Orchard Valley Brides

Have you ever been strongly attracted to someone against your better judgment? That's exactly what happens to the both heroines in the stories that make up Debbie Macomber's Orchard Valley Brides, another of the Harlequin Big Summer Reads.

In Norah, the heroine is working one last shift as an ER nurse before her sister's wedding the following day when the lone survivor of a private plane crash is rushed in. His injuries are serious and things get complicated when Norah realizes the man was flying into town to stop her sister's wedding because of his feelings for her.

Wealthy CEO Rowdy Cassidy is a man used to getting his own way. When the pretty nurse Norah visits him after the wedding, he demands to see her more and has her reassigned to work on his floor. Norah soon finds herself captivated by this powerhouse of a man who can turn an entire hospital upside down, but she knows a relationship with him would be a mistake. After all, isn't he still in love with her sister?

In Lone Star Lovin', Sherrie decides to move from Orchard Valley to a small town in Texas to work as a physician's assistant. Her first patient is a handsome rancher struggling to parent a teenage daughter and before long sparks start to fly between them.

Neither Cody or Sherrie trust the immediate attraction they feel for each other. Cody's daughter is hell bent on getting a mom, which does not help matters. When Cody proposes to Sherrie, saying they might as well get married since he doesn't have time for all the romance crap, she feels her heart deflate like a balloon with a slow leak. She is falling in love with the gruff rancher, but she wants someone who will share his heart as well as his bed.

Both novels were originally published in the early 1990s, although they are timeless in their appeal. The stories include strong family ties and small town settings in Oregon and Texas. Macomber is best in the back-and-forth dialogue between the main characters, making it both fresh and funny. The sensuality is drawn more from the build-up of attraction between the couples than any detailed bedroom scenes. Those that have read Macomber's titles will know exactly what to expect. New readers will find sweet stories of people learning how to listen to their hearts as well as their heads when it comes to love.