Customer Reviews

Reluctant Partners (Harlequin American Romance)

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Cooper Remington has always been the second son, the 'spare,' with his golden older brother destined to take up their father's place in the family corporate empire. So, when favorite (but nere-do-well) Uncle Johnny dies, Cooper rounds up two of his cousins (also second sons) and heads to Port Clara, Texas. The plan--they'll take over Johnny's charter fishing service and make a business of their own. The problem--there's already someone living on Johnny's boat--a woman who claims that Johnny left the boat to her, and whose plans have nothing to do with a bunch of East Coast city-slickers.

When Johnny Remington sickened, Allie Bateman poured her energy--and her savings--into keeping his boat floating, keeping the business going, and pursuing her dream of her own charter boat service--to replace the one her dishonest uncle cheated her out of. She earned that boat--in sweat equity and in being Johnny's true family while his blood relatives ignored his sickness. When her own uncle stole her family boat, she was too young to fight back. Now, though, she's all grown up--and has no intention of letting more thieves take what's hers. Even if Cooper Remington does get her heart beating fast. After all, anyone can be sexy on the outside.

Neither Cooper nor Allie will budge from their demands. Eventually, their dispute, and Johnny's two wills, will have to be litigated. Pretty quickly, though, both can see that some level of cooperation is essential. If they can't agree, the boat will rot on the docks and the business will vanish. A rough, reluctant, partnership is the only solution. It's just temporary, though, both vow. And those sexy vibes they pick up have got to be controlled.

Author Kara Lennox [...] kicks off a high-energy series with RELUCTANT PARTNERS. Allie, with the baggage from her past, is no pushover for the east-Coast hotshot-lawyer. And Cooper has a lot to learn--about boats, living life, and women. Over time, their conflict knocks off rough edges from each of them. Still, will Cooper really be able to put the wealth and power of his New York past behind him and settle down as a reluctant partner on a fishing boat? Allie doesn't dare trust her heart to a man who seems intent to steal her inheritance--and the life she needs to live, but can she give up Cooper once she sees his human side?

RELUCTANT PARTNERS is a charming and emotional story--I'm happy to recommend it.

Allie Bateman misses her late employer Johnny, but hopes to keep his memory alive by running the Dragonfly, the charter fishing boat that he gave her in his will. However, there is one fly in the ointment; Johnny's nephew attorney Cooper Remington believes the will is a fake as his Uncle Johnny would have bequeathed the vessel to him as family even if his late relative was a bit estrange from the rest of them; to himself Cooper admits his family is pure prim and proper while Uncle Johnny seemed not to care one iota about scandalous lifestyles. If the will is genuine than this sea beauty must have been his uncle's woman.

The pair argues until both agree to not waste needed funds in court, but instead set up a reluctant partnership. As they become better acquainted at sea and on land they fall in love, but he has some doubts about her trustworthiness as he still believes the will is a fraud.

This entertaining at sea romance stars two likable lead characters who distrust one another as much as they are attracted to one another. Fans who enjoy seeing opposites fall in love will want to go on the Dragonfly for a sea cruise.

Harriet Klausner