Untamed Desire - Beth Brookes/Lindsay McKenna (Jove - June 1982)

Series: Second Chance at Love (Book 53)

Beautiful, tempestuous and newly-divorced, Storm Reynolds is determined to succeed as a bush pilot in Alaska. The sportsmen she flies into the wild are a lusty lot, but she can handle any situation. . . and any man -- except Jim Talbot, her lean, brooding boss. Jim wants her fired! But why?

On a night of tender sorrow, the desire they have refused to admit bursts into soaring passion. But in the frozen wilderness they face a final, brutal test that threatens their love. . . and their lives!

Another golden oldie. Storm has come from Seattle to Alaska to take up the job of bush pilot and start a new life after her divorce. She doesn't expect to have to deal with a fellow pilot and boss who wants her gone, just because she's a woman.

The book opens with the confrontation between Jim and Storm, who was hired by the other partner in the company. Jim insists that she is not hired, and Storm is equally insistent that she is. She stands right up to his prejudices and refuses to back down in the face of his insults. Underneath the professional battle, there are also some serious personal sparks flying. Storm is especially unhappy about it because Jim reminds her all too much of her ex-husband. Storm gets to prove her mettle right away, as an emergency call comes in an she's the only other pilot available to serve as copilot. It's a somewhat confusing flight for Storm, as she sees multiple sides of Jim, from pilot to caring paramedic to charming man.

I really liked Storm. She is a woman in a man's world of bush pilots, determined to be the best she can be. She doesn't whine about Jim's treatment of her, she just hunkers down and does the job. She also doesn't hesitate to tell him what she thinks. Her biggest problem as she sees it, is that she is also attracted to him, which also makes her mad. There were times when she frustrated me though, because I thought she could also be overly sensitive to any comment he made, even if he wasn't being snide.

Jim's attitude at the beginning made me mad. He seemed like just another male chauvinist who didn't want a woman horning in on his career. His obvious attraction to her made it look like he thought women were only good for one thing. But there were other times when his actions showed him to be very fair minded, and also protective. It isn't until Storm overhears an argument between Jim and Dan that we discover why he doesn't want a woman as a bush pilot, and that makes his actions more understandable.

I really liked seeing the development of their relationship. Their attraction was incredible, but their personal issues made it hard for them to be together. They would go from sniping at each other to passionate kisses in a heartbeat. The only place they didn't have trouble was when they were actually flying together. Then a medical emergency flight ended badly and they turned to each other for comfort. Unfortunately, Storm has problems believing in her worth as a woman, thanks to her ex-husband's treatment of her, and she fears that Jim is only using her, causing her to pull away from the closeness they were beginning to feel. I liked seeing Jim finally take matters into his own hands by going with her on a flight so they could talk. Then an inflight emergency combined with bad weather brings back his own fears about women pilots. Storm and Jim have to work together to survive. I loved seeing them finally overcome all their issues by being honest with each other. There was a nice little twist that came out while they were stranded that cemented their relationship. There were a couple really sweet scenes in the hospital as they were recovering.

There was also a bit of suspense going on. There is one pilot who seriously gives Storm the creeps and is later found to be drinking on the job and fired. He doesn't take it well. When a couple of planes, including one that Storm is flying, have mechanical issues, it's pretty obvious to the reader that they are not accidents. Will they be able to stop him before he causes a tragedy?

Hold Fast 'Til Morning - Beth Brookes/Lindsay McKenna (Jove - Mar 1982)

Series: Second Chance at Love (Book 36)

By day, dark-haired engineer Cait Monahan was the only woman for the job--troubleshooting a behind-schedule pipeline in Argentina. By night, she was a woman alone, tormented by dreams of her husband's tragic death. In her need, she reached out to Dominic Tobbar, whose kisses enflamed her senses and melted the barrier of the past. Cait was tough on the outside, but vulnerable underneath. Could she ever learn to love again?

Very good book. It is more than thirty years old, but still holds up well. Cait is a strong woman doing a job that few women at that time did. She is an engineer, assigned as the replacement project supervisor on a job that is behind schedule. She is met by Dominic Tobbar, one of the section supervisors, who was not expecting a woman.

First impression of Dominic is of a foul-tempered womanizer. He looks at Cait as if she's there for his pleasure, until he discovers who she is. He's full of snide comments, and appears to have no respect for her position. He's also a very good looking man, with a sense of barely leashed passion. Cait is stunned by her physical reaction to him, something she hasn't felt since her husband's tragic death a year earlier.

Cait meets her second in command when she arrives at the work site. Campos is quite effusive in his comments and compliments to her, which sends up a bit of a red flag to her. The next morning, Cait gets an early start and Campos fills her in on the problems with the site. He is quick to lay a lot of blame at Dominic's feet, accusing him of not being a team player. A confrontation a short time later reinforces those statements, leaving Cait wondering if she's going to have to fire Dominic. But what he has to say makes sense to her, and a check of paperwork proves his point. I liked that Dominic was man enough to apologize to her, and try to make amends. It is the beginning of a growing trust between them.

There is also an intense attraction there that Cait doesn't quite know what to do with. She is still grieving the loss of her husband, suffering nightmares where she relives his death. Dominic is just as drawn to her, which confuses him. He has a very low opinion of women in general because of a bad marriage and the other women he's been exposed to. Cait's openness and honesty is something he's not experienced before. He is unable to resist her, and finds himself kissing her at every chance he gets. He also turns out to be more sensitive than he initially appeared, and is there for her as Cait works her way through her grief.

I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Cait quickly discovers that she can trust him, and is able to share her problems with him. Dominic also comes to respect Cait and her abilities at work. As they work together to bring the project back on schedule, they got to know each other very well. I loved seeing them share their pasts, mistakes and all. It was really sweet to see Dominic uncover the woman under the surface. I loved the scene when he took her to his ranch and showed her more of who he is. It was easy to see that they were falling for each other, but there are still obstacles to overcome. I ached for Cait as her love for Dominic grew stronger, but so did her fear of losing him the way she lost her husband. The fight against Mother Nature at the end brought her fears to the forefront. I ached for her as she faced those fears, and loved Dominic for being with her every step of the way. The ending was romantic and triumphant for both of them.

Throughout the book was the secondary story of why the project was behind schedule. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that Campos had something he was trying to hide. He attempted to deflect Cait's attention to the problems he attributed to Dominic, but she quickly realized there was more to it. I loved the arrival of her friend and coworker Louie and his quick agreement that there was something fishy. I really liked how he, Cait and Dominic worked so well together and were able to figure out what was going on. I especially loved seeing Cait stand up in front of the board and make her case so well. That too was extremely satisfying.