When I'm With You (Indigo) [Mass Market Paperback]

LaConnie Taylor-Jones (Author)

Book Description

Series: Indigo | Publication Date: November 6, 2007

When your life has been terrorized by violence, how do you manage to go forward, looking over your shoulder at every turn? This is the daily question that haunts Caitlyn Thompson. She has been in hiding from an ex-boyfriend for three years, always careful not to slip up and allow him to find her again. Working for a neighborhood youth center, she has found her niche. This is something she believes in, having grown up in inner-city New Jersey herself. Submitting a grant request to a wealthy philanthropist foundation, Caitlyn is soon to meet the man who will make her want to stop running, want to trust and love again; Marcel Baptiste. It will take a will of iron and a courage she didn't know she possessed to battle her fears and open up to the wealthy entrepreneur. But when violence comes knocking again, will she have the courage to face her biggest nightmare?

Marcel Baptiste; wealthy, attractive, a man on a mission; he is driven to meet the woman who wrote such a professional grant proposal. For some reason her words and dedication reaches out to him from the paper, capturing his attention like none has for some time. Focused on giving back to the those less fortunate, he is certain the youth center is a worthy cause, but still he has this need to meet the grant writer, Caitlyn Thompson. When conditions culminate to bring her to his dealership in Oakland, he doubly pleased. He sees before him a woman who is worth the extra effort it takes to pursue and uncover her secrets. Not only is the grant writer and director of the youth center, but she is the woman who has finally captured the elusive billionaire. With someone conspiring to outbid him on a purchase, a stalker looking to cause violence and buried secrets coming to light, Marcel will have to stand strong in the face of his biggest challenge, saving the woman he loves.

Editorial Reviews

Review

4+ Caitlyn Thompson was placed in foster care at the age of five after her mother died unexpectedly. She's recently relocated to Oakland, with the help of her friend Victoria (Vic), after escaping an abusive relationship. Her only concerns now are her safety and finding the money to help keep the neighborhood youth center she manages a float. Marcel Baptiste is a wealthy philanthropist who runs his family's automotive dealerships in and around the Oakland area. He is passionately intrigued when he is receives a proposal to fund a youth center. He is overwhelmed with feelings he can't explain when fate places him face to face with Caitlyn. Marcel then embarks on a campaign to make her his. As their romance begins to bloom, Marcel and Caitlyn must come to grips with secrets from their past, and one that threatens to tear them apart.

WHEN I'M WITH YOU is a story about the damage caused when someone is in an abusive relationship, and what happens when the person suffering the abuse is too scared to tell their loved ones what's going on. It showcases the difficulties one faces when learning to trust after having suffered the shame, embarrassment, and betrayal during the relationship, and the importance of being able to forgive and forget while moving forward with your life. There is also a lesson about why you should know your family history.

This is a fast-paced story with a plot that focuses on family, trust, and redemption. It was interesting to see the history of abuse and the similar reactions that the abused characters had. There were also parts that are heart-warming and funny.

WHEN I'M WITH YOU is a quick and enjoyable read, and Ms. Taylor-Jones handled a distasteful subject well. -- Romance in Color, August 11, 2007

From the Back Cover

Marcel Baptiste is a wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist. He meets Caitlyn Thompson, the head of a struggling youth center, when she appeals to his philanthropic foundation for funding. Marcel is smitten and begins wooing her, but she is a hard sell: she has relocated to Oakland after being beaten and raped by Cole, her controlling ex, and is very gun-shy when it comes to men. As Marcel falls more deeply under her spell, he decides that merely loving her isn't enough: he must also help her vanquish the ghosts of her past.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 300 pages
• Publisher: Genesis Press (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585712507
• ISBN-13: 978-1585712502
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,394,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #61 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Romance > Series > Indigo Love

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 3.5 The Feelings Are Real When It's Love, November 6, 2007

By 

Chantay W. "BookLover4Life" (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: When I'm With You (Indigo) (Mass Market Paperback)

Marcel Baptiste is a wealthy businessman with a heart of pure gold. Marcel helped his family's automotive business expand over the years. While it is no secret that he enjoys being a wealthy man it is a secret that he enjoys giving. His secret passion leads him to read each and every proposal that comes his way to make sure he is giving to a worthy cause. When he reads the latest round of proposals, one stands out and seems to speak directly to him. The proposal in question was written by Caitlyn Thompson. Something within Marcel tells him that he should definitely meet with this woman who seems to know him so well.

Caitlyn Thompson is a woman on the run from an ex-lover. Because of the things that he has done to her, Caitlyn wants to never be caught in a situation where she is helpless again. Her private life is something she guards as the most precious thing she owns. She keeps her life so private that it means there must be no cell phone registered in her name, no electronic transactions must ever occur, no bank account must represent her name and most importantly, money must be carried around with her at all times. So, when she meets the handsome philanthropist Marcel Baptiste and he expresses interest, Caitlyn denies his every advance. After he persists, she relents and gives the sexy businessman a chance knowing that at any moment, the person she has tried to avoid may find her to finish the destruction he started.

When I'm With You by Laconnie Taylor-Jones is an enduring love story. Readers will especially enjoy the dynamic and knight-in-shining-armor character, Marcel Baptiste. He is a man who would never harm the woman he cares for deeply but would do anything and everything in his power to protect her. Readers will enjoy the twists Taylor-Jones places within the story. Those twists all seem to interconnect in a convenient way that is understandable and appealing. Taylor-Jones also does a fabulous job of combining family values and strong bonds of love within this story that will definitely leave readers with smiles on their faces and hearts. I recommend this meaningful love story to romance fans.

Chantay
APOOO BookClub

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Learning to love again, August 4, 2008

By 

Renee Williams "Renee Williams" (Huntsville, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: When I'm With You (Indigo) (Mass Market Paperback)

When you've suffered atrocities such as being raped and then stalked, being in a committed relationship is the last thing on your mind, and understandably so. In When I'm With You by literary newcomer LaConnie Taylor-Jones, this is the situation her heroine, Caitlyn Thompson finds herself facing.

Marcel Baptiste has other ideas though. When Caitlyn comes to him with a proposal to provide funding to the youth center she heads up, the attraction is immediate. Caitlyn appeals to Marcel on every level - she's beautiful, smart, and caring. And even though she is skittish when it comes to affairs of the heart, Marcel will let nothing or no one deter him from breaking down Caitlyn's emotional barricades and claiming her as his own.

Being an avid romance reader, and a diehard romantic, I must say I could really feel the love between Caitlyn and Marcel. But at times, the cynic in me felt that it was a little too "perfect". All in all, though, I was impressed with Ms. Jones debut novel. I was also duly impressed by the way she effortlessly portrayed strong familial bonds and for tackling a very sensitive subject matter.

Renee Williams, All the Buzz

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, August 3, 2008

By 

ajparty "avid book reader" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: When I'm With You (Indigo) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book was excellent! I read the followup to this book, When A Man Loves A Woman (Vic and AJ's story)before reading this book and knew I had to go back and read this one! I was not dissapointed and am looking forward to more from this family. Caitlyn is a strong woman who is on the run from a crazy and abusive ex-boyfriend. When she meets Marcel she tries to avoid getting involved with him at every turn. He eventually wins her over and becomes her ultimate protector. The love scenes are off the chain and there is a hint of mystery and action as well. The domestic abuse issues are handled very well in this book.