A Lonely Heart ISBN 978-1-59705-967-1
REVIEWS:
"I believe this is the best book I have ever read! I probably think something similar when I finish a book, but I have never before printed the words.
Lani Morgan had relocated to Victoria, Australia, to try to start over. Never again would she allow anyone to get close to her just because she was rich. She wouldn’t lie about it; she would just keep her mouth shut...
Ms. Tricia McGill knows that the readers will all know this situation is just “an accident waiting to happen,” but she keeps enticing us into the story with her wit and charming manner of writing. Of course, there is love and there is disaster. The love ebbs and flows and the “near hits and misses” just tug at the heartstrings. The ending may be predictable (after all, who wants a bad ending) but the journey is unforgettable! I urge you to read this winner!"
Overall rating: 5 HEARTS Reviewer: Brenda Talley for The Romance Studio
"A Lonely Heart features a strong and determined heroine who has been searching for a family, for love, and for acceptance for quite awhile. Lani has all money can buy, but what she wants is someone to love and who will share her affection and desire in turn. In many ways, Ryan becomes her emotional adversary. They squabble and disagree, but beneath those disagreements is respect for each other’s logic and intelligence, along with of course, a healthy dose of lust. Ryan is most definitely a tad mule-headed. It’s easy to see why Lani became so frustrated with him during certain points in the story because I too became frustrated with him. However, Ms. McGill uses this frustration to keep the reader engaged in the characters.
A charming country setting, some cheeky kids, two amusing dogs, and a cast of other secondary characters help to build the romantic tension to a crescendo. A Lonely Heart tenderly builds up a romance between a man with a chip on his shoulder and the woman destined to win his heart. It’s a pure and gentle romance that will surely please the romance genre purists, along with just about any other romance fan out there."
Reviewed by: Sarah W 4 ANGELS
“A Lonely Heart - the title of this charming contemporary by Tricia McGill says it all. A poor little rich girl, Lani Morgan, has more money than she knows what to do with, but no lasting relationships. Raised by elderly relatives who gave position and possessions but not the kind of love Lani craved, she is captivated by the real family she meets and longs to be part of it. Ryan, the hero, is the father of the family she so admires and someone to whom she is instantly attracted. Along with the romance, Ms. McGill skillfully weaves a delightful daughter, a rebellious son and a fascinating grandfather into the story. The conflict between the proud father and the poor little rich girl will have you turning the pages until the satisfying conclusion.”
Allison Knight, author of "Simon's Brides" a historical romance available now from Wings Press, Inc.
“After the death of her rich aunt and uncle, Lani Morgan, moves out of their mansion to start her life anew, inland. No one recognizes her as the sole heiress of the Morgan millions. She thinks everything is going just too perfect. So, why does she hear warning bells clattering in the back of her mind? She hopes that her past won’t catch up with her.
There is surprising developments when she takes on the whole Ryan Bayliss family—grandfather, father and youngsters, when the two children coax her and her mare, to take up temporary lodging at the small flat on their property. Although she loves Susie and Val with all her heart, their father is such an exasperating man; his dislike of horses being totally unreasonable. Because of him, she is sure her life will never be the same again.
Tricia McGill’s lonely heiress is so real that when she is being deliberately willful I just wanted to reach down through the pages and smack some sense into her. But, I kept reading faster and faster because after all, in spite of Ryan’s calloused moods, Lani is the heroine, and things just have to come out happily-ever-after for her.”
JoEllen Conger Review Rating: 5 Cups
EXCERPT
Ryan watched the colour fluctuate on her cheeks. She was giving him a look that he recognised was a habit of hers. Half defiant--half-wary. Did she have any idea how provocative it was? Normally he exercised good judgement where women were concerned, but he seemed to be behaving crazily with this one. From the first moment she’d walked into his office she had intrigued him--and he was at a loss to know why.
He held her stare, and she was the first to look away, aiming those incredibly soft eyes at her stupid horse.
“Look, I do realise you aren’t to blame for this fiasco,” he said.
Her slim shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Thanks,” she muttered.
“Can Lani stay?” Susie clutched at his arm, her eyes beseeching. He felt like a heel.
“Shush, Susie.” Lani bestowed a lovely smile on his daughter. A smile that did strange things to his insides. Ryan shook himself. “I guess Val is mostly to blame, and Waldo of course. When he seemed to find the idea acceptable--” She shrugged again, petting the horse as it nudged her arm. “Well, I figured it would be all right. But I should have checked with the owner of the house first. I thought the owner was your partner, you see.”
“Greg? What on earth gave you that idea?” This was a regular mix-up for sure.
“I guess I jumped to the wrong conclusions when I first met Val.” She shrugged again and turned away. “I just presumed he couldn’t be your son. Silly of me to presume that, I know.”
The air left his lungs when she pulled the saddle from the fence. The action lifted her breasts, and desire rippled through him. This was followed by a spurt of irritation. What was wrong with him? Not since adolescence had he felt such instant reactions to a woman. The sensation was unsettling--and frightening. The sooner he got her off his property the better.
His life was safe and comfortable as it was. He conducted his relationships with the opposite sex after careful analysis and scepticism. He ensured the women he dated knew that his life centred on his children first and foremost.
Part of this woman’s attraction was that she’d intrigued him from the start. Her clothes were obviously expensive, although not flashy. Not that this was a mystery in itself, for she owned a boutique. Her only jewellery was a dainty gold watch that he recognised must have cost a small fortune. Despite her obvious efforts to play down her looks she was a very attractive lady. And seemed to be oblivious to this fact.
There didn’t seem to be any pretensions or wiles to her--a rarity in his world. The funny part was he’d just come up with a property that he thought would suit her--and it had knocked the socks off him when he’d found out she intended to move into his tiny flat. It didn’t make sense. A woman with the means to purchase a property in the price range she’d quoted didn’t change her mind and lease a flat in someone else’s home.
The horse was saddled and she began to put the bridle on. Ryan noticed that her fingers were shaking. Was he such an ogre that he’d scared her half to death? That was another intriguing aspect. Although obviously a businesswoman and well into her twenties she acted at times as if she was shy and nervous.
The bridle was on and she turned to face him, saying, “I suppose Val is really to blame.”
“My son has been known to come up with some ...unusual ideas. In fact he’s rather strange in more ways than one--but you’ve no doubt worked that out for yourself.”
“Val is incredibly mature for his age.” Her retort was crammed with indignation.
She was sticking up for his eccentric son. The idea amused Ryan, but he didn’t let her see that. “About some things, yes, he is mature. But in other ways he just doesn’t bother to think things through. Where did you meet him?”
She shrugged. She was above average height, but reed slim. “I met him while out riding. I found him very polite and obliging. Not many young men take the trouble to stop their trail bikes and pull over when you ride past. Most seem to take delight in scaring my horse half to death by revving up. Val’s a credit to you.”
Her small compliment pleased him more than was feasible. If he didn’t watch out he’d be blushing himself. “I don’t know that I should take credit for that--he’s very independent and strong-willed. And riding that damn bike of his proves my point. I distinctly forbade him to ride it outside the property.”
“He was only riding it along the side of the railway track, Ryan,” Susie intruded to declare.
Ryan transferred his attention to his daughter. “And that isn’t outside the property?” He lifted his brows.
Susie blushed, but the little terror had the nerve to go on, “He pushed it up the road, I swear. He knows he’s not allowed to ride it along the roads.”
Ryan sighed. “You don’t have to defend him, pet. We both know he seldom does as he’s asked, especially by me.” He tugged gently on her ponytail and she grinned, knowing once again that she’d won him over. He turned to Lani and said, “Look, come back inside. We’ll go over it in more detail.”
“There’s really not a lot to go over.” Her cheeks were very flushed. He guessed with indignation and anger. “You’ve made yourself clear. You don’t want me or my horse here. It seems cut and dried to me.”
Ryan felt as low as a snake. Rubbing his nape, he tried to sound apologetic. “Perhaps I was hasty. I’m not really as dogmatic as I came across.”
He was certain she mumbled something to the contrary. Susie went to her and whispered something that sounded very much like, “I told you he was a softie, didn’t I?”
Softie? God, where did she get these ideas from?
“I don’t suppose there’s any harm in talking it over,” Lani said softly and his insides did a funny turn again when she unbuckled the saddle and lifted it off her mare, propping it back on the fence rail. She didn’t take the bridle off but put the halter on over it and tied the horse up before turning to him. She apparently wasn’t intending to stay--or thought he would decide to ask her to leave again.
Copyright Tricia McGill 2007* All Rights Reserved
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