Night Into Day by Sandra Canfield, Harlequin Superromance 10/87

 
STATS:  Quarterback for the Memphis Marauders, he’s aware of the conflict between his glitzy image and the fact he could still feel fear, just like he had when he was the kid “from the poor Irish Channel neighborhood of New Orleans…He had given up being scared of the bogeyman for being scared of being an ancient thirty-five in a young man’s game…He was also scared of that empty feeling inside him, that empty feeling that warned that one day he was going to wake up…alone in an overwhelmingly lonely and uncaring world.  And that wasn’t the way he wanted to be.” 

 
THE LOOK:   “[A]n aggressive, near-arrogant chin.  A sharply chiseled jaw…steel-strength, softened by an obvious fun-loving spirit.” 

 
LEADING LADY:  A travel agent who specializes in serving the handicapped, Alex Farrell has been struggling to remain self-reliant despite her arthritis.  When Patrick steps in front of her and asks her whether she’d like to run away with him, she’s struck by immediate desire and a sadness that she won’t ever be able to run anywhere, let alone with a gorgeous celebrity. 

 
BOTTOM LINE:  This book details Patrick’s determination to convince Alex, despite his stumbles along the way, that he’s a man she can count on.  It is as tender and passionate as the hero Canfield has crafted.  He knows that loving someone means being there for them in good and bad times.   He also knows he has to fight Alex’s stubbornness with his own.  “No need to wish an Irishman luck.  He was born with it.  Besides, he’s too stubborn to settle for less.”

 
QUESTION OF THE DAY:  I’ve read quite a few great books with disabled heroes or heroines.  Susan Andersen had a hero named Elvis who had a prosthetic hand.  Catherine Anderson wrote about a woman in a wheelchair?  Any good ones I’ve missed?  Or if you don’t know of one, are you open to reading about characters with disabilities?

  Double Dare by Tawny Weber (Harlequin Blaze, 2007)  

Jesse Martinez is the boy next door, but when he first appears in Tawny Weber’s debut Blaze, Double Dare, she makes us wonder–is he a good boy or a bad one? Jesse wonders this himself. When the leading lady offers him sex a few moments after meeting him in a bar, the struggle between good boy and bad boy begins. Before long, he offers to take her out on a date “to get to know her.”

Of course, one way he gets to know her is via some heavy petting. That’s when we know cyber cop Jesse Martinez has more to offer than just his intellect. Tawny takes you right into his moral backyard. Soon you find out he’s no alter boy, but a man determined not to take after his late womanizing father.

THE LOOK:

Hell on wheels in his size twelve biker boots. Well-defined chest and wide shoulders. Black hair tumbled around his face just this side of pretty. The only thing that kept him from being girly pretty was a stubborn jaw and a nose, obviously broken a couple of times. His eyes are wide and coffee brown.

STATS:

Jesse is a cyber cop who took a dare from his partner to go out into the real world of undercover work. He is a second generation cop, determined not to follow in his father’s footsteps as a womanizer. The elder Martinez died in the line of duty, in a compromising situation with a lady of the night. Jesse prefers his office and cyber investigations to the down and dirty world of undercover work. He stumbles on Audra Walker in a bar as she attempts to flirt with a cyber criminal he’s tailing. When the man blows her off, she attempts to seduce Jesse instead. His response? He’d rather go for coffee and talk, to get to know her. He’s attracted to Audra, but knows he might have to investigate her. If she’s involved with the suspect that means she might be mixed up with a notoriously dangerous Asian Gang. He struggles with his ethics as he fights to remain objective about the tall, beautiful brunette.

LEADING LADY:

All Audra Walker wants to do is design sexy knock-your-socks-off lingerie. One night at a bar, her long time gal pals push her into a dare to seduce a nerdy looking guy. This just happens to be the suspect that Jesse is tailing. By taking the dare, she knows she’ll be revisiting her old life of reckless behavior. The nerd blows off the beautiful lady, but not before he leaves unsuspecting Audra with a microchip implanted in his tie. Her attention turns to Jesse, and she’s bound and determined to fulfill the dare before the night’s out. When Jesse suggests a real date rather then sex in her car, his sensitivity and caring demeanor impacts her because it’s something she’s never experienced.

GREATEST WEAKNESS:

Jesse does not want to turn out like his father because he respects woman too much for that. However, he still struggles with the womanizing image.

MEMORABLE QUOTE:

(When Audra suggests sex in her car.) “How about we find someplace quiet,” she suggested with a wink, “And see what comes up?” “There’s a little coffee shop nearby,” he countered, “We can order something to drink and a piece of pie and talk?”

BOTTOM LINE:

What makes Jesse Martinez so sexy is his caring, good boy attitude. He finds Audra intriguing, sexy and hard to resist. Still, his job and the investigation come first. He struggles with his own inner voice, which tells him he just might be more like his dad than he wants to admit.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What makes a guy the boy next door for you? What’s your definition of a sexy good boy?

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (Dell Publishing, 1991)

Who is James Alexander Malcom McKenzie Fraser? In a recent column at Romancing the Blog, I asked about heroes and quite a few people responded that Jamie Fraser was the man that made their hearts go pitter-patter. That made me go back and reread parts of Outlander, the first of Diana Gabaldon’s series featuring JF.

STATS:

He’s a young, brave Scots warrior with red hair, scars marking his back, a chivalrous disposition, and a burdened past.

Memorable Quote:

“He has cat blood, I reflected sourly, no doubt that was how he managed to sneak up on me in the darkness.” He can sneak up on me in the dark anytime!

Evidence that he’s a warrior:

‘I pulled the bandages off as carefully as I could. Still, the rayon pad stuck to the flesh, coming away with a soft crackling of dried blood. Droplets of fresh blood oozed around the edges of the wound, and I apologized for hurting him, though he hadn’t moved or made a sound.He smiled slightly, with a hint perhaps of flirtation.

“No worry, lass. I’ve been hurt much worse, and by people much less pretty.”‘

Defining Characteristic/Flaw: His need for revenge against Captain Jonathon “Black Jack” Randall.

Most influenced by: The Red Coats, led by the same Captain Jonathon “Black Jack” Randall, invaded the Fraser farm, beat Jamie, and did unthinkable things to Jamie’s sister, Jenny. He was unable to stop his Randall from hurting Jenny, and the knowledge and guilt over this torments him.

LEADING LADY:When twentieth century field nurse Claire Beauchamp time travels, her chance meeting of strapping (and younger man) Jamie McTavinish (Fraser) changes the course of both of their lives. Claire must choose between her commitment to her marriage in the twentieth century and life in eighteenth century Scotland with Jamie.

Clan Mackenzie will never be the same.

BOTTOM LINE:

Jamie’sa WARRIOR, BEST FRIEND, and CHARMER all rolled into one, strapping redheaded Scotsman. He’s honest, gallant, chivalrous, and a fighter. Really, he’s the perfect balance. I can just picture his red hair, the scars criss-crossing his back, and his hands around Claire’s waist as she sits on his lap.

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What draws us to Scotsmen? Women all over the world find men like William Wallace, Jamie Frasier, and dozens of others sexy. Is it the kilt? Or the thought of what might be underneath it?