Liz Fielding
Fielding, Liz - AND MOTHER MAKES THREE
(Harlequin Romance 3570 - 9/99) (4+)
Bronte Lawrence mistakenly opens a letter addressed to her
famous sister, Brooke, and her life immediately takes a new
direction. Bron had been nursing her terminally ill mother
for the last eight years and putting her own life on hold. With her mother's recent death, she didn't quite know what she
was going to do with herself. There was no one and nothing to
fill her heart. Her look-alike celebrity sister, an ecologist
out to save the rain forests, was rarely home because she was
single-mindedly concentrating on her career and crusades. When
Bron opens her sister's letter, she is astonished to learn that
Brooke had given birth to a daughter eight years prior—a child she had left in the father's care. She is excited about having a niece in her life though, and being the nurturing type, wants to pursue the relationship.
James Fitzpatrick learns that his daughter, Lucy, has contacted her famous mother and invited her to games day at school. He doesn't want Lucy to be hurt, so he visits the Brooke's family home to persuade Brooke to attend the event for Lucy's sake, after which she can disappear out of their lives again. Deep down he is fearful that she might want to take Lucy away from him, but he can't deny his daughter the chance to see the selfish mother who had not bothered to contact her in eight years. He confronts Bron, however, and mistakes her for Brooke; and events play out in such a way that Bron never has the chance to set him straight about her true identity. Bron and Fitz are thrown together for Lucy's sake, and she quickly falls in love with him, despite her reservations. Is Fitz attracted to her because of what he once had with Brooke, the mother of their child? Will he love Bron for herself? And how will Brooke react to this surprising development when she returns home from her latest crusade?
AND MOTHER MAKES THREE is a sweet, heartwarming romance, filled with surprises that keep you turning the pages to see how the story comes together in the end. Especially gratifying is Liz Fielding's development of the characters. She doesn't make Brooke out to be totally selfish and one-dimensional or allow Lucy to dominate the love story, and she creates a beta hero with alpha tendencies that any romance reader will melt over. This is the second book I've read by Ms. Fielding, who continues to delight me with her storytelling and rich prose. She is on my automatic-buy list now. ~Debora Hosey for Bookbug on the Web
Fielding, Liz - GENTLEMEN PREFER...BRUNETTES
(Harl. Romance 407; Book Club Only - 1/99) (4+)
Cassandra Cornwell, a popular television host of a cooking
program, has just had her first cookbook published. She is
at her friend's bookstore doing a booksigning when Nick Jefferson waltzes in. As he flirts with her friend, Cassie realizes this man could make any woman feel beautiful—but only a fool would take him seriously. Nick purchases a cookbook for his sister and one for himself, then turns his attention to the author. While flirting with Cassie, he can't resist a kiss—resulting in his surprise as well as hers.
Rich, powerful and handsome, Nick knows he can woo and win any woman with his killer smile and winning ways, but he prefers willowy blondes for his pleasure—like Violet who works for his company. He accepts a wager to melt the blonde ice-queen, and the means to win the bet falls right into his lap when Violet sees a cookbook in his office and invites herself to dinner at his home. She is one sharp lady and sees a way to humble Nick with this invitation.
Finding himself in a tight spot, but still filled with confidence, he goes through a practice run of preparing dinner. It results in disaster and he immediately thinks of Cassie, whom he hasn't been able to get off his mind since the booksigning. Nick gives in and asks Cassie to help him prepare dinner, and in return he agrees to assist her on a camping trip with her four young nephews. When he arrives with his three young nieces in tow, the stage is set for fun. Nick Jefferson will soon discover that a certain petite brunette makes him forget he ever preferred blondes.
Even though GENTLEMEN PREFER...BRUNETTES does not have spicy love scenes, Liz Fielding does a skillful job of adding sensuality in the story, along with much humor. This is a quick, enjoyable read, and I look forward to reading more of this author's work. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Fielding, Liz - HIS LITTLE GIRL
(Harl. Romance 419; Book Club Only - 4/99) (5)
Wealthy London society girl, Pandora "Dora" Kavanagh has
traveled three times to the hostile country of Grasnia in order to deliver aid to refugee children, and when the press gets wind of this, she is soon hounded by reporters. Dora accepts an offer from her sister, Poppy, to use her countryside cottage to get away for a while. What she finds is anything but peace and quiet...
While investigating a strange noise during a thunderstorm, she is alarmed to discover that a man with a sick child has broken into the cottage. The stranger is equally alarmed to see her, having believed the cottage was vacant and a safe haven for a man on the run. He claims to be John Gannon, a friend of Poppy's husband, Richard, and the little girl is his daughter Sophie.
What follows is an intriguing and suspenseful story as John takes necessary precautions to keep Dora from contacting anyone about his whereabouts, refusing to let her out of his sight. Even though he plays the tough guy, Dora sees a devoted father tending to his child. She trusts her instincts and believes he won't harm her, no matter what kind of trouble he's in. When our heroine realizes she is falling in love with John, she comes up with a plan. In an effort to stop the electricity that sparks between them, and as a general safety measure, she pretends to be the new wife of her brother-in-law Richard. With Poppy safely out of the picture, her plan seems foolproof. But the police, who have been looking for the man who landed a stolen plane nearby, are beginning to close in...and there are still a lot of unanswered questions.
Liz Fielding has written an exceptional story that will keep you briskly turning the pages to the end. Her characters are real, her humor is subtle, and the romance heats up as she pushes the limits of sensuality for a Harlequin Romance. The dialogue is very British, and the secondary characters are so much fun that I'm hoping for a spin-off story about the heroine's brother, the most proper Fergus Kavanagh. ~Carol Carter for Bookbug on the Web
Fielding, Liz - SUITABLE GROOM, A
(Harlequin
Romance 451; Book Club Only - 12/99) (4+)
Veronica Grant is in dire need of a man to escort her to her cousin's wedding. Her mother will be attending, and Veronica
has had enough of her hints and innuendoes about marriage. Yes, her biological clock is ticking away, but Veronica is a successful businesswoman and quite happy in her career. She has no prospects in her immediate marital future. Although she was once engaged to a belted Earl, she had to cry off from the engagement for an important reason—much to her mother's
deep sorrow.
The solution to Veronica's problem falls right into her lap when wealthy businessman Fergus Kavanaugh boards the morning train she's taking. She immediately realizes his potential for holding her mother at bay, along with her mother's array of possible suitors who could ring the alarm on Veronica's biological clock. Fergus is at first distracted, then totally enchanted with the forward-thinking Ms. Grant. His family is known for quickly falling in love—could this be the real thing, after only a few days in her company? Fergus must convince Veronica that love is forever, but will she give her heart to him? And if she reveals her secret, will she still have Fergus' love forever?
A SUITABLE GROOM is a sparkling, bubbly romance with witty dialogue, humor, and a deliciously scrumptious hero. Add to this, a perfect ending that doesn't come out of the blue. We were first introduced to Veronica in GENTLEMEN PREFER...BRUNETTES, and now this cool blonde gets her chance for a happy ending. If you like your romances sweet, Liz Fielding serves up a most satisfying read! ~Debora Hosey for Bookbug on the Web
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