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Tyler Group #3
For the First Time
Being a father shouldn't feel this risky!
There's not a lot former CIA agent Mark Sharpe hasn't done. Yet suddenly he's in a world of firsts—first time being a father, first time being self-employed…and first time being attracted to his employee. JoJo Hatcher, with her attitude, her tattoos and her investigative talents, tempts him in ways he can't explain. With each day she becomes more irresistible. How is he supposed to function in this messed-up situation?
Then his teenage daughter, Sophie, is threatened. There's only one person he trusts to help him: JoJo. As they work to untangle the mystery, Mark imagines a future together that includes another first—family.
There's not a lot former CIA agent Mark Sharpe hasn't done. Yet suddenly he's in a world of firsts—first time being a father, first time being self-employed…and first time being attracted to his employee. JoJo Hatcher, with her attitude, her tattoos and her investigative talents, tempts him in ways he can't explain. With each day she becomes more irresistible. How is he supposed to function in this messed-up situation?
Then his teenage daughter, Sophie, is threatened. There's only one person he trusts to help him: JoJo. As they work to untangle the mystery, Mark imagines a future together that includes another first—family.
- GenresContemporaryRomance
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
2 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Doyle
64 books50 followersIt all started with Shanna and Star Wars. An odd combination, I know, but what people don't appreciate about Star Wars is the deep romantic element between two of the lead characters. I wasn't seven years-old when I was able to clearly spot that Han and Leia were supposed to be a couple.
Sure most of my friends, who at the time weren't nearly as mature as I was – after all some of them were still six, thought that Leia loved Luke. But anyone really looking could see that Han and Leia were the couple to beat.
That's when I discovered romance.
Then at about fifteen or so I was babysitting one night, bored out of my mind – the children were fast asleep at this point – so I picked a book from the shelf. I wasn't much of a reader at the time, but I liked the orange cover. It was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
That's when I discovered romance novels.
Making up stories – that's just something I've always done. It's like breathing for me. But it wasn't until I began to read actively that I thought maybe I could actually write a book. The benefit of writing over reading is that I get to have everything just the way I like it. I should mention at this point that I'm a little bit of a control freak.
But I didn't go to school for writing. In fact I went to school to be the President of the United States - make that a power hungry control freak.
I attended Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. And no, that is not a school to learn how to become a nun. Although, since I'm not married yet, my mother believes that subliminal messages were piped into the dorm rooms through hidden speakers.
I strayed from the presidential track. Figured instead of running the country I would do something really meaningful. I became a school teacher and spent two amazing years in Seattle.
Eventually I came back home to South Jersey. I got a temp job to hold me over until I could find another teaching position and have been at my current company for eight years. I keep telling my boss that I'm only staying for a little while longer. But he has since stopped listening to me.
So what else is there to know about me? I write. I work. I exercise. I try not to eat. I fail. I beat myself up for not succeeding to not eat. Then I drink. It's a simple life I lead.
I date. But that's a whole other story….
Sure most of my friends, who at the time weren't nearly as mature as I was – after all some of them were still six, thought that Leia loved Luke. But anyone really looking could see that Han and Leia were the couple to beat.
That's when I discovered romance.
Then at about fifteen or so I was babysitting one night, bored out of my mind – the children were fast asleep at this point – so I picked a book from the shelf. I wasn't much of a reader at the time, but I liked the orange cover. It was Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss.
That's when I discovered romance novels.
Making up stories – that's just something I've always done. It's like breathing for me. But it wasn't until I began to read actively that I thought maybe I could actually write a book. The benefit of writing over reading is that I get to have everything just the way I like it. I should mention at this point that I'm a little bit of a control freak.
But I didn't go to school for writing. In fact I went to school to be the President of the United States - make that a power hungry control freak.
I attended Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. And no, that is not a school to learn how to become a nun. Although, since I'm not married yet, my mother believes that subliminal messages were piped into the dorm rooms through hidden speakers.
I strayed from the presidential track. Figured instead of running the country I would do something really meaningful. I became a school teacher and spent two amazing years in Seattle.
Eventually I came back home to South Jersey. I got a temp job to hold me over until I could find another teaching position and have been at my current company for eight years. I keep telling my boss that I'm only staying for a little while longer. But he has since stopped listening to me.
So what else is there to know about me? I write. I work. I exercise. I try not to eat. I fail. I beat myself up for not succeeding to not eat. Then I drink. It's a simple life I lead.
I date. But that's a whole other story….
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 18, 2013
I think this might just be my most favourite book by this author yet, it just had such great characters. We met Mark the former CIA turned PI in the last book, where we saw him struggle to be a father to his almost-fifteen year old child prodigy daughter. Mark never had a relationship with his daughter beyond sending gifts and awkward chats over the internet, his college girlfriend deliberately got pregnant. His daughter Sophie lost her mother and then because of her elderly grandparent's health had to go live with a man she didn't know, so life is a struggle.
The book opens with the heroine JoJo though, when she is fourteen and is recounting to the police the kidnapping of her twin sister, we also are witness to what would come later in her life, her father's violence and disregard.
When we see JoJo again she is all spiked hair and tats and an investigator, who comes to Mark for a job and he turns her away. It's not just her neck that has barbed wires, it's her, what happened to her sister, how her parents failed her, she just doesn't do ties or trust and especially men.
But Mark ends up hiring her because he is getting letters threatening his daughter and JoJo is different. Honestly, both Mark and JoJo were so different yet the same, when it came to being open. Both of them were loners but we saw them change, Mark coming to accept the love he had for his daughter and JoJo opening up with Sophie and then later Mark.
I loved the book, it was emotional and sexy as well. We see Sophie struggle with her first crush and her relationship with her father. The moment when JoJo confessed to Mark what happened with her father was so poignant and then Mark proclaiming that he would take her virginity was all kinds of sweet and offensive.
For me this book was perfect, filled with emotions, romance and characters that deserved a HEA.
The book opens with the heroine JoJo though, when she is fourteen and is recounting to the police the kidnapping of her twin sister, we also are witness to what would come later in her life, her father's violence and disregard.
When we see JoJo again she is all spiked hair and tats and an investigator, who comes to Mark for a job and he turns her away. It's not just her neck that has barbed wires, it's her, what happened to her sister, how her parents failed her, she just doesn't do ties or trust and especially men.
But Mark ends up hiring her because he is getting letters threatening his daughter and JoJo is different. Honestly, both Mark and JoJo were so different yet the same, when it came to being open. Both of them were loners but we saw them change, Mark coming to accept the love he had for his daughter and JoJo opening up with Sophie and then later Mark.
I loved the book, it was emotional and sexy as well. We see Sophie struggle with her first crush and her relationship with her father. The moment when JoJo confessed to Mark what happened with her father was so poignant and then Mark proclaiming that he would take her virginity was all kinds of sweet and offensive.
For me this book was perfect, filled with emotions, romance and characters that deserved a HEA.
February 15, 2016
I thought, "Ok, a decent read. Not great literature but a nice escape for a couple of hours."
Then he said "I'm going to take your virginity". Just to help her through the trauma of her earlier life and to help her be a full person able to have relationships - not with him because he doesn't have relationships because a woman in his past tricked him - but she'll be better off and happier when he leaves her.
Such bull-hockey. Why do the men in these books think they have the answer to all of women's problems? Why do the women let them? I don't ask why the authors continue to use this antiquated, anti-female plot. I do ask why we continue to read them. I will say in my own defense, I didn't know about it and quit reading when I did.
Then he said "I'm going to take your virginity". Just to help her through the trauma of her earlier life and to help her be a full person able to have relationships - not with him because he doesn't have relationships because a woman in his past tricked him - but she'll be better off and happier when he leaves her.
Such bull-hockey. Why do the men in these books think they have the answer to all of women's problems? Why do the women let them? I don't ask why the authors continue to use this antiquated, anti-female plot. I do ask why we continue to read them. I will say in my own defense, I didn't know about it and quit reading when I did.
March 23, 2014
this is my favorite of Stephanie's books. The hero and heroine are super well-matched. Very sexy, very emotional and very funny. The hero is really delicious and the heroine is really tortured. It's a win all the way around!!! Pre order!!!!
April 26, 2018
I liked some aspects of this story but overall, not that much, especially the romance development. Probably why I mostly stay away from category stories...
April 28, 2014
Former CIA agent Mark Sharpe is the best at what he does...just ask him. Having decided to leave the Agency in order to be a full-time dad to his reluctant teenage daughter, Mark has set up as a private investigator specializing in cold cases. Now, one of those cases seem to have come back to haunt him, forcing him to bite the bullet and hire on a brilliant partner who simply rubs him the wrong way.
JoJo Hatcher is a non-conformist. If someone can't tell that from her attitude, her tattoos will leave them in no doubt. She knows no amount of camouflage will work on Mark, but she finds herself oddly drawn to the idea of working with this genius of observation. Can she keep her growing attraction from distracting her from her job? Especially now that Mark's daughter has been threatened and he needs her so desperately.
The main characters are transparent. Sometimes this can be a good thing, other times...not so much. In this case it is a mixed blessing. Mark's transparency worked great in the previous book, where he acted as the foil to the main character, Ben Tyler. In this book, his transparency is a hindrance because there are only so many believable ways he can react to a situation, and none of them are very complimentary to him. JoJo's transparency works in a way that is unexpected. The reader knows that JoJo is motivated by her past, and as such will do what ever it takes to keep history from repeating itself. This works because the reader does not get all of the backstory all at once, so we are kept guessing as to what really happened to her to make her the way that she is.
Once again, the supporting characters save the day. Greg's story is intriguing, and as we are only given a morsel of it, we find ourselves salivating for more. Sophie is a typical teen with an atypical life. We can relate to her angst, but also marvel at her strength while she deals with stuff that most adults will never even deal with.
Overall, this is a good read. I really enjoyed the story, but often found myself distracted by Mark being somewhat unlikable.
JoJo Hatcher is a non-conformist. If someone can't tell that from her attitude, her tattoos will leave them in no doubt. She knows no amount of camouflage will work on Mark, but she finds herself oddly drawn to the idea of working with this genius of observation. Can she keep her growing attraction from distracting her from her job? Especially now that Mark's daughter has been threatened and he needs her so desperately.
The main characters are transparent. Sometimes this can be a good thing, other times...not so much. In this case it is a mixed blessing. Mark's transparency worked great in the previous book, where he acted as the foil to the main character, Ben Tyler. In this book, his transparency is a hindrance because there are only so many believable ways he can react to a situation, and none of them are very complimentary to him. JoJo's transparency works in a way that is unexpected. The reader knows that JoJo is motivated by her past, and as such will do what ever it takes to keep history from repeating itself. This works because the reader does not get all of the backstory all at once, so we are kept guessing as to what really happened to her to make her the way that she is.
Once again, the supporting characters save the day. Greg's story is intriguing, and as we are only given a morsel of it, we find ourselves salivating for more. Sophie is a typical teen with an atypical life. We can relate to her angst, but also marvel at her strength while she deals with stuff that most adults will never even deal with.
Overall, this is a good read. I really enjoyed the story, but often found myself distracted by Mark being somewhat unlikable.
September 30, 2013
A story that grabbed me by the throat and hung until through the last page. The hints as to who was trying to harm former CIA agent Mark's hugely talented daughter are offered throughout the story, but not in such a way that they were obvious. Thus, I kept looking for other clues as I kept reading. JoJo's backstory has horrifying elements and her character reflects those horrors even as she attempts to move past them. She can't do that without Mark's help, but he also needs her to protect his daughter. Who knew she would help him, too, in ways he never expected or thought he wanted?
The looming crisis occurs, but then the tension is accelerated when JoJo confronts the perpetrator and does what Mark could not. A great read.
The looming crisis occurs, but then the tension is accelerated when JoJo confronts the perpetrator and does what Mark could not. A great read.
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October 2, 2013Goodreads seems to have eaten review I wrote last night, but bottom line this was probably my favorite of the Tyler group books. I liked a lot of things about this book, especially that Sophie never falls into cliche teenage daughter territory and does something stupid to put her in danger. I liked that JoJo's past was particularly difficult and no shiny red bow of perfection was put on that at the end.
March 14, 2015
My first read by Stephanie Doyle--definitely won't be my last.
A kind of bad-boy hero trying to clean up his act for his daughter, who's forced to live with him now that her mom's died. An unconventional heroine who's smart and independent and who's determined not to show her soft underbelly. And his daughter's a tough cookie who's easy to like in spite of her obvious teen-ness ;)
Well written characters, a plot that kept me turning pages. Will definitely look for more by Ms. Doyle.
A kind of bad-boy hero trying to clean up his act for his daughter, who's forced to live with him now that her mom's died. An unconventional heroine who's smart and independent and who's determined not to show her soft underbelly. And his daughter's a tough cookie who's easy to like in spite of her obvious teen-ness ;)
Well written characters, a plot that kept me turning pages. Will definitely look for more by Ms. Doyle.
May 22, 2014
Loved the characters. Good believeable plot. Nice how the author took the main characters previous troubles and used them in the story and showed how the characters changed in spite of their previous problems.
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December 29, 2014"Doyle does a good job of making two very different characters fit together quite well in this opposites-attract romance." RT Book Reviews, rated 4 stars
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews