settling for anything less. 

Excellent book with lots of emotion.  Kitty has been in love with Liam for years, but he never gave her a second look.  Liam had been married before and lost his wife and child in a car accident.  He swore he would never love again and risk the pain of losing again.  One night they had dinner together and ended up sleeping together.  They decided to not risk their friendship by doing it again.  Then Kitty ended up pregnant and Liam insisted on them being married for the sake of the baby.  Kitty said yes quickly, hoping that Liam would come to love her.  Liam knew he was developing feelings for Kitty which scared him, so he kept denying them to himself.  Kitty was also fighting for her horse ranch, which she may lose because of a requirement in her father's will.  She never told Liam about it, and that lack of communication caused a big fight between the two of them.  I could see how the lack of communication was causing stress between the two.  When Kitty confessed her love to Liam it also caused stress because he wouldn't admit to returning her love.  When Liam's brother finally pointed out the obvious to Liam, he was stunned by his own idiocy.  I loved the way that he made things right.  The ending was very satisfying.

Tangling With Ty - Jill Shalvis (HT #914 - Feb 2003)

Series: South Village Singles (Book 2) 

Dr. Nicole Mann is simply too busy for romance. Her work as a surgeon consumes her entire world and she prefers it that way. That is, until she meets too-charming-for-his-own-good Ty O'Grady. This sexy architect with his enticing Irish accent has her thinking of something other than medicine. So she'll prescribe herself an intense -- but temporary -- round of seduction to cure this Ty fever once and for all.

Stubborn, strong and entirely too desirable, Nicole is Ty's match. When one hot touch leads to another, and another, this footloose drifter suddenly is thinking of a relationship with a design to forever. So he's pulling out all the sensual stops and will do anything to show her a temptation that's irresistible! 

What a fun book.  Nicole is a single minded doctor who doesn't do relationships.  She finished high school at 12 and immediately went on to college and medical school.  She never learned how to act in social situations and is therefore more comfortable working - which she does a lot.  When she meets Ty, her world is thrown off-kilter.  Ty is a footloose kind of guy that moves around a lot.  He grew up in Dublin, mostly on the streets, and never lets anyone get close to him.  But Nicole gets under his skin, and that scares him to death.  He sees things in her that he recognizes, and she sees past his facade.  I loved the part where she was caring for him after he fell through her ceiling - such a stubborn man!
 



Part of the "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" anthology.