Commander's Little Surprise

Dan O'Hara, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, is in Baranovia to act as best man in the wedding of his friend, Commander Wade Stevens, to Baranovian Duchess Mary Louise. The evening before the wedding, Dan stares out at the beautiful palace gardens thinking about his own future and his "5 year plan" for his life. It is here that he observes a lovely young woman with long flowing chestnut hair dancing alone in the moonlight. Dan is so captivated by her charm, spirit and joy of life that he joins her in the garden. There begins a night of blissful passion that he cannot forget. No names were exchanged, and although he searched for her the next day, he was unable to find her again. However, the memory of her and that night haunt him for the next 18 months until, by chance, he meets her at a diplomatic party in Washington D.C.As it happens, the lovely young woman is Victoria Bernard, a Baranovian royal, now a widow and a mother of a lively, charming little girl. She would never have seen him again had she not been assigned to diplomatic duty at Dan O'Hara's JAG Post in Washington. Although she has changed, to Dan's eyes she has become even more lovely - more womanly and less evening sprite. What Dan doesn't know and Victoria is desperate for him not to learn is that her daughter, Caroline, is actually Dan's child.The story unfolds beautifully, and keeps you turning pages to see if Dan will learn that Caroline is his daughter and if these two perfectly matched souls from vastly different backgrounds can find their way back together. It's a lovely book filled with romance, suspense and even a little palace intrigue. I'm looking forward to this author's next installment in her "Grooms In Uniform" series.