An Irresistible Bachelor

Rating:
Summary: Likeable but not over the top!
Review: An Irresistible Bachelor by Jessica Bird is a likeable story but not over the top. I liked Ms. Bird's last few stories a lot better. Even so, this is still a good book and worth reading, it's just not what I call a "keeper."

Rating:
Summary: Likeable but not over the top!
Review: Jack Walker buys back a renowned Copley portrait of an ancestor that his father years ago sold to bring in cash to fund an elitist lifestyle. While making his five million dollar symbolic purchase from the Hall Foundation, Jack's friend Grace Hall introduces him to art restorer Callie Burke. After just ten minutes in her presence Callie occupies his dreams though he is engaged to someone else.

Jack offers Callie a chance to restore the masterpiece, which after twice refusing, the poor Callie finally agrees to do so. She travels from her New York residence to perform her craft at his Boston mansion. As Jack and Callie become acquainted they fall in love, but he knows she hides a secret from him that makes him believe she does not trust him. What he does not know is that she promised her beloved half-sister Grace that she would never reveal the identity of their common father.

This is a warm contemporary romance that stars a delightful lead couple, several nice secondary players like Grace and his fiancée, and boneheads like his mother and her dad. The story line provides the audience an insight into restoration, but mostly focuses on the attraction between Jack and Callie that if encouraged would most likely derail his bid for the Governorship of the Commonwealth. Sub-genre fans will find Jessica Bird's latest tale irresistible.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful romance
Review: Jack Walker buys back a renowned Copley portrait of an ancestor that his father years ago sold to bring in cash to fund an elitist lifestyle. While making his five million dollar symbolic purchase from the Hall Foundation, Jack's friend Grace Hall introduces him to art restorer Callie Burke. After just ten minutes in her presence Callie occupies his dreams though he is engaged to someone else.

Jack offers Callie a chance to restore the masterpiece, which after twice refusing, the poor Callie finally agrees to do so. She travels from her New York residence to perform her craft at his Boston mansion. As Jack and Callie become acquainted they fall in love, but he knows she hides a secret from him that makes him believe she does not trust him. What he does not know is that she promised her beloved half-sister Grace that she would never reveal the identity of their common father.

This is a warm contemporary romance that stars a delightful lead couple, several nice secondary players like Grace and his fiancée, and boneheads like his mother and her dad. The story line provides the audience an insight into restoration, but mostly focuses on the attraction between Jack and Callie that if encouraged would most likely derail his bid for the Governorship of the Commonwealth. Sub-genre fans will find Jessica Bird's latest tale irresistible.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Now it is Callie's turn for a story...
Review: The story begins the day after a lavish gala hosted by the Hall Foundation. Callie Burke is an art conservator who had just been handed a job offer that could easily make her career! Grace Woodward Hall introduced Callie to Jackson "Jack" Walker during the gala. Jack had just purchased back a famous painting that had been sold off by his own father years ago. Knowing Grace would not have introduced Callie to work on the conservation of the painting if she was less than excellent, he immediately offers the job. But Callie knows Jack's playboy background and knows danger when she sees it. Even so, she ends up accepting and travels to his mansion, Buona Fortuna, to work on the painting.

The attraction between the two is obvious to those around, including Jack's stuck up mother, Mercedes. Jack became engaged to a lady of his own class only three weeks prior and Mercedes could not have been more displeased to see how Jack reacted to Callie, so beneath him in class. But Jack always gets what he wants and he wants Callie from the moment he first saw her. He is even willing to break off his engagement to prove he prefers Callie.

But is he really a new, improved, socially responsible Jack Walker? Or is he still a playboy? And can he ever accept the secret Callie has kept hidden her entire life?

***** Callie Burke and Jack Walker were introduced in the romantic suspense book, "An Unforgettable Lady", which hit book stores only a few weeks ago. You do not need to read the previous book, which is Grace and John's story, to totally understand this one though. Both books easily stand alone. However, this story will mean more to you if you do read both books. Grace and "John" are secondary characters in this novel, along with another hot bachelor, Gray.

The author succeeds in giving each character their own personality, which is not an easy thing to accomplish! No suspense in this tale, but the plot rolls along at a wonderful pace and the reader never has time to get bored. Recommended to all! Now if only Gray could someday get his own story told. *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.