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Rating: 
Summary: He?s got promises to keep
Review: Seven years ago, Jake Remington abandoned Jenna Lockhart. Though he said he would return, he never looked back. Now, after being married and divorced, with daughter in tow, he returns to Laramie to fulfill the promise he made to the woman he loves. But Jenna Lockhart will have none of it. What consumes her, are her fashion designs, and her plan to expand them in her way and her time. Jake's offer to help monetarily if she will convince his daughter Alexandra to don a dress is something she reluctantly agrees to because she needs the backing so badly. But she gradually finds herself being drawn into Jake's family and being a mother to his tomboy daughter. And all too soon she is coming to the realization that she never stopped loving Jake and that it would be very easy to buy into his optimistic idealism when it comes to the dreams they had when they were younger. This second installment of The Lockharts of Texas is not as strong as the first. It isn't a bad read but there's nothing that makes it stand out. Both Jake and Jenna are somewhat lukewarm as characters and it's hard to root for them when, for the first part of the book, Jake appears so unappealing given his abandonment of her. But as soon as the history behind them is cleared, it becomes obvious, throughout the second half of the book, that Jenna's own hesitation is a deterrent to their happiness. No matter how hard Jake tries to make amends by being there for her, Jenna's irrational fears make it impossible for her to believe he can make her dreams come true. To be truthful, the reoccurring appearance of his ex-wife and her machinations do give reason to pause for thought but Jake's honesty from the time he comes back into Jenna's life cannot be disputed. Though he continues to make a few mistakes, they are minor compared to Jenna's complete lack of faith in him which, given Jake's reasons for abandoning her in the first place, seem incredibly unfounded. It is clear in this story that Jake is doing all of the giving and he is trying hard to make up for lost time. Jenna is merely doing all of the taking. I wasn't quite sure what she brought to their relationship besides an understanding of Jake's daughter. A quickly wrapped up ending provides a satisfactory ending for the couple and a fluid narrative keeps this story going. Stronger and steadier characterizations from Thacker would have yielded a more favorable impression.
Rating:
Summary: He¿s got promises to keep
Review: Seven years ago, Jake Remington abandoned Jenna Lockhart. Though he said he would return, he never looked back. Now, after being married and divorced, with daughter in tow, he returns to Laramie to fulfill the promise he made to the woman he loves. But Jenna Lockhart will have none of it. What consumes her, are her fashion designs, and her plan to expand them in her way and her time. Jake's offer to help monetarily if she will convince his daughter Alexandra to don a dress is something she reluctantly agrees to because she needs the backing so badly. But she gradually finds herself being drawn into Jake's family and being a mother to his tomboy daughter. And all too soon she is coming to the realization that she never stopped loving Jake and that it would be very easy to buy into his optimistic idealism when it comes to the dreams they had when they were younger. This second installment of The Lockharts of Texas is not as strong as the first. It isn't a bad read but there's nothing that makes it stand out. Both Jake and Jenna are somewhat lukewarm as characters and it's hard to root for them when, for the first part of the book, Jake appears so unappealing given his abandonment of her. But as soon as the history behind them is cleared, it becomes obvious, throughout the second half of the book, that Jenna's own hesitation is a deterrent to their happiness. No matter how hard Jake tries to make amends by being there for her, Jenna's irrational fears make it impossible for her to believe he can make her dreams come true. To be truthful, the reoccurring appearance of his ex-wife and her machinations do give reason to pause for thought but Jake's honesty from the time he comes back into Jenna's life cannot be disputed. Though he continues to make a few mistakes, they are minor compared to Jenna's complete lack of faith in him which, given Jake's reasons for abandoning her in the first place, seem incredibly unfounded. It is clear in this story that Jake is doing all of the giving and he is trying hard to make up for lost time. Jenna is merely doing all of the taking. I wasn't quite sure what she brought to their relationship besides an understanding of Jake's daughter. A quickly wrapped up ending provides a satisfactory ending for the couple and a fluid narrative keeps this story going. Stronger and steadier characterizations from Thacker would have yielded a more favorable impression.
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