Just This Once

Two women become friends while fighting extreme attraction to each other. You'll be kept in suspense as the women work through their problems.

Paula McKenzie is a rising star within the Weller-Regent hotel. Now second-in-command on the night shift, Paula has dreams of having her own hotel. Wynne Connelly, marketing manager for a travel organization and frequent guest at the hotel, may just put a kink in Paula's plans. An attraction to each other is almost immediate. However, one of them has obligations to people in her life that allows no room for a romance...right? The other has reasons of her own that she's not sure sound all that valid, even to herself. Nevertheless, a friendship begins, even as the attraction remains. There's no harm in that...or is there? Just as things seem to be going smoothly, they lose control and a friendship is destroyed before it even had a chance of becoming anything more. But sometimes people are given second chances to make things right. Life unexpectedly gives one to Paula and Wynne. Will they take it? Or will they see it as a lesson learned hard and go their separate ways? Second chances, after all, are only for the lucky. KG MacGregor certainly has a way with words. The author of thoroughly entertaining tales as the short story Stolen Souls, in the anthology Undercover Tales; the short story, I Told You So, in the anthology Telltale Kisses and full-length novels such as the suspense-filled Malicious Pursuit, the delightful Mulligan, and the dramatic The House on Sandstone, gives readers a truly great story in Just This Once of love, life's lessons and of hope for second chances. KG's soon to be released novel, Sumter Point, available in March 2007, is sure to show that KG's affinity with the written word is very much in evidence.

This is the first book I've read by KG MacGregor, and I'll definitely be reading more. I especially like the way she handled the pacing, which allowed the story to develop naturally. Nothing was rushed, which is good. Also the terrific humor added to the fun. Although the love story isn't new, many of the topics surrounding it are. For example, the idea was well presented that infidelity is not necessarily a matter of black-and-white. At that point in the book, I actually had to stop for a while and think about the stuff I had just read. MacGregor's writing is very much like that of Karin Kallmaker, who is one of my favorites, in that this book tells a satisfying love story combined with unique and insightful observations about the struggles of everyday life. If you're a Kallmaker fan, you're sure to enjoy this book.

I don't want to give any of the excellent story away. I will say that it begins with out of towner Wynne making frequent business trips and staying at the hotel Paula manages. A chemistry develops. But do Paula and Wynne want the same things? Do they both think the miles that separate them can be overcome and a deeper relationship created. The writing is super and so enjoyable that were the novel to run to 600 pages I would love it. The settings in Florida, Maryland and Colorado are woven perfectly into the story. The humor is witty, prevalent throughout the novel and sometimes laugh out loud funny. The passion is intense and the journey not always predictable. This is a Keeper! Look for this author's novels to be published later in 2006 - Mulligan - September 2006 House on Sandstone - December 2006 Other titles from this author include `Shaken' and `Malicious Pursuit'

This book has a gorgeous cover. MacGregor is a skilled writer who knows her craft, so you won't be distracted by any flaws in character, setting, no holes in plot, everything is nicely done so that the reader can relax and enjoy this novel. If you like lesbian romance novels, and you've read enough of them, you'll be able to compare this author's effort, but if this is your first time with this genre, you certainly won't be disappointed. The story starts slowly and builds at a satisfying pace. Paula works at an upscale hotel in Orlando, and Wynne is a frequent patron. They meet, get to know each other, slowly become friends, each refusing to act on the growing attraction between them. Both Paula and Wynne are dedicated to advancing their careers. Despite the fact that they like each other and have things in common, they are reluctant to allow the relationship to grow beyond the casual. Wynne flies in from Baltimore for a series of business meetings dealing with the merger of her travel company into a much larger corporation. When the merger is complete, her periodic visits to the Orlando hotel will be over. For this and other reasons, both women struggle to keep their friendship casual. There is subplot and tension, as Wynne's family and home life intrude, but when the casual dinner dates increase the sexual tension between them, things begin to heat up. The main characters are fully developed, interesting, and believable. As the attraction between the two increases, so does the tension and interest for the reader. Usually, the lesbian romance ends when the girl finally gets the girl, but real relationships are sometimes much more complicated than that. Adults have obligations and entanglements, and MacGregor provides her characters with realistic problems, some of which may seem unsolvable. Sometimes, we make mistakes that cannot be forgiven or overcome. I've read literally dozens of novels in this genre, and this author handles the requirements and parameters very well, but she also manages to go beyond the requisite elements to offer the reader a little bit more than one would expect. If this is your first encounter with the genre, you'll be thoroughly entertained. If you're a fan of the lesbian romance, you'll find more than you normally get from an author, in clear, crisp writing, solid characterization, attention to detail and plot, and a good, professional, enjoyable, and very entertaining novel.