The Bride Said, "Surprise!"

Rating:
Summary: For the sake of everyone but herself
Review: As the oldest of the Lockhart daughters, Meg has born the burden of looking after her orphaned sisters and raising her son out of wedlock in the small town of Laramie. She has kept the truth about Jeremy's paternity well hidden from friends and family alike while struggling to provide her sisters and child with the stability they need. After years of maintaining her control and independence, she realizes that she would be loath to give it up. When Dr. Luke Carrigan moves in next door, Meg's much vaunted control is put to the test. Once her best friend, he offered her a safe harbor the night of her parents' tragic death, a night that resulted in the conception of their son. Having, at the time, been involved with another woman, Luke felt he had an obligation to fulfill his duty to that relationship. But he never forgot Meg. Now Luke and his three daughters are working their way into Meg and Jeremy's hearts. The one thing that stands in the way of their happiness is the truth behind Jeremy's paternity.

Cathy Gillen Thacker's third installment of her Lockharts of Texas quartet begins with a great deal of promise. Thacker has created a wonderful hero in Luke Carrigan who is practically perfect in every way. There is no real surprise since he does suspect he is Jeremy's father from the start. He does, however, want Meg to trust in his love for her enough so that she will tell him the truth herself. He courts her and renews his friendship with her in hopes that she will realize that her fear that he will leave her is unnecessary. He struggles to understand Meg's fears and, though he knows Meg prides herself on being independent, he strives to help her realize that she can retain her self-sufficiency even while accepting the support he provides. Meg proves to be a fatal flaw to this story. Her need to be in control, while understandable, becomes an obsession as her relationship with Luke progresses. Also, she takes for granted that the love they bear for one another precludes unhappiness. Her sentiment and fears are not given adequate space to work through. I really enjoyed Luke's character and his and Meg's interaction with their four children. I believed that Luke deserved to find the love of his life. He brought faith and optimism to their story despite his disastrous first marriage. Jeremy deserved to finally have his father. Unfortunately, Thacker doesn't demonstrate what Meg brings to their relationship except as a mother to all four children.

Rating:
Summary: Best Yet From Ms. Thacker
Review: While the reader below (and trust me, don't read her review because if you do, it WILL spoil the book, i made that mistake) feels that Ms. Thacker's latest novel is not up to par, I beg to differ. She finds problems with the novel's heroine and some other minor technicalities, but I find the novel charming, inspiring and fun. There are many moments that will make you laugh, some that make you cry and some that do both. What I like best about this book is the sheer charm of both characters. Both the hero and heroine always try to do what's best and what's needed, making them both completely sympathetic to the reader. Ms. Thacker has really outdone herself with this series, each book gets better and better. I cannot wait to read the next one!