"Three-dimensional characters you care about; heartwarming and sensual moments."

Ben has an easy way with women -- too easy. He's looking for a challenge, when one walks right into the bar and grill of his motel. He wants Sierra from the moment he lays eyes on her. She wants him too, but she's not looking for a man, not when she's starting a new business and a new life. Still, Ben lets himself into her life in small ways, and eventually his persistent kindness and her own desire get the better of her. Little intimacies become larger ones, and yet Sierra balks at sharing her entire life with him, especially the past she's trying to leave behind. Ben's convinced that she needs him, and he's willing to do whatever he needs to persuade her.

This is a warmly rendered story that doesn't attempt to do anything out of the ordinary, and succeeds anyway. Ben's charm is nearly tangible, and yet he doesn't come off as a casual womanizer: he's a genuinely nice guy, and once he settles on Sierra, he is wonderfully patient with her. Sierra isn't the exquisite beauty of many other stories. She doesn't wear makeup, dresses casually, gets her hands dirty at work, and speaks with candor. It's refreshing to have someone like her catch Ben's interest from the start, and for him to tell her right off that he's interested in her.

Because she doesn't have to deal with the typical maneuverings necessary to get a couple together, Lori Foster opens the way to write a frank romance where Ben is frequently around Sierra. He helps her out with her home and business, and helps himself to casual touches and kisses. Sierra's resistance erodes gradually, and you can chart the course they take to finally collide in a true relationship. There's sexual tension, yes, but there's also a lot of friendship and trust being built along the way.

What's most impressive is the manner in which the entire book is well-grounded in reality. The characters aren't overblown or exaggerated, but are simply three-dimensional people who are very easy to sympathize with and understand. The one exception would be the requisite villain, Sierra's ex-husband, but that's forgivable when characters on the periphery, like Ben's mother Brooke and Sierra's coworker Kent (who have a mini romantic whirl of their own), are brought to life. The understated quality -- no torrid prose or overdrawn melodrama -- makes this an enjoyable read that delivers as many heartwarming family moments as sensual ones. Read this one to care about Ben and Sierra, and not if you only want one sizzling scene after another.

Reviewed by Lara Dean-Brierley for Sensual Romance.

Reviewed by Sensual Romance
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted December 4, 2002

Summary

HE WANTED HER COMPLETELY -- A confirmed bachelor, Ben Baldwin has had his share of women, and he likes them as sexy, wild, and uninhibited as his desires. Nothing at all like the brash, dirt-covered, wholesomely cute woman who just strutted into his diner for a cold drink. But something about Sierra Murphy's independent attitude makes Ben's fantasies run wild. He'd love nothing more than to dazzle her with his prized sensual skills . . . to make her want him as badly as he suddenly wants hers . . .

Sierra has her own plans -- and they don't include getting involved with a notorious Romeo. Fiercely independent, with her own landscaping business to run, she makes it perfectly clear that she doesn't need a man to help her, not even one as sinfully tempting as Ben. But the more Sierra keeps her distance, the more Ben wants her. And the more Ben wants her, the harder it is for Sierra to steer clear of his teasing touches and enticing eyes. To get him into her bed - - and out of her system -- Sierra makes him a proposition: She'll sleep with him, but for one night only. Now, it's up to Ben to turn one night of pure ecstasy into a lifetime of passion . .