First Love, Second Chance (The First Family of Texas)

Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended
Review: A horrible accident sends his wife careening over a mountainside, leaving grief stricken Michael First charged with murder. Someone tampered with the brakes, and all evidence points to him. Family joins rank to support Michael and his four grieving children as he attempts to balance his defense with caring for his family and the ranch. When he seeks legal counsel, however, his lawyer introduces Michael to his partner, Lara Stovall.

Michael and Lara had been high school sweethearts until college brought about change. Michael took one look at Clare and fell head over heals in love, eventually marrying her and creating a life together. If he had not met and married Clare, there was a good chance Michael and Lara might have created a life together. Now after twenty years and profound change, any personal relationship they once shared must take a backseat to a murder charge.

With FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE, author K.N. Casper provides a strong finish to The First Family of Texas series. The complexities and flaws that make these characters memorable and unique have deeply touched readers who have followed this powerful series. FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE follows its predecessors with a vivid setting, potent conflict, and scintillating dialogue. These mature characters face the ethical dilemmas and family concerns that make Casper's novels memorable. Readers will eagerly await future offerings from this talented author. FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE, comes highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: A great romantic suspense!
Review: If you enjoy reading romance with a strong suspense element, you'll love K.N. Casper's FIRST LOVE, SECOND CHANCE. With characters the reader can relate to and a distinctive storytelling voice, this is an author I enjoyed reading and will look for again. I loved the idea that attorney Lara Stovall would react in a human way by struggling to balance her emotions and actions between professionalism and following her heart. Yes, she is Michael First's attorney--but he was the young man who set her soul on fire years ago! How hard would that be to resist? I couldn't resist Michael any more than Lara can! And Lara is a strong, intelligent woman who is easy to relate to and admire. All in all--a wonderful story with a fun-filled "whodunit" that keeps the reader guessing as to the villian's identity.

Rating:
Summary: Courtroom Thriller
Review: Michael First manages a portion of his family's ranch which has been parceled off and put under a general manager, but his dream is to unite the parcels. Married with four children, Michael's idyllic life ends when his wife, Clare, dies at the wheel of his restored MGTD. Matters worsen when Michael is charged with Clare's murder. His attorney calls in an expert criminal colleague who is a former girlfriend.

Lara Stovall, neither believes nor doubts Michael's innocence, but she's there to do her job. However, an attraction to Michael, one that never completely went away, simmers just beneath the surface. As she digs deeper into his past, she discovers chinks in Michael's armor, things that don't add up, and she's determined to discover the truth.

I had a slight problem believing Lara would allow herself to become emotionally involved with her client, but there's enough great courtroom drama and wonderfully descriptive writing for me to suspend my disbelief for the story's sake. Highly recommended.