Catch Me If You Can

Rating:
Summary: A reader in Northern California
Review: After stumbling onto Kauffman in one of the Bay Boy anthologies, I was really interested in reading the next installment in her Morgan family saga.

I'm finished with the book, and wondering why the story never actually began.

This novel is nothing more than 300 pages of character ruminations - this is what I've been through, this is what I think she's up to, this is why this relationship is different from all the others, this is what I think I should do with my life... and so forth. I kept waiting for the action to start. I kept waiting for the plot to heat up. They meet, they have steamy sex, they have some kind of cosmic connection... and they stay together forever. No hang up, no glitch in the works, no nothing. There aren't even any crazy townspeople or wacky sheep (which the back of the book promised) to liven things up. Nothing.

I gave the book two stars instead of one because I felt she created some really wonderful characters. She just never took them anywhere. I thought this would be an engaging read and it turned into an exercise in speed reading. Skip it for sure.

Rating:
Summary: Great Fun- Wonderful Read
Review: Catch If You Can had me captured from the very beginning. I loved the twists and turns. The book moves fast, with plenty for everyone. The tension between Tag and Maura was fantastic. This is good entertainment. I hated to see the end of the book, but I know there will be more by Donna. Can't wait for Dear Prince Charming

Rating:
Summary: The Best Morgan Tale
Review: Catch Me If You Can by Donna Kauffman is her steamiest Morgan brother tale to date.

Tag Morgan, the oldest son is still trying to reconcile his feelings over the death of his tyrant of a father. He is thrown for another loop when he receives a box from his late father. Inside are letters from a woman in Scotland and a dare from the grave. He is compelled after reading those letters to find our more about the land and the woman who wrote them.

Maura Sinclair is saddened by the death her friend and benefactor. But before she can contact his heirs she latterly bumps into one during a snowstorm. Tag and Maura?s first meeting is two strangers passing time in an amazing night of passion.

When Tag seeks out the woman who wrote the letters he is shocked to find it?s the woman from the previous night.

Maura sets out to give Tag a taste of his heritage, hoping that his work in anthropology will make him want to explore the past.

As Tag and Maura work through the past to the present, they both realize they have a chance at a wonderful future.

The sexual chemistry between Tag and Maura is on the steamiest I have read in awhile. The emotional connection is just as strong and will make you laugh at their wit. This is definitely a keeper.


Rating:
Summary: Disappointingly lackluster
Review: Having read the two prior novellas introducing the Morgan brothers I was looking forward to reading about eldest Tag who's reluctantly inherited everything when their abusive father dies. As those who've read Jace's and Austin's stories know, the four Morgan brothers had a difficult time growing up and all left home as soon as they could, never looking back. But eldest Tag has been given the task of settling the estate, though all he really wants to do is get back to the dig in Mexico on which he is an anthropologist. But he discovers something he never expected in that his father had, in his last few years, purchased property in Scotland and had carried on a long distance correspondence with the property manager, one Maura Sinclair. Tag reads the letters and becomes intrigued with this Maura and her obvious admiration and respect for his father (is this the same man he grew up with?). He's fascinated by her and so the next thing he knows he's traveled to the Highlands in the dead of winter intent on meeting Maura and checking out the property.

Maura was born and raised in Ballantrae castle and, though it's practically falling down around her ears, she's determined to stay and refurbish it. But her American partner, Taggart Morgan has died and his steady stream of cash has dried up. She's tried bank loans and been turned down and now must face contacting Morgan's heirs to plead for their help. But first she must survive being stranded in a snowstorm with an American stranger on a snowy Highland mountain road. They engage in an uncharacteristic, no names exchanged, passionate one night stand that neither can forget. What a shock when the next day her stranger arrives at Ballantrae claiming to be the new owner!

But from there the story sort of lost me a bit. I have to agree with Janine Allen's review in that from here on out it's just a steady stream of inner thoughts and reflections, sexual encounters and not a whole lot else. There's no real action or serious conflict here nor is there much growth in either of these two people. Ok maybe Tag learns to lighten up a bit, but that's about all. And I'm not sure I bought into their immediate connection after one night of hot sex. Especially when she was on the rebound from just catching her boyfriend in her bed with her best friend! And maybe I missed it, but I don't think there was ever any real understanding of why his father bought the place to begin with, why he seemed to be a different man in his last few years, nor did it seem that Tag finally made peace with him in the end. Anyway an okay, if a bit lackluster story with an angst-ridden hero, a likable heroine and some really nice sex scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointingly lackluster
Review: Having read the two prior novellas introducing the Morgan brothers I was looking forward to reading about eldest Tag who's reluctantly inherited everything when their abusive father dies. As those who've read Jace's and Austin's stories know, the four Morgan brothers had a difficult time growing up and all left home as soon as they could, never looking back. But eldest Tag has been given the task of settling the estate, though all he really wants to do is get back to the dig in Mexico on which he is an anthropologist. But he discovers something he never expected in that his father had, in his last few years, purchased property in Scotland and had carried on a long distance correspondence with the property manager, one Maura Sinclair. Tag reads the letters and becomes intrigued with this Maura and her obvious admiration and respect for his father (is this the same man he grew up with?). He's fascinated by her and so the next thing he knows he's traveled to the Highlands in the dead of winter intent on meeting Maura and checking out the property.

Maura was born and raised in Ballantrae castle and, though it's practically falling down around her ears, she's determined to stay and refurbish it. But her American partner, Taggart Morgan has died and his steady stream of cash has dried up. She's tried bank loans and been turned down and now must face contacting Morgan's heirs to plead for their help. But first she must survive being stranded in a snowstorm with an American stranger on a snowy Highland mountain road. They engage in an uncharacteristic, no names exchanged, passionate one night stand that neither can forget. What a shock when the next day her stranger arrives at Ballantrae claiming to be the new owner!

But from there the story sort of lost me a bit. I have to agree with Janine Allen's review in that from here on out it's just a steady stream of inner thoughts and reflections, sexual encounters and not a whole lot else. There's no real action or serious conflict here nor is there much growth in either of these two people. Ok maybe Tag learns to lighten up a bit, but that's about all. And I'm not sure I bought into their immediate connection after one night of hot sex. Especially when she was on the rebound from just catching her boyfriend in her bed with her best friend! And maybe I missed it, but I don't think there was ever any real understanding of why his father bought the place to begin with, why he seemed to be a different man in his last few years, nor did it seem that Tag finally made peace with him in the end. Anyway an okay, if a bit lackluster story with an angst-ridden hero, a likable heroine and some really nice sex scenes.

Rating:
Summary: Not Her Best Effort!
Review: I found Ms. Kauffman through the "Bad Boy" anthologies books that have already featured two of the Morgan brothers, (Jace, and Austin) and was looking forward to a full length effort for one of these sexy brothers. So, I quickly ordered the book without reading reviews and waited for it to arrive. Then to add insult to injury I took it with me on a very long road trip as a way to pass the time. What I ended up doing was skimming the majority of the story in order to move on to a new read. This book had so much potential but it just didn't deliver. It was almost too easy.

I will give credit where credit is due though. Maura and Tag's romance is steamy and almost instant. And if this is ther reason why you read romance you won't be disappointed. For me I like there to be a little conflict or at least another sub-plot to drive a story forward. The problem with this was there was really no "conflict" to keep the lovers apart, or to work on. Really, this story could have been, and probably should have been a short story instead. This is not to say that I've written Ms. Kauffman off as an author quite the contrary. I actually look forward to her next effort. Just don't expect much from this latest effort.

Official Reviewer for www.romancedesigns.com

Rating:
Summary: A reader in Northern California
Review: The main characters in this book, Tag and Maura, leapt off the page. Loved reading about their lives, their relationship. Touching, emotional, funny . . . one of Kauffman's best.