Okie Dreams Extra: What’s on my keeper shelf?
Okie Dreams Extra
What’s On My Keeper Shelf? (a.k.a. some of my favorite rereads)
These three books are in no particular order, but all of them are books I love and often reread when I want something familiar, emotional, and beautiful.
Keeping Caroline
Vickie Taylor
A woman worth fighting for…
IN FROM THE COLD…
Hostage negotiator Matt Burkett couldn’t have said what had drawn him back to the wife he’d lost when tragedy tore their world apart. All he knew was that he had to see her. And the moment he did, he realized he had to make her his again….
Caroline Everett was torn by his sudden reappearance in her life. She wanted desperately to believe that they could overcome the past and make a future together. But so much pain stood between them now — and so many secrets….
And what would happen to their undying yet fragile love when he learned the most painful secret of all — about the precious child he didn’t know was his…?
Keep reading for why I loved Keeping Caroline, as well as two other favorite romance reads I want to share with you today.
Keeping Caroline
Why I loved it: The writing is superb. The characterization is excellent. The internal and external conflict for the characters is so believable and heart wrenching. The the suspense storyline is the perfect catalyst for the internal conflict of the hero, and for the relationship conflict between the hero and heroine. There are so many great gems in this book, and so many reasons why it tugged at my heart strings. A marriage in trouble, a hero who has lost his way and carries a massive burden of guilt, a heroine who keeps trying, keeps fighting for her dreams despite the loss she faced and the disintegration of her marriage to the hero. I just loved this story so much, and because I loved it so much, it’s a permanent resident on my keeper shelf.
Too Much Temptation
Lori Foster
Grace Jenkins has had little experience with men – feeling too awkward and insecure to free the passionate woman inside her. But that hasn’t stopped her from dreaming about Noah Harper. Gorgeous, strong and darkly sexy, his rough edge beneath the polish promises no mercy in the bedroom. When Grace learns Noah’s engagement has ended in scandal, she shyly offers him her support and her friendship.
But Noah’s looking for something extra…Noah wants Grace – badly. He wants to possess those curves that go on forever, to savor her sweet innocence, to take her to the limits of white-hot desire…again and again. What he doesn’t want is anything more complicated than that, and he knows Grace is a woman who deserves better. Grace, however, knows exactly what she wants – the kind of ecstasy only Noah can give her. Brazenly, she accepts, and Noah promises to make all her secret fantasies come true…
Why I love it: Besides Noah being one of the hottest heroes and one of my all time favorites, he’s also been betrayed by two people he trusted, and yet, in his wounded state, he finds the one person willing to risk it all to stand by his side. And because of Noah, Grace is able to see herself through new eyes. This is such a fantastic, friends to lovers book. It’s extremely well-written, and the characterization for every single character is stellar. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I’ve read this book over the years, and will continue to do so for many more.
Undercover Daddy
Lindsay Longford
NOT HIS WIFE
Kate McDaniel had stolen Walker Ford’s heart years ago, and she held it stilleven though she’d married his best friend.
NOT HIS BABY
Now Kate was widowed, and it was Walker’s last chance to convince her that he was the one she should have married, he who should have been her baby’s fatherbut could he put their relationship at risk just when Kate needed him most?
BUT FINALLY HIS FAMILY?
Why I love it: It’s an excellent, heartfelt, forbidden, unrequited love story that immediately pulled me in and tugged at my heart. I loved Kate and Walker’s journey to love because it wasn’t an easy or quick road to travel, but instead, a long, winding road that neither one could have predicted would curve the way it did, or lead to where it went. This book is one of my favorite early romance reads that touched my heart the second I read it and became a long-time favorite read of mine. I almost cried when I thought I lost my original print book in a move, but thankfully I found it in the end, so my tears were saved and all was well.
I’ve got more keeper shelf books to share with you next week, perhaps some of my favorite YA reads from childhood.
How about you? What’s on your keeper shelf?
