Title: Hotshot
Author: Julie Garwood
Genre: Contemporary
Peyton Lockhart and her sisters have inherited Bishop’s Cove, a small, luxurious oceanfront resort, but it comes with a condition: The girls must run the resort for one year and show a profit—only then will they own it.
A graduate of a prestigious French culinary school, Peyton has just lost her job as a food critic. Out of work and in a bad place personally, a year doing something completely different sounds wonderful.
There are countless challenges and too many people who want to stop the sisters from succeeding. Among them are Peyton’s contentious cousins, who are outraged that they didn’t inherit the resort, as well as a powerful group of land developers who have been eyeing the coveted beachfront property.
It’s soon apparent to Peyton that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her—until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again.
I have read and own all of Julie’s books and what I love about her is no matter whether the story is taking place in the Scottish Highlands or on an F.B.I case she still manages to suck me and keep me glued to the pages. Her heroines are women we would love to have as friends and her heroes are men who are flawed and oh so delicious.
One of the things you can be guaranteed when reading a Julie Garwood book is strong heroines and heroes who need to protect the heroine even when they don’t think they need it. You also get heroes who may never say those three little words but the heroine knows that because of the actions of the hero she is his world.
I loved this story because both Peyton and Finn are such strong characters.
Peyton is a woman who doesn’t take crap from anyone. So when she’s put in a bad situation she does what she has to do to make sure other women don’t have the same thing happen to them. At the same time she’s handed the opportunity to do what she’s always wanted to do with her life. When she runs into Finn at his brother’s wedding she has no idea how it will change everything for her.
Finn is very happy in his life. He loves his job and has no intention of following his brother into wedded bliss. Seeing an all grown up Peyton at his brother’s wedding has him thinking of the woman he’s known since she was a little girl in a new light. When she confides in him what happened to her, he vows to help her and to stop the people after her from hurting.
Watching these two fall in love was so much fun. Both of them were determined to not succumb to love, and yet all of their actions scream they love each other. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Finn is interrogating a suspect and finds out someone tried to kill Peyton.
There is also a side story with Peyton’s sister and the manager of their hotel which is a lot of fun to watch as well.
Over all this is a great read. If you’re a fan of Julie’s you won’t want to miss this one. I think it may just end up being one of my favorite of her contemporary books.
Did I mention that Finn is the descendant of Gabriel from Saving Grace?
Grade A
This sounds great! I haven’t read any of Julie Garwood’s books, but I have been hearing good things. Thanks for the review!