Beauty and the Black Sheep

This is a wonderful feel good romance ....... , Oct 20 2007 Beauty and the Black Sheep by Jessica Bird Silhouette Special Edition # 1698 - July 2005 Moorehouse Legacy trilogy - Book # 1 Frankie Moorehouse was brilliant with numbers and the financial statement for their family mansion turned B & B told a story that she dreaded. Frankie had put her life on hold when she was 22 to raise her sister Joy and take care of Grand-Em, when her parents died on the lake. Ten years have gone by, and Frankie has come to realize that she may have failed terribly; if business didn't pickup soon she'd be forced to sell the family home. Nate Walker's beloved Lucille made a bang and died on the side of the road, leaving him no choice but to hoof it to the nearest town. He hadn't expected the chaos he'd walked into when he banged on the back door of the B & B, but here was a kitchen desperately in need of his culinary talents. Nate's a master chef, and Frankie's cook has just quit and her guests were in the dining room complaining of hunger. Nate's footloose and fancy free for the summer and the answer to Frankie's prayers. But Nate's used to running his own kitchen and Frankie's not used to trusting anyone; and how could they avoid their instant attraction. Frankie knows that Nate can only commit for the summer; come Labour Day he's back to NYC and hopefully a restaurant of his own to run. This is a wonderful feel good romance. Both Nate and Frankie have a lot of scars and some unhealed wounds. Fighting their attraction doesn't get them far, for as Nate claimed from the beginning it was inevitable. But once they begin to share their secrets and dreams, they change their relationship into more than the casual fling both agreed to. I really liked how Frankie realizes that she really hadn't put her life on hold, that the B & B and taking care of Grand-Em with her sister Joy was really where she belonged. And when Frankie's world is collapsing around her, Nate discovers he really wants to be the one to take care of her for a change. Wonderful read and a teasing set up for the books that follow, Joy's story and then Alex's. :D Moorehouse Legacy series ... Beauty and the Black Sheep - SSE #1698 - July 2005 His Comfort and Joy - SSE #1732 - January 2006 From the First - SSE #1750 - April 2006 A Man in a Million - SSE #1803 - January 2007

Frankie (Frances) Moorehouse has been taking care of her family ever since her parents died. While only 31, Frankie is worn out with caring for her younger sister, Joy; her grandmother, who has dementia; and the crumbling bed & breakfast that has housed Moorehouses for six generations. To top matters off, the cook has quit. Frankie has reached the end of her rope when she hires Nate Walker. Nate, a 4 star chef, is passing through when his car breaks down. While Nate is in the process of using his life savings to find a restaurant to call his own, Frankie's little bed & breakfast looks like the perfect answer for the summer months. Nick and Frankie have plenty of problems to work through. Both parties have been burnt in the past and bring numerous issues to the table. In fact, at one point, I got frustrated, because everytime one problem got solved, another problem arose. Because of all the old baggage, sometimes the romantic conflict seemed a little forced. I enjoyed the character of Nick, who was wonderful, although sometimes I couldn't understand why he was attracted to Frankie, who seemed too guarded and too stubborn. The book was very well written and I liked the ending, but I was able to set it down and walk away several times. While not a J.R. Ward entry in quality, a nice book for a pleasant afternoon.