Kathleen Creighton - Millie Criswell
Creighton, Kathleen - EVE'S WEDDING KNIGHT
Silhouette Intimate Moments 963 - 11/99) (4+)
Eve, a documentary film maker and the maverick Waskowitz sister, has finally decided to do the conventional thing—get
married for the first time (at the age of forty-three) in a traditional Savannah church ceremony. All dressed and still having a few minutes before the ceremony, she opens a bottle of vintage champagne, grabs two glasses and takes off for a frisky rendezvous with her soon-to-be groom, Sonny Cisneros, a Las
Vegas casino owner.
However, when Eve arrives at the rectory where Sonny is waiting, she overhears a conversation between him and his two groomsmen that sends her into fearful flight. She climbs into the church's trash dumpster in order to hide and is conked on the head by the lid. After drinking the whole bottle of champagne, a very tipsy, stinky, and disheveled Eve crawls out to see a utility company van parked on the street. Deciding to hide there, she opens up the back double doors, throws herself inside...and discovers a big surprise—then proceeds to pass out cold!
FBI agent Jake Redfield can't believe his good fortune. For five long years he has been trying to get evidence on mobster Cisneros, and now his runaway fianceé lands in Jake's surveillance van. After he hears Eve's story, however, he knows it still won't be enough to put the man behind bars. Eve and Jake both realize that if Sonny suspects why she disappeared, her and her family's lives will be in danger, so Jake comes up with an outrageous plan that just might save them and get enough evidence to convict Sonny. But can Eve be a good enough actress to pull off the scheme? And can Jake live with the possibility of Eve having to spend intimate time with her fiancé in order to get the evidence the FBI needs?
EVE'S WEDDING KNIGHT is the final Waskowitz sisters' book, and Ms. Creighton finishes the series marvelously. This humorous, exciting romantic suspense will intrigue readers and have them chuckling. Impetuous, devil-may-care Eve and somber FBI agent Jake are total opposites, yet because they are so different in personality, they seem to complement one another. However, in one respect they are the same; both are searching for love and a sense of belonging. Although EVE'S WEDDING KNIGHT stands well on its own, I recommend reading the previous books (ONE CHRISTMAS KNIGHT, ONE SUMMER'S KNIGHT, and ONE MORE KNIGHT) because their main characters make return appearances in the finale. Don't miss this highly enjoyable series from one of Silhouette's best storytellers! ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Creighton, Kathleen - ONE SUMMER'S KNIGHT
(Silhouette Intimate Moments 944 - 8/99) (4+)
Destitute and deep in debt, Summer Waskowitz Robey stands before the judge and listens to his lecture and jail threat,
embarrassed as everyone in the courtroom hears the judge
chastise her for not paying her bills—well, not hers,
exactly—her ex-husband's bills. Hal, a compulsive gambler, had disappeared after taking everything except Summer's livelihood and their two children, David and Helen. The troubled veterinarian feels uneasy under the scrutiny of opposing lawyer, Riley Grogan, and wishes she had the money to hire a lawyer of his caliber. As Summer leaves the courthouse, Riley approaches her and advises her to get a good attorney the next time she needs legal advice.
Months later, she takes him up on that advice. Summer appears at Riley's office and tells him about the threatening phone calls she has been receiving. The FBI has also been following her and asking questions about her ex. When Riley agrees to look into the problem, Summer promises she'll pay him somehow. But she suffers another setback when she arrives home and discovers someone torched her dingy, run-down mobile home. Whoever is after her ex-husband will stop at nothing to find him! Riley, fearing for Summer's safety, decides to take her and the two children, along with her pets—one mean and ugly looking cat, a ferocious Chihuahua, and a foul-mouthed parrot—to his home. By doing so, he knows he's become Summer's knight. Granted, he is attracted to her, but what in the world is he getting himself into?!
Kathleen Creighton continues her wonderful Sisters Waskowitz series, revisiting with some of the characters from ONE CHRISTMAS KNIGHT and ONE MORE KNIGHT. ONE SUMMER'S KNIGHT stands alone very well, but if you haven't read the first two books, you'll want to find them after you finish this book! The author's use of humor, involving the heroine's children and her unusual trio of pets, nicely balances the emotion and drama. Riley and Summer are total opposites, but they are drawn to each other. Both are trying to find happiness after suffering traumatic experiences, yet when love stares them right in the face, they are afraid to risk their hearts. I really enjoyed ONE SUMMER'S KNIGHT and I recommend it highly, especially to those who love Cinderella stories. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, featuring sister Evie! ~Sharon Laird for Bookbug on the Web
Creighton, Kathleen - WOLF AND THE ANGEL (Silh. Int. Mom. 417) (4)
The win Jack Wolf sought was not on the poker table in Tiajuana; it was the highest stake of the game. He wanted the names of the two men who had massacred his DEA-agent brother, his wife and young daughter—whose rings hung on the chain around his neck. When he left the game with what he had come for, he had no idea his goal would only be reached with the help of the Flying Samaritans. Substituting for the sick physician/pilot, Wolf used the cover of the medical team to reach the interior of Mexico and his prey. Along the way, he never dreamed his encounter with the tall, redheaded Dr. Teresa Duncan would or could alter any part of his cold, lonely soul; much less, his heart.
A familiar story line turned into one of the most surprising reads I've had in a long time. WOLF AND THE ANGEL is an insightful view of two very lonely and complex people with painful pasts, who had long kept themselves insulated from any deep emotion. But when confronted with such feelings, they accepted them with an unexpected, yet believable sense of certainty. This is a very personal, sensual love story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. ~Mona M. (monamont@3rivers.net)
Criswell, Millie - DEFIANT (Warner - 1998) (4+)
Hannah Louise Barkley left Misery, Texas to pursue her career as
an attorney. She walked away from everything—including the handsome lawyer she loved, Travis Bodine, because he made her choose between marriage and a career. Left with an aching heart, Travis vowed never to marry.
Five years later, Hannah returns home to care for her ailing father, Judge Barkley. She still loves Travis after all this time, but her old beau isn't happy to see her back in Misery. He has a lot on his mind because he must defend his brother, Rafe, who is accused of murder. Although Travis hates to admit he needs any help with the case, he swallows his pride and asks Hannah for her assistance. They work closely together to try and free Rafe from the murder charge. With each passing day, old feelings return and the sexual tension between them grows. But time is running out for Hannah and Travis. Once the trial is over, will their lives take different paths again?
Ms. Criswell delivers a powerful love story, which concludes the Bodine family trilogy. I love the way the plot carefully unfolds, as the hero and heroine deal with hurts of the past and try to learn from each other. DEFIANT is an excellent read—one for the keeper shelf! ~Robin Peek for Bookbug on the Web
Criswell, Millie - TRUE LOVE (Warner - 6/99) (4)
Dime novelist Emily Jean Bartlett travels to True Love, Montana to interview the "Legend of the West," Jess Murdock, for a book she wants to write about him. She hopes to save her publishing house with this book since Jess, who has performed in Wild Bill Cody's Wild West Show, is so well known. However, he is unwilling to have his life distilled down into dime novel status and refuses Emily's request. There is a possibility he might reconsider, but with one stipulation: Emily must first prove she can handle the hardships of real ranch life.
Convinced she can meet this challenge, Emily goes about learning the daily ranch chores with a vengeance. The citizens of True Love become aware of the fact that she is a published author and they begin to hold her in high esteem. Thus realizing what Jess has had to endure as a famous Western hero, she suddenly sees him in a different light. Instead of writing a dime novel about him, Emily decides she will attempt a real biography of the famous "Legend of the West."
TRUE LOVE is thoroughly enjoyable—a funny, poignant story filled with sexual tension, joy, sorrow, tears, and laughter. Along with the romantic adventures of Jess and Emily, it is a delight to watch the interplay between two secondary characters: Frosty Adams, foreman of the ranch, and Frances Ferguson, the ranch cook. TRUE LOVE is a very satisfying western romance that will leave you smiling. ~Beth Coogan for Bookbug on the Web
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