GRR Reviews Marry Me at Dawn by Lucinda Whitney

Gabriela came out of the emergency hospital feeling very down... She just found out that she can no longer bear children. Her cousin put her up in a resort in the Azores, so she can hide out and hopefully figure out what to do from there. // Damian vowed to be the opposite of his philandering father by never giving his heart to anyone. He revived the family business, and was doing great, until Social Services handed him baby Claire, legally his as his name is on the birth certificate. He hid out in the Azores... at the same resort... When Gabriella showed up by accident. // Damian found Gabriella beautiful and great with the baby. When his lawyer and best friend told him to marry her for a year, he barely hesitated, and Gabriella, perhaps overwhelmed by a chance to have a family, even if it's a fake one, said yes. But will this family last? And what happens when Damian found out who the father REALLY is?

Good twist at the end (on who's the father), how the fake relationship built up slowly. But I think Gabby was a bit too fast to give up on Damian. 4/5

GRR Reviews Kiss Me at Midnight by Lucinda Whitney

Celeste just wants her job as aquarium's head caretaker to continue. She is a single parent whose ex prefers to party with the boys than his parental duties. However, the aquarium is closed pending disposition by the new owner, and it's clear that her direct superior wants her gone, one way or another. When the new owner turned out to be Filipe, her dead brother's best friend, whom she hadn't seen in a decade, she's conflicted... Can she trust Filipe in anything? // Filipe just wants to complete the hotel renovations. Aquarium seems to be just an extra problem on his plate... until he realized who works there... a woman he abandoned so long ago out of guilt and shame... His brain says sell the aquarium and get out. But his heart says stay and help her... Can he ever confess his sins?

Good and understandable reasons about keeping secrets. But the "heavy" is just so... clumsy and transparent. And the ending just feels so... deus ex machina. 4/5

GRR Reviews Keep Me At Christmas by Lucinda Whitney

Luciana Romano is just in Hudson Springs, New York, to work on the museum exhibit, as she's a fabric restoration specialist, and the exhibit is about the fabric and textile industry and products of the area. Meeting Jack DiLorenzo and his family is a bonus...  // Jack had to quit his plans when his father died and he took over as the head baker for the family cafe. Love was never in his plans. The snowstorm that stranded her for a few extra days was a bonus, but she's leaving soon... back home to Europe. // Can a long-distance relationship ever work?

Slow simmer romance of fish out of water and different worlds romance. 4/5

GRR reviews Meet Me at Sunrise by Lucinda Whitney

Vanessa just learned that she has a grandpa she never knew about... in Europe, and he is VERY rich. Angry with her father for keeping secrets her entire life, and trying to get over a breakup, she left for Europe on a river cruise, escorted by none other than ship's captain, Matias Romano. She was not looking for love. // Matias is the captain of a ship with a jillion details to oversee, and has no time to babysit a "princess", but when his boss asked, he can only answer "yessir". But Vanessa turned out to be NOT a princess at all, but an EMT that helped a guest through a medical emergency. And when the ship started to suffer mysterious malfunctions, she may be the only one he can trust to get to the bottom of it all...

Good mystery and "wrong expectations", good mix of different characters. 4/5

GRR Reviews Always You by Lucinda Whitney

Isabel had been corresponding from Lisbon (Portugal) with a penpal Elliot in London for fifteen years, first as just a way to practice her English, but later, as her confidant. Now employed as school director of an English Academy in Lisbon, Isabel is happy until she learned that the school is hiring a consultant, Simon. Fearing for her job, Isabel is hostile toward Simon, despite Simon's assurances that he's NOT after her job.  But the more she got to know Simon, the more she melts... But she actually wanted Elliot, right? // Simon had been looking for his penpal Amelie for fifteen years. Getting a job in Lisbon is luck. Finding out by accident that Isabel is his Amelie is a pleasant surprise. But how can he win her trust for his revelation, when he has yet ANOTHER secret he cannot divulge yet?

Ah, now that's a good combination plot, combining TWO levels of disguises. Let's just say Simon is not totally honest about his reason being at the academy, but that's because he HAD to lie about it. I'm sure you can guess why. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Love Me at Sunset by Lucinda Whitney

Catarina Romano had to flee from the paparazzi when her Spanish husband died in a scandal... and she's pregnant. Her cousin brought her to the family mansion "Sunset Manor" in Portugal, to allow her to hide out, and giving her time to think. // Afonso trusted the wrong person and paid for that with several months in prison. Now he's out and vowed to stay totally honest, and was offered a job as the groundskeeper at Sunset Manor, which is where he met Catarina. //  Catarina was confused by Afonso, who cared for her without asking for anything in return. But she can't fall for him, as she kept many secrets from him. // Afonso found that his past may have returned to haunt him when that wrong person he trusted have returned and may be planning something to finish the job he interrupted...

The suspense plot didn't work for me, as a lot of the elements seemed to reference earlier novels and without a backstory, I'm left to wonder what was the motivation for the bad guys. And even after getting the explanation, I'm left wondering. There was also a long stretch where almost nothing happened to keep up the suspense. The end was also wrapped up a bit too nicely. All in all, I'd say it's good but flawed.

Category: Contemporary

Overall Rating: 4/5

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