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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic plot! Highly recommended, February 9, 2002
This review is from: Maternal Instinct: 3 Good Cops (Harlequin Superromance No. 1040) (Paperback)
Following a heinous crime of mammoth proportions, officers gather to unwind at a local bar. Too many beers later, inebriated partners Nell Granstrom and Hugh McLean leave their previous antipathy behind to find drunken solace in one another's arms. While both act out of character, their passion is genuine, leaving a haze of guilty pleasure and embarrassment when they wake in the backseat of Hugh's Explorer. Nell's last words before climbing out of the Explorer the next morning are, "It never happened." But it did. The memory of their drunken lovemaking continues to haunt both Nell and Hugh. In the days that follow, the officers continue to investigate the bloodbath that occurred at The Greater Northwest Insurance Company. While investigators assume they've found the shooter, Hugh becomes convinced that the horrific crime masked another murderer as well. Ironically, only his irritable partner believes him. Then the worst personal crisis occurs: Nell's pregnant. Nell's mother gave birth to her at the age of sixteen. When Nell was sixteen she gave birth to her own daughter Kim. Now Kim's sixteen, and Nell lives in fear her daughter will make the mistakes of her mother and grandmother. The last thing Nell expected was to become pregnant. Neither she nor Hugh has ever been married. Of course he'll offer to do the right thing, but the question remains if Nell's ready for a full time man in her life after years of independence and single parenthood. Author Janice Kay Johnson offers a tale of complex emotional ramifications in MATERNAL INSTINCT. As Nell's worst nightmare comes true, she must confront not only her fears regarding marriage, but also her role as mother to Kim. The "do as I say, and not as I do," issue reaches gargantuan proportions as Nell prepares to become a mother again. Fear that she's lost authority over her child, fear that she's loosing control of her own life, and fear of her emotional responses to the father of her baby propel Nell toward self honesty and self forgiveness. However, I found myself growing impatient with Hugh's mother's interference and Nell's willingness to allow her fears to mask well-intended comments with her own insecurity. Nevertheless, the plot absolutely delighted me, as did Kim's responses to her mother's pregnancy. Consequently, MATERNAL INSTINCT comes highly recommended.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hard-Hitting yet Emotionally Satisfying, November 10, 2002
This review is from: Maternal Instinct: 3 Good Cops (Harlequin Superromance No. 1040) (Paperback)
Officers Nell Granstrom and Hugh McLean are dispatched to the scene of a mass shooting. Afterward, the trauma takes its toll in the form of too many beers and an unexpected liaison in the back of Hugh's Explorer. When Nell discovers she's pregnant, her tidy world shifts. This is not the first time she's experienced this calamity. Born to an unwed sixteen-year-old, Nell herself had daughter Kim at sixteen. And now sixteen-year-old Kim seems more interested in her too-steady boyfriend than in preparing for college. Is history repeating itself? Hugh wants to do the right thing and offers marriage. But his reputation with women makes Nell think he's only marrying her out of duty. While on the surface they constantly disagree, underneath, each harbors lustful feelings about the other. Can they forget their differences long enough to make this marriage work? Janice kay Johnson tackles a suspenseful story, the third in the Three Good Cops series. However, this book stands on its own and provides a satisfying read. Johnson excels at both suspense and emotion. Hugh, Nell and the cast of supporting players are well drawn. Highly recommended.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must-Read!!!, February 8, 2002
This review is from: Maternal Instinct: 3 Good Cops (Harlequin Superromance No. 1040) (Paperback)
A mother's wish: Give your child the life you didn't have More than anything, Officer Nell Granstrom wants to stop history from repeating itself. Born to a sixteen-year-old mother, Nell had her daughter, Kim, at the same age. Now Kim's sixteen and has a serious boyfriend. But how much weight can Nell's words have? Years of living a careful life are over, because she's made another mistake. After witnessing a terrible crime, Nell turns to her new partner for comfort--which leads to a second unplanned pregnancy. Despite his reputation, Hugh McLean will no doubt offer to do the right thing. But would marriage to a man she hardly knows (and isn't sure she likes) work? For Kim's sake, for the baby's sake, is Nell brave enough to try? With the third novel in the 3 Good Cops (John, Conner, and Hugh--brothers, sons, cops) trilogy, Johnson creates a stand alone book for those unfamiliar with the series and a satisfying conclusion for those eagerly anticipating the rest of the saga. Hugh and Nell come to life in the pages of the book, and their situation is both emotional, romantic, and thrilling. The mystery is gripping with an unexpected lead developing that makes it all come together. I highly recommend this novel as well as His Partner's Wife and The Word of a Child, the earlier two books. If you haven't read Johnson's work, do so immediately. This rising star's work is real, gripping, and romantically charged. A great read for all!!
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