I Want Candy - Susan Donovan (St Martin's - Mar 2012)

Series: Bigler (Book 2) 

Candace Carmichael was just getting used to the lavish life when everything went sour. Now the down-on-her-luck real estate agent is back in Bigler, North Carolina, jobless and illegally rooming with her her mother in a swank retirement community. All this makes her wonder why she ever considered her BFF Cheri's invitation to move back home. Life in this small mountain town may not be as glamorous as the one she had in Tampa, but she knows a girl can't be too choosy in this market. Besides, everyone's happy to welcome Candy back -- especially one handsome widower named Turner...

Turner has grown up to be one fine-looking piece of man candy -- and looks even tastier in his sheriff's uniform. Maybe that's why she couldn't resist kissing him when he pulled her over for a traffic violation. Even if a relationship was part of Candy's business plan, Turner would be off limits -- he still wears his wedding ring, four years after his wife died. If falling in love too fast is a crime, Candy is soon guilty as charged and ready to be fingerprinted. But is she ready to lock away her dreams and hand Turner the keys to her heart? 

Another fun trip to Bigler NC.  I really liked both Candy and Turner.  Candy came home to try to get back on her feet after she and Cheri lost everything in Florida.  She hates being there, and can't wait until she gets enough money to leave again.  That is, until she meets up  with Turner again.  They have been friends since they were kids, but suddenly she's seeing him in a whole new way.  Turner has been stuck emotionally in the four years since his wife died, unable or unwilling to get involved with someone else.  Suddenly he can't think of anything except spending a whole lot more time with Candy.  But he has a drug investigation on his hands that is escalating quickly, and it looks like Candy could be caught in the middle.  I loved watching Candy as she slowly got back into small town living, though she was fighting it all the way.  Everyone in town could see what was happening, and was routing for it, but Candy was running scared.  Turner knew he was falling hard, and realized that he was finally ready to start living again.  I loved spending more time with the quirky characters of Bigler - I hope there will be more.

Cheri on Top - Susan Donovan (St Martin's - Sept 2011)

Series: Bigler (Book 1)


Sun-drenched beaches, designer-label clothes, drop-dead-gorgeous boy-toys...all paid for with a series of high-risk real estate deals. That's the lifestyle Cherise Newberry and her BFF Candy enjoy after leaving rural North Carolina for Tampa -- until the market tanks and they lose everything. Cheri is surviving on Ramen Noodles and temp jobs when she gets a call from home to come back and run the family's small-town newspaper. Just one catch: She'll become the boss of her high school crush -- and former brother-in-law -- who might have the power to crush her all over again...

But Cheri is surprised to see how "bad boy" J.J. DeCourcy has grown into the hard-working and principled managing editor of The Bigler Bugle. Still, according to Cheri's bitter sister, he's not to be trusted. If Cheri's going to co-exist at the with this sexier-than-ever man from her past, she needs to stay professional -- and keep her distance -- even though he sets her on fire. When they're handed the biggest news story in the town's history, Cheri must trust J.J., even it means putting her life in danger....and her heart on the line. 

Really fun book.  I loved seeing Cheri as she returned to the hills of North Carolina.  She had left to make her mark on the world, then that mark got erased when the real estate market crashed.  Now she's back and running the family newspaper.  I loved the way she tried to keep JJ at a distance, but the attraction and feelings of the past were just too strong.  Then, as a local murder mystery heats up, they have to work together to find out what is going on.  I liked JJ a lot. He obviously cared for Cheri, and I loved the way he kept helping her.  I also loved how well they worked together to solve the mystery.  I wished that Cheri had been up front about her financial situation from the beginning, but it did make for some fun at the end. There were a lot of unique characters, and they all added something to the story.  I'm looking forward to seeing them again in the next book.