ONCE PREGNANT, TWICE SHY – Red Garnier
Harlequin Desire #2298
ISBN: 978-0-373-73311-8
April 2014
Contemporary Series Romance

San Antonio, Texas – Present Day

Garrett Gage and Kate Devaney have been part of each other's lives since they were children, and he feels overly protective of her, especially from himself. But when Kate announces she's moving to Florida in a couple of months, Garrett is beside himself. No way is she going to leave town—or him. Yet as Kate demands that he explain why he feels that way, he can't answer her. The more he battles to try to make her change her mind, the harder is it to deny that he thinks she's a beautiful, desirable woman. Is it wrong to feel this way about a woman he treats almost like a sister?

Kate is tired of Garrett looking at her like a friend and sister because she has loved him forever. She figures a fresh start far away from him is the right thing to do, especially after she learns he is making plans to marry another woman to secure a business deal. Kate would move now, but has to stick around for her sister's wedding to Garrett's brother and plans to leave the day after. With Garrett pestering her to stay, she tries to push him away, but he's persistent. Then, things come to a head and the two suddenly can't keep their hands off each other. After an impetuous night together, will Kate change her mind?

Garrett and Kate are best friends who were basically raised together when Kate's father moved into the Gage mansion as a bodyguard and brought his two motherless daughters with him. But one fateful day, both Garrett and Kate lost their fathers when the men were ambushed by attackers. Gage feels protective of Kate and blames himself for what he sees are his stupid actions during the ambush. Kate has told him she doesn't blame him, but he doesn't buy it. Garrett doesn't want Kate to leave town and is devastated by the news, yet can't explain to her why. Garrett and Kate are two stubborn people who battle each other when she makes it clear she's leaving. Their clashes certainly lead to more than arguments…such as a night of passion. And a little extra dividend.

While not listed as being part of a series, ONCE PREGNANT, TWICE SHY is connected to PAPER MARRIAGE PROPOSITION and WRONG MAN, RIGHT KISS as the characters appear throughout this tale. While you could read it as a standalone, I would recommend reading the other two to get a sense of the Gage family dynamics as his brothers appear, and one is marrying Kate's sister.

Garrett might feel it is almost incestuous to be attracted to Kate, but nothing is going to change the fact that he wants her. In ONCE PREGNANT, TWICE SHY they have a big battle of wills that ends with them unable to stop from falling in love. See how the stubborn Kate and Garrett take their journey to a happily ever after in ONCE PREGNANT, TWICE SHY.

Patti Fischer