Her
Dakota Man
Dakota
Hearts
Book
1
Lisa Mondello
Genre: contemporary romance
Cover Artist: Melyssa Naujoks of
Purple Girl Design
Book Description:
Everyone knows that the Dakotas
didn’t get the name Badlands for nothing. Harsh weather and rough living
are a way of life. But single dad, Logan McKinnon, had seen more than his
share of bad times after the death of his wife a year ago. The last thing
he needs is Poppy Erickson, an old flame and his late wife’s best friend,
showing up unannounced to help after devastating floods nearly washed away
their hometown. With no place to stay in town, he has no choice but to
offer her a bed at his house. But can he live under the same roof with a
woman he’d once loved passionately without feeling he’s betraying his late
wife?
Poppy Erickson had spent the year
wondering how all their lives might have been different after hearing the death
bed confession of her childhood friend. She’d left South Dakota years ago
because she couldn’t bear to watch the man she loved loving another
woman. But now she knows the truth. She’ll keep the promise she
made to a friend, but will Logan understand when he learns the truth?
More important, can they again recapture the passion that had been between them
all those years ago?
Excerpt:
One look on
Logan McKinnon’s face told Poppy that his foul mood had very little to do with
the devastating destruction all around the Badlands of South Dakota…and
everything to do with her showing up in town after nearly ten years.
She didn’t have
to be standing next to him to feel his anger simmering just below the surface
of his composure. Sitting in her rental sedan was close enough.
What the hell was she thinking coming back home? Why had she
made that ridiculous promise to Kelly?
She parked the
car next to his truck and took a deep breath, mumbling under her breath as she
pulled the door handle, “This may just turn out to be the stupidest thing you
have ever done, girl.”
Truth was, even
as pissed off as Logan looked, he was still an amazing sight to see. Part
of her had hoped that she was wrong. That she’d gotten over him a long
time ago. That she’d take one look at him, make sure he and Keith were
okay, and be able to get back in her car and drive right to the airport in
Rapids City.
He turned to
her, standing tall and proud. His thick dark hair blew in the March wind,
fluttering around his face and making him all the more strikingly handsome.
Yep. Stupid.
He was
taller than she’d remembered, and he’d long since lost that too-lean teenage
body that had driven her crazy in her youth. He worked hard on his ranch
and it showed in how much his arms and chest had filled with muscles.
Despite the
cold, he’d taken off his jacket while he worked in the yard and Poppy had a
clear view of just how much his male body had filled out in places she’d
dreamed of touching.
Lord, help
her. She was in trouble. And she hadn’t even stepped out of the car
yet. She pushed the door open and stepped outside to get it over
with. It was either going to be the shortest visit on record…or a life
changing experience she’d been dreaming of ever since she was a teenager.
“Hi, Logan.”
Logan starred
at he for a long, agonizing moment. She read the emotional tug of war
playing on his face as the sudden chill from the South Dakota winds bit into
her exposed skin like a whip.
Then his
expression turned hard. “What are you doing here?”
He must have
heard the car drive up. But Logan’s four-year-old son, Keith, remained
focused on the mud puddle he was poking a stick into to even notice anyone was
around. That was good. The next few minutes would go easier for both of
them if Keith weren’t aware of the tension.
Logan stared at
her as if he’d been startled. Or maybe too focused on making sure his
four-year old son, Keith, was safely playing nearby to notice her car had
driven up.
Or perhaps he’d
been too pre-occupied with assessing the damage the recent angry South Dakota
weather had done to his property. Poppy had seen just how Mother Nature
had shown no mercy to her childhood town as she drove from the airport to the
ranch. She couldn’t exactly blame Logan for being in a foul mood because
of that.
Seeing her was
just the icing on the cake.
“What the hell
are you doing here, Poppy?” he repeated.
She took in a
deep breath, smelled the muddy earth and decay all around her, and said, “I came
to help.”
He took one
long look at her, from her high-heeled boots, up the length of her legs,
pausing at her hips. She could almost feel his eyes as if he were staring at
the flesh beneath her fresh pair of blue jeans. When his gaze finally reached
her face again, she slid her sunglasses to the tip of her nose and stared right
back at him in challenge. A slow smile played on her lips. She
could never last as long at this as Logan before caving into laughter.
But she knew Logan was in no laughing mood.
“Poppy
Ericksen. Rudolph was practically washed off the map from all that rain
we had? After all this time, what makes you think I need anything from
you?”
Even though his
voice was even, she could tell he was still pissed. But he’d never show
it. Keith was still poking at the mud and puddles on the driveway just a
little ways away, completely unaware of present company.
“What’s the
matter, Logan? You don’t look happy to see me,” Poppy said, pulling her
sunglasses off her face with a wary smile.
My Review: 4 stars
This was a difficult read for me, but not because of the writing or characters. Both of those were great. The characters were easy to read about, just slipping in and making themselves comfortable in my head. I loved Poppy, she was up front and said her mind. That's a rare quality these days, and it was refreshing to read about a woman who said what she wanted. Logan was also easy to read about, a good Dad, a hard worker; someone who had been hurt by life and was just going through the motions. This book was difficult for me because of the betrayal to both Poppy and Logan from their best friend, Kelly. I don't think I would have been as kind as Poppy, nor as understanding as Logan. I also can't help but be a little angry at Kelly for what she did, what she took away. I am glad that things worked out the way they did, but it was close. Lisa did a great job keeping me glued to the pages trying to find out what happened and why. Her characters were good people who had to find a way to work out some difficult things. Her writing was fantastic, and I will be looking for more of her work.
About
the Author:
USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Lisa
Mondello, has held many jobs in her life but being a published authors is the
last job she'll ever have. She's not retiring! She blames the creation of the
personal computer for her leap into writing novels. Otherwise, she'd still be
penning stories with paper and pen. Her first book, All I Want for Christmas is
You won Best First Book in the Golden Quill. Her books have finaled in the HOLT
Medallion, and the Colorado Award of Excellence contests.
In 2011 she re-released her award
winning book All I Want for Christmas is You along with a re-issue of her
romantic comedy, The Marriage Contract, with a new contemporary romance called
The Knight and Maggie's Baby. In 2012 she reissued the first 3 books of her
popular Western Romance Series TEXAS HEARTS including Her Heart for the Asking,
His Heart for the Trusting and The More I See.
Writing as LA Mondello, her romantic
suspense, MATERIAL WITNESS, book 1 of her Heroes of Providence series made the
USA TODAY Bestsellers List. You can find more information about Lisa Mondello
at lisamondello.blogspot.com.
@LisaMondello
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