Just Around The Corner

Shelter Valley Stories #5

by Tara Taylor Quinn

Phyllis Langford is everybody's friend and nobody's lover. Until she succumbs to the unexpected temptation of Matt Sheffield--and soon after, discovers she's pregnant.

Matt's a loner, a man who hides from the possibility of love and family. Just as well, in Phyllis's opinion, since she doesn't want or need anything from him. Not one single thing. But Matt can't quite leave it at that....

Matt and Phyllis arrive at an agreement--he'll help her out. That's all. He'll drive her to the doctor, take care of her household chores. But this agreement gradually leads them to a bigger involvement in each other's lives, and by New Year's Eve, they're ready for the biggest involvement of all: marriage. Which is a good thing, because as it turns out there are two babies waiting just around the corner. Happy New Year, Phyllis, Matt and twins-to-be!

Genres: Romance, Category Romance, Contemporary Romance

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2001

About the author

Tara Taylor Quinn began her love affair with Harlequin when she was fourteen years old and picked up a free promotional copy of a Harlequin Romance in a hometown grocery store. The relationship was solidified the year she was suspended from her high school typing class for hiding a Harlequin Romance behind the keys of her electric typewriter. Unaware that her instructor loomed close by, Ms. Quinn read blissfully on with one finger resting on the automatic repeating period key. She finished the book in the principal’s office. Forced to leave her romances in her locker after that, Ms. Quinn’s typing skills improved - a fact for which she is eternally grateful.

With over 80 original novels, published in more than twenty languages, Tara Taylor Quinn is a USA Today bestselling author with more than seven million copies sold. She is a winner of the 2008 National Reader's Choice Award, four time finalist for the RWA Rita Award, a finalist for the Reviewer’s Choice Award, the Bookseller’s Best Award, the Holt Medallion and appears regularly on the Waldenbooks bestsellers list. Ms. Quinn writes for Harlequin and MIRA Books. Reviewer, Cindy Penn, wordweaving.com says, “Amazing character development is the hallmark of author Tara Taylor Quinn’s work. Indeed, Taylor’s profound observations of human nature and intimate understanding of values and priorities lends extraordinary psychological depth to all her work.”

Tara Taylor Quinn was born and raised in Ohio. Though she wrote her first story at the age of seven, her professional writing career began ten years later when she was hired as a stringer with the Dayton Daily News in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Wright State University and graduated from Harding College in Arkansas with a degree in English and Journalism. She published several magazine articles before turning to writing as a full-time occupation.

Ms. Quinn is a Past President of the Romance Writers of America and served for eight years on the Board of Directors of that association. She has a wide range of experience as a public speaker and workshop presenter for writers groups around the country.

When she’s not home with her owners, Jerry Lee and Taylor Marie, or fulfilling speaking engagements, Tara loves to travel with her husband, stopping wherever the spirit takes them. They’ve been spotted in casinos and quaint little small town antique shops all across the country..

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just Around The Corner is the fifth book in the Shelter Valley Stories series by American author, Tara Taylor Quinn. Psychologist Dr Phyllis Langford is pregnant from a one-night-stand (well, afternoon) with loner Matt Sheffield. In the interests of fairness, she lets him know, but makes it clear she expects nothing from him. Her history with men shows she makes poor choices, and she can do this on her own, with the support of the Shelter Valley community. Matt has his own reasons for shying away from any involvement: he knows he won’t make a good father. While the romance is sweet, and the idea of Phyllis and Matt managing to heal each other, and a troubled teen, is nice, the whole premise is a bit too absurd to be believable. Pleasant, but a little slow-moving.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A university professor knocks up another university professor--bringing him eye to eye with his family's legacy of violence and his own tendency to feel excessive guilt for the mistakes of his past. Pretty good, would have been better (and gotten four stars) if it hadn't had a bad case of series-related infodump syndrome.

[Kshydog · Rating 1 out of 5]

This would not in my mind be classified as a "super romance" book. There was some in the first chapter and then the rest of the book was just about relationships. Phyllis gets pregnant because an old condom does not work correctly. At least safety was tried.