Coming Home To Texas : Baby To Be (American Romance)

Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: Guest reviews by Alana Morales and Jenn Bennett

Heroine: tall and sturdy

Jodie Marsh has everything she wants - a glamorous modeling career, a condo on the ocean in California, and a supportive family in her mother and sister. And now, she's going to have a baby.

Not wanting to ruin her `girl next door' modeling campaign, she determines that she has one choice--to marry the baby's father. The problem? He lives over one thousand miles away and they haven't spoken since their passionate weekend in Monte Carlo.

When Jodie flies to Texas, she plans to get sexy architect Travis Whitaker to agree to a temporary marriage to save her career. Unfortunately for her, Travis has already made other plans, in the form of a vow to never get married again. Ever. But that was before his impending fatherhood. Now he wants to do things up right.

And Jodie quickly discovers that what she wants and what she gets are two very different things.

What worked for me:

This book was a fun read and a tasteful romance novel. Once I got into the story, I couldn't wait to read what happened next. The characters were well developed and likable, and the dialogue was very believable with the exception of one or two scenes.

The author didn't waste the reader's time by bogging them down with irrelevant details. There was just enough information given about extended characters to keep the story moving, but not make you wonder more about them. The setting was well described and when I read, I could see the places described in my mind. Instead of being told where things were taking place, I could see it happen.

Size-wise Jodie is described as having a "sturdy and athletic build." She is described favorably by the hero many times and the fact that she is a model helps to show plus-sized women in a positive light.

What didn't work for me:

I would say that 98% of this book worked for me. There were one or two spots where I felt the size references were a little forced in the dialogue, but other than that, I really enjoyed this story. Even these forced references were not too bad. It wouldn't prevent me from purchasing it.

Overall:

A very enjoyable read! I hope the author does well, because I would love to read more by her.

Warning: there are some steamy scenes in this book.

~Another Opinion~

from guest reviewer Jenn Bennett


What worked for me:

I thought it was a great story line. I loved the fact that Travis was a sensitive but manly man. I respected the fact that he stood up for his beliefs and was not afraid to show his concern, anger or pain.

I also loved the fact that Jodie was a model and not hung up on her size 16 frame. This book reinforced that there are all types of models.

What didn't work for me:

Basically, I enjoyed the novel, but I felt rushed along in the story and in their relationship or lack there of. Moreover, I was never truly convinced that their lust for one another had truly turned into love.

Overall:

The book is a nice romance that those who read contemporary romance novels with strong and self-assured heroines would really enjoy.

If you liked "Coming Home to Texas" you might also enjoy "Baby at His Convenience", "Dangerous Curves", "His Seductive Revenge", "Midsummer Lightning", "The Independent Bride", "Suite Seduction", "The Librarian's Passionate Knight", "The Course of True Love", "More to Love", "Runaway Bay", "Carried Away", "His E-mail Order Wife", "Dear Cupid", or "Spellbound".


Rating:
Summary: fine contemporary romance
Review: Plus size model Jodie Marsh arrives at the home of architect Travis Whitaker in Ranger Springs, Texas with news that she is pregnant with his child. Though a bit shocked, Travis handles the news quite well as to what their two and half days blind date in Monte Carlo ended up with. Jodie explains that she has just signed a contract as the "girl next door" model that has a morality clause in it. An unwed mother would nullify the contract so she wants Travis to marry her in a marriage of convenience.

Travis is reluctant to wed, but agrees to do so only if Jodie agrees to try to make their relationship work in a real marriage. As they live as husband and wife expecting their first child, the couple falls in love with one another, but both fears admitting the truth to their partner.

Contemporary romance readers will enjoy this fine tale that turns the marriage of convenience upside down as the couple, especially the hunk, wants to make it real. The story line is fun to follow as the athletic Jodie does not allow her size 14-16 to interfere with her gusto for life. Although the relationship between the lead couple seems to ideal considering its start, fans will be pleased with this quality novel.

Harriet Klausner


Rating:
Summary: First comes baby, next comes marriage, then comes love?
Review: Plus-sized model Jodie Marsh had spent an incredible weekend with Texan architect Travis Whitaker. The weekend led to Jodie getting pregnant, however, which frightens her. Her career is just starting to take off, and she had just signed a contract with a cosmetics company. The company had made her sign a morality clause, and Jodie knows the company will fire her if she's an unwed mother. So Jodie shows up on Travis' doorstep, trying to convince him to marry her for convenience's sake.

Travis Whitaker is a confirmed bachelor and doesn't plan on marrying again. He's already failed at one marriage, and he is sure that he doesn't want to go through that again. But when Jodie shows up in Texas begging him to marry her, he actually considers marriage once more. He doesn't want a love match, but he does want a real marriage, with Jodie living with him in Texas. Jodie's main focus seems to be on her career, however, and Travis is concerned that she's not focusing enough on the baby. Can Travis and Jodie find love and happiness with one another?

This book was pretty good. Travis was a good guy, even though he was too domineering in some parts of the book. He admitted that he usually dated wasp-thin women who pretty much didn't have backbones of their own, so he didn't know how to react to Jodie some of the time. And Jodie, well, I liked her fairly well, but she could be a jerk at times, too. She had been alone for so long that she pretty much shrugged off any help anyone else could provide. It was interesting to watch them reconcile their differences.

Like a previous reviewer, I also believe that some of the size references were forced. Jodie seemed to be confident in herself most of the time, but then she'd make some off-the-wall comment, like when Travis said he was going to pick her up and carry her, she said something like "you and what army?" I don't like it when people put themselves down like that. Still, she was more confident in her size and beauty than some women I know who are her size. Altogether, a good book, but probably not one I'll read again.