Virginia Kantra
Kantra, Virginia - COMEBACK OF CON MACNEILL, THE
(Silhouette Intimate Moments 983 - 1/00) (4)
Although Val Cutler's restaurant is in deep financial trouble,
she is determined to make a success of her business and to do
it on her own. Against her wishes, her wealthy father hires
a financial advisor to look into the situation, but Val intends
to get rid of the advisor. Her father's meddlesome ways annoy
her, but she soon finds herself attracted to the handsome
financial wizard.
Con MacNeill has a mission. After being fired from his high-profile position in Boston, he considers himself lucky to be offered a job at the North Carolina restaurant, especially since the man hiring him is wealthy and influential. If Con is successful, Mr. Cutler's references will be worth their weight in gold. Despite the resistance he gets from the lovely restaurant owner, he intends to succeed.
Val and Con each have their own agenda, but discover they can't help but have feelings for one another. When Con uncovers the cause of Val's financial difficulties, however, their relationship almost goes up in smoke.
Virginia Kantra has written a keeper, with realistic characters and a hero and heroine that readers will adore. Romance, combined with a dash of mystery and a fast-paced plot, makes THE COMEBACK OF CON MACNEILL an exciting, compelling book. Be sure to watch for Ms. Kantra's upcoming book about Con's younger brother Sean, and look for the third brother's story in THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL. You'll be glad you did. ~Yvonne Hering for Bookbug on the Web
Kantra, Virginia - PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL, THE
(Silhouette Intimate Moments 906) (5)
The prologue of Virginia Kantra's newest release was so
utterly compelling, and it evoked such powerful images, that her words literally brought tears to my eyes. I knew from the very first page that I was in for an unforgettable few hours of reading.
Ambivalence—an ambivalence that warred with a need so deep it was bruising. That's what Dr. Kathryn Sinclair felt when she was around Patrick MacNeill and the badly scarred little boy the hospital staff had dubbed "Iron Man." After all, hadn't life already done a bang-up job of convincing little "Katie Sue" from the Blue Moon trailer park that her only goodness involved her intelligent brain and her ability to use it to patch up broken bodies? What was it going to take for her to finally accept that she was truly incapable of handling personal relationships in any form? Especially relationships that involved courageous little boys and their sexy, stubborn, fly-boy fathers.
Fighting demons of his own, Patrick couldn't get a handle on what he really wanted from the lady doctor. Her professional expertise for his four-year-old son, Jack?—certainly. A temporary balm for his soul, the soul of a man who had lost his young wife in the same senseless car crash that had maimed his baby boy?—maybe. Could the need be as simple as the obvious physical one he felt as a result of four years of celibacy?—most assuredly. In that at least, there was no doubt. He definitely wanted Kate's warm body beside him, and beneath him, even if he wasn't at all sure that he wanted to let her anywhere near his brittle heart. In light of all of that, was any kind of relationship possible, or even worthy of pursuit, when the increasingly complicated emotions they were both feeling kept getting tangled up with reality and the demands each one already had on their lives?
From the beginning, Virginia Kantra's writing touched me deeply. Her insight regarding the human psyche, especially pertaining to issues of self-esteem and worthiness, is remarkable. When the plot line delved into the minds of the patients in a hospital burn unit, as well as those of their families and caregivers, the pain, suffering and self-doubt they all felt at times rang so true. This beautifully written story engaged all of my senses in one way or another, and in my opinion, there is no better compliment than that to give an author. Having read this far, if you're worried that the book might be too dark and full of angst, don't be. While THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL was often intense and deeply emotional, the author struck a much needed balance by using touches of wry humor in just the right places. Giving Patrick (and his wonderful Irish family) the ability to cajole and tweak the funny bone once in a while was more than enough to keep the story from becoming dark and depressing.
My advice? Put THE PASSION OF PATRICK MACNEILL on your to-buy list, and expect to see a lot more from Ms. Kantra in the future. This lady writes one heck of a good book! ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
Kantra, Virginia - REFORMING OF MATTHEW DUNN, THE
(Silhouette Intimate Moments 894) (4+)
"Supercop with an attitude, versus Tinkerbell" might be a casual observer's impression of Matthew Dunn and Clare Harmon. Clare had some choice epithets of her own for this broad-shouldered, exasperating, oddly appealing hunk of a guy: "Neanderthal jerk, male chauvinist, and macho man"...just to name a few. For his part, and against his better judgment, Matthew was oddly attracted to the pixieish lawyer's widow. But what possible
motive could this obviously "uptown" woman have to don jeans and work boots, not to mention run the risk of getting shot...or worse, in order to plant gardens in the vacant lots of a small, decaying, southern city neighborhood?
It didn't take long for Matthew to realize that while Clare may resemble Peter Pan's petite pal in looks, her attitude was more on the order of Joan of Arc's—passionate, stubborn, and wholly dedicated to her self-imposed mission. In reality they had both moved to the broken-down, dangerous neighborhood for the same reason—to take back the crime-ridden streets for the lawful residents, and redeem as many of the hardened, young street toughs as possible along the way. In the end, these two deeply wounded but highly compassionate people find their own redemption, as well.
THE REFORMING OF MATTHEW DUNN is Ms. Kantra's dazzling debut, and it's easy to see why it is a 1998 Golden Heart finalist. With insightful dialogue and tightly-written prose, the author gives us an up-close and personal look at "life on the streets." The story is a romance, complete with engaging characters and the requisite happily-ever-after ending; but to me, the very heart of this book is its hopeful look at dealing with human issues I usually only get a glimpse of in newspapers or on television—street gangs, homeless people, poor living conditions, and joblessness. If realistic, extremely well-written contemporaries are your cup of tea, this is a must read. ~Connie Ramsdell for Bookbug on the Web
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