Review/Giveaway - The Book Of Danny by Jean Joachim

Title: The Book of Danny (Now and Forever 2)
Author: Jean Joachim
Published: November 2011
Genre: Romance
Format: ebook provided by author for review

Danny Maine, leaves the Army after becoming an expert sharp shooter, killer and womanizer. He gets a job teaching English at Kensington State University where he strives to have a normal life. There, he meets Eliza Baines, a beautiful widow, and is smitten immediately. Danny struggles to overcome post-traumatic stress syndrome and make a new life when his drunken and abusive father is released from prison and seeks him out. Struggling to leave his horrific past behind, Danny attempts to forge a new path that includes love, success, friends and having his own family but dark forces and emotional obstacles block his way. The Book of Danny is a poignant story of love, loss and ultimate triumph that will touch your heart.

This is my second book by this author, and I’m definitely a fan.  While I read a lot of PNR, erotica, and things on the darker side, sometimes a nice romance is in order.  This book definitely fits that bill, and I really loved this story.

Danny is injured in the line of duty in the Army and is on his way home to Willow Falls where he has lined up a teaching job at the college.  He meets with Eliza Baines, the dean.  Eliza is a bit older than Danny, but he is instantly attracted.  Sure, he is a bit of a flirt, but this time it just feels different.  He convinces her to go out with him.

 I really found myself interested in Danny.  He’s quite the complex individual.  He had a hard childhood filled with abuse.  But he always had his brother, Kyle.  And then Kyle was killed in the military himself, and Danny was alone. He is a very likable and personable guy.  Danny wastes no time in looking up Callie, Kyle’s ex. More about her in a bit.

Next there is Eliza.  Eliza is older, although I’m not sure how old.  She has grown twin daughters and she is a widow.  She is mature and set in her world.  But then Danny comes along and turns all of that world over, and I found it exciting.  Eliza and Danny are drawn to each other and it is like they are meant to be together.

Callie.  Callie is like the sweet girl next door.  Except her and Kyle were madly in love, but then he died.  After some time she found someone new in a man I didn’t like much at first, Mac.  But Mac really grew on me, and Callie proved her caring and loving nature many times over to everyone in this story.  She is kind of like the rubberband that keeps snapping everyone back together when their own flaws threaten to extract them from this life that is being built.

Knowing and dating Danny isn’t always easy.  The man, although hot, has quite  a bit of baggage.  But he knows it and he is working on it.  That in itself is extremely sexy and endearing in a man.  He is strong, brave, and very intelligent.  It’s a great combination.  Oh right, the baggage.  Some people from his past come back to haunt him, and they pose a very real threat.  On some occasions the fear is really heartpounding, and you worry for the outcome.  Can Danny really save the day, every time?

Of course, no love story would be complete with the drama.  And Eliza and Danny certainly have no trouble bringing that aspect to the table.  My heart broke for them as events unfolded and I found myself trying to find a resolution for them.  These two people are just so likeable that you want them to be happy, but you want them to be happy together.

This was a really great story and I had a hard time putting it down.  There were so many aspects to it, I felt like it was really the “whole package” so to speak.  There is the love and romance, the butterflies you get when you meet someone new.  But then there is also a dangerous element to the story that could show itself at any time.  And then there is a great history that is slowly brought out through the whole story that really makes you feel like you are part of this group.  I definitely recommend this story to anyone who loves a good contemporary romance.

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Also, keep an eye out for Jean's next release!

The Renovated Heart

Can a broken heart be renovated like an old house? Kit’s life came to a halt when her husband slapped her with a divorce. Finding herself without a job or a place to live, she’s forced to take Tunney Nichols up on his offer of cheap rent for his parent’s house.The catch: she must allow him to renovate while she’s living there. Out of fear, Kit tells a lie she soon regrets as she is drawn to the sexy man plastering and painting his way into her heart.

Can Sarah forget the abuse from her late husband? Can she fix her heart and the hearts of her children?  With her two children in tow, Sarah relocates to be near her sister, she meets Jim, a neighbor and English professor. A mutual interest in writing, paves the way for a friendship that blossoms into romance. But is Jim the right man for Sarah or does her old college sweetheart still light her fire?