Interior designer Josie Passano is married to her work. But when she dozes off on a prospective client's boat (thank you, motion sickness pills), she's startled to be awoken by a seriously hot guy...and sailing away on the ocean!

Businessman Keith Murphy (of the Cape Cod Murphys) is blown away by the sexy stranger on his brother's boat. It's like Goldilocks--only it's more fantasy than fairy tale. But their sexual chemistry is lightning-hot, and Keith will do anything to keep Josie onboard...and in bed.

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This is the second of a series of books about the Murphy Men of Cape Cod after Making a Splash. Despite it being part of a set, this book stands completely alone and they books will make sense even if not read in order.

All in all this was a likeable book with characters I enjoyed even if I didn't overly identify with them. Josie and Keith had chemistry and their scenes together were nicely sexy.

My main problem was that for the majority of the story nothing really seemed to happen other than Josie and Keith being together on the boat and that made me a little less than enthusiastic in returning to the book when I put it down. It wasn't terrible and the writing is good but it just didn't capture or hold my attention to any degree. I liked the ending but even then, it was cut off without an epilogue which always annoys me.

If you're reading the series then it's not one you should necessarily skip but it's not a book I would go out of my way to recommend.

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224 pages

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Jack Murphy's Law: When things go wrong, get it on...

Alicia LeBlanc is ready for a new life. Tonight, she'll be on a catamaran and on her way to running a B and B in Maine. But when the catamaran reaches open sea, she thinks she must be dreaming--because Jack Murphy has just slipped into her bed, and is picking up where he left off five years ago...

It was an honest mistake, really. Navy Lieutenant Jack Murphy simply got into the wrong bed. Now that they're on the open water, Jack and Alicia have endless opportunities to explore the carnal side of seafaring...and work out all that unresolved sexual tension, completely and thoroughly! But once they hit land, will their hot, steamy chemistry dry up?

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I've always enjoyed a 'second chance at love' story and I was excited by the premise of this one as the pair would be stranded together and have to deal with each other and their feelings. Unfortunately, the book just didn't live up to my expectations.

Alicia was a likeable enough character but, to tell the truth, she came across as a little bland. Jack, surprisingly, didn't do much for me either. I think the problem was that Jack's initial reasons for dumping Alicia and joining the Navy seemed a little flimsy and weak. After that, I couldn't help but feel that every complaint that Alicia had about him (being too controlling etc) was actually true. And since Jack had thought Alicia too young previously, I think she was written as quite bland to ensure she didn't come across as too immature.

Another surprising complaint about the book was that there was too much sex! Being a Blaze book you're obviously going to get a hot and sexy read and that's what I want but it just got a little boring in this particular book. It was as if there wasn't enough plot so a sex scene was thrown in to try and make it more interesting.

I just couldn't get into this book, unfortunately. I kept picking it up and planning to read it but I could only manage a few pages each time before I got bored. So it's not one I would recommend and only 2 stars from me.

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224 pages

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Women should be sweet, mild mannered...docile. Unfortunately, Lady Gwendolyn, a rich Saxon widow, is none of those things.

And Viking warrior Wulf Geirsson wants her desperately! One glimpse of the brazen beauty scrambling over the castle ramparts, and he knows he has to have her. Especially when she takes a tumble and lands at his feet.

But Wulf quickly finds that taking Gwendolyn and keeping her are two different things. And once she decides to engage in a seductive assault of her own, he's the one captivated....

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When I first started to read this book I assumed it would be all strong, brawny Vikings raiding English villages, stealing away innocent maidens and sailing on the high seas. So I was more than a little surprised when the story was actually a lot slower than the mad paced adventure I thought it would be.

That's not necessarily a bad thing though as it gave you time to get to know the characters. Gwendolyn was a delight. She was a strong woman who knew her own mind but still had insecurities, faults and while being impulsive, was sensible with it. Wulf was the strong, silent type and while I knew he was a tough leader, he did tend to be a lot softer and calmer than you might expect a Viking warrior to be. Together the couple worked well and they had some good chemistry although not as hot as some I have read.

The story held me from beginning to end and I did enjoy the battle of wills between Wulf and Gwendolyn. The ending was wrapped up nicely and overall this was an enjoyable story that I very much enjoyed. If you enjoy a Viking romance without too much war or wickedness then I would recommend this book to you. 4 stars.

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217 pages

Click to see other books by Joanne Rock