Gabe

Buckhorn Brothers #3

by Lori Foster

Gabe Kasper, heartthrob of Buckhorn County, could have had any woman he wanted - if he'd had a mind to settle down. Which he didn't. The freedom of being a jack-of-all-trades with no one to answer to suited him just fine. And then a prickly, uptight, red-haired college woman showed up...

Elizabeth Parks needed Gabe to complete her thesis on heroism, but he didn't seem to think saving a couple of lives made him a hero. She was inclined to agree that he seemed like the exception to the rule. Until he rescued her heart and soul with his fearless passion.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Harlequin, Category Romance, Fiction

214 pages, Trade Paperback

First published August 1, 2000

About the author

Since first publishing in January 1996, Lori Foster has become a USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly and New York Times bestselling author. Lori has published through a variety of houses, including Kensington, St. Martin’s, Harlequin, Silhouette, Samhain, and Berkley/Jove. She is currently published with HQN.

Lori hosts a very special annual “Reader & Author” event in West Chester, Ohio. Proceeds from the event have benefited many worthy causes, including the Hamilton County YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, the Animal Adoption Foundation, The Conductive Learning Center for children with spina bifida and cerebral palsy, and The One Way Farm, Children’s Home.

Each year Lori donates all proceeds from one book to charity. You can see the benefit romance books here: http://lorifoster.com/benefit-books/

Career Highlights
•In 2001, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Series Romantic Fantasy.

•In 2002, Lori’s book Too Much Temptation was the top-selling romance title for Amazon books.

•In 2003, Say No To Joe was the second “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for Waldenbooks.

•In 2004, Lori Foster was a clue in the New York Times crossword puzzle.

•In 2004, The Secret Life of Bryan was the “Bestselling Original Contemporary” romance title for the BGI group.

•In 2005, Lori received the prestigious Romantic Times “Career Achievement Award” for Contemporary Romance.

•In 2006, Jude’s Law was the “Bestselling Romantic Comedy” romance title for the BGI group.

•In 2007, Lori launched a new “urban fantasy” series under the name L.L. Foster. See more on her “dark side” at www.llfoster.com.

•In 2007, Causing Havoc was among Amazon’s Top Ten Editor’s picks in Romance.

•In 2008, Hard to Handle made #2 on The New York Times.

•In 2009, Servant: The Acceptance was Amazon’s #1 Editors’ Pick in Romance.

•In 2010, Lori was a clue in the USA Today Quick Cross puzzle.

Reviews

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Bookswithbenefits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best Moment: When Elizabeth is talking to various people at the docks and Gabe is getting annoyed at being ignored and worried that he is not attractive or appealing to her. Priceless and well written.

Worst Moment: When Gabe says something along the lines of "Your smile is so beautiful, I feel it in my pants." So...romantical...I'm going to cry. I thought only Borat was capable of such tender, sweet sentiments.

Synopsis: Elizabeth Parks is researching Heroes for her Thesis when she goes to find Gabe, a local Buckhorn hero. When she meets him, she is undeniably attracted to him, but knows that guys like Gabe don't like nerdy, red-haired, smart girls like Elizabeth. When Gabe meets Elizabeth he quickly moves from mild irritation at being thought a hero to boiling attraction for the girl who seemingly has no interest in him or his cut-off shorts. But when Gabe strikes a deal with Elizabeth to help her with her research in exchange for "letting loose," Gabe looses the desire for freedom and Elizabeth starts to lose her head.

The Good: There are a lot of cute moments where Gabe is reacting to suddenly not being Mr. Sexy Pants to all women. We all know he still is, but it's awfully cute to watch him do his dog and pony show trying to get Elizabeth's attention. His inner dialogue is often priceless. I also really like the direction of Elizabeth's character...but this should have been a longer book if you ask me.

The Bad: There's a lot of sexual attraction in this book and not a whole lot of actual attraction. Sure, sure we get Gabe being challenged and Elizabeth seeing the cute, fluffy side of Sears, but we don't get a lot of "getting to know you moments" outside of the sexual stuff. Also, there's quite a bit of chauvanism floating around in this book and though it gets acknowledged, it's deemed "cute." While that can work on some levels in historicals, it's a bit of a dampter in a contemporary novel that purports on occasion to be all female power in your grill. Still, nothing truly annoying happens (beyond the eating of half sandwiches and salads by the 'ladies' instead of real food and the horror of Gabe's cut-off shorts...le sigh). I am also slightly perturbed by the vagueness of Elizabeth's "studies." An Undergraduate Thesis which requires this level of research over a summer...suuuuuuuuure.

The Ugly: Woooooooooh boy...The Cover (Also, is it just me or is Gabe NOT blonde on the cover?!)

We’ve all been there. We’re wandering through a bookstore, or maybe  aimlessly searching suggestions, looking at  random lists on Amazon.com for something to read. Happily, we traipse through booktopias convinced that we’re going to find something wonderful to read and then… We are greeted with the cover.

Before I begin, I feel I must point out one very simple fact:

Most authors get absolutely no input in their covers, or, if they do, it’s mostly a kind of courtesy. Publishers rule. Authors weep and hope for reprints.

Challenge accepted. Unleashing Mockery… 

[caption id="attachment_1100" align="aligncenter" width="316"] The Buckhorn Brothers: Greasers All the Way[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1101" align="aligncenter" width="407"] I'm...too sexy for my shirt...too sexy for my shirt...so sexy I'm forlorn.[/caption]

Forgive the cover artists, for they know not what they do.

As posted on http://bookswithbenefits.com

[Sans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awwww. My favourite Buckhorn Brothers book by far. I still have Jordan to go, but I just don't know if it'll live up to this one. I adored Lizzy, much more than Honey or Misty (and WTF kind of names are those anyway?) Gabe was a lovable lug trying to figure out that he was finally a grown up and that falling in love is a good thing. Not much of a review, sorry.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my favorite story and my favorite brother. Gabe and Lizzy are wonderful together. Lizzy is not the type of woman he is normally attracted to, but very quickly falls for her. Gabe has played the field quite a bit and Lizzy just the opposite. The chemistry them is hot!

Good short story, made me smile and my heart warm.

[KristenReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite Buckhorn brother by far. I adore this story.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is another mediocre entry into the Buckthorn series. As with the last book, there wasn’t really a plot to this story. The reason for the meet-cute is completely unbelievable, as is the hero’s sudden infatuation with the heroine. Nothing really happens in the course of the story and the magic resolution to the heroine’s deep-seated issues was both predictable and insubstantial.


The story opens with Gabe, the most lascivious of the brothers (and that’s saying a lot!!) hanging out at the lake, fishing. He’s got a whole gaggle of females watching him and admiring his hotness, which is just how he likes it. Given how much we were beaten over the head with tales of Gabe’s conquests in the previous two books, and again in this one, I find it hard to believe that there exists a single woman of legal age in the very small county of Buckthorn whom Gabe has yet to sleep with. But apparently there still are a few, and man, they all just can’t wait for their turn with the town bicycle.

I first encountered LF with her more recent books, the MMA fighting series, and I found it very odd and off-putting that she makes it a point of having nearly every one of her heroes be TOTAL manwhores. I mean, it’s not like I expect them to be virgins or anything, but LF insists on having them all rank in the 1000s for number of hookups with random chicks whose names they can’t even remember. And here in the Buckthorn series, which was written back in 2002, that element is still present. So my only conclusion is that this is apparently something LF personally finds very attractive in a man? I don’t get it.

I just wasn’t terribly impressed with Gabe as a hero. The whole series LF tries to make out like he’s just the greatest guy. Women just love him because he’s so awesome, so you can’t fault the guy for happily taking what they’re all beating down his door to offer. And apparently none of this legion of women is salty when he dumps her and moves on to the next girl. He’s just so darn amazing that they happily step aside for the next chick and cuddle close their glorious memories of when Gabe deigned to gift them his magical erection…Grrr.

Gabe also doesn’t have any kind steady job, or any ambition in getting one. He likes being footloose and fancy free. Later in the book we’re told that he somehow, magically, earns as much money as his doctor brother simply by doing odd jobs for people. Which didn’t seem the LEAST bit believable. Especially not when we were frequently told throughout the series that the brothers often accepted things in trade for their services, because the poor people in the town of Buckthorn couldn’t afford to pay them in money. So I guess we’re supposed to interpret this to mean that Sawyer is just as broke as Gabe then? Is that how they have the same amount of money even though Sawyer works everyday seeing patients and Gabe just occasionally fixes a leaky faucet in exchange for a free meal?

Anyway, at the lake, Gabe is approached by a woman he doesn’t recognize. She’s come to interview him because at some point between Morgan’s book and this one he apparently saved a couple of people from a boating accident. It was in the papers and he was lauded as a hero. The heroine, Elizabeth, is writing her college thesis on heroism and even though she already had a full data set, when she read about Gabe’s exploits she decided that she simply MUST interview him as well. That has to be one of the most ridiculous excuses to have our hero and heroine interact that I’ve ever read.

Gabe isn’t interested in being interviewed. He disliked the way the papers blew his rescue out of proportion when he feels like he’d just done what anyone would have. Elizabeth is completely stymied by his response. Apparently all the other “heroes” she’d interviewed had been all too happy to discuss their bravery. When Gabe continues to refuse, she does the next best thing and starts interviewing the women who were all standing around ogling him. Gabe is not happy about that.

He’s also none-too happy to realize that he’s attracted to Elizabeth. He tells us over and over in his inner monologue that she isn’t even pretty. Sure, she’s got a killer body, great rack, and gorgeous red hair, but that’s not his usual type! She’s also dressed like a schoolmarm and not displaying any signs of drooling over him. He’s never encountered such a female before! Who is SHE to not pant after HIM?! The way this was all presented was really quite sordid. It really did seem like the only reason Gabe was interested in her was because she presented a challenge. If she’d fawned all over him like every other woman, he’d have banged her and then dropped her without a second thought. But because she was the one person who, at least at first, was immune to his charms, it drove him crazy.

So Gabe strikes a deal with Elizabeth. He’ll answer her questions, but in exchange she has to spend time with him learning how to loosen up. She’s supposed to be staying in town for a month of vacation while working on her thesis; she can’t just work the whole time. Elizabeth agrees and they make plans to meet the next day. She had to buy a bathing suit for the occasion because she didn’t own one. Naturally Gabe is even more turned on by her now that she’s out of her body armor. Elizabeth is nervous about being on display, so Gabe takes her to a part of the lake that’s more secluded. There he learns that she’s afraid of the water and can’t really swim. She only agreed to this so that she could interview him. He feels bad for trying to force her to do something that scares her, so he decides that instead of swimming, he’ll exchange questions for kisses. And she agrees to this because she’s just so anxious to get the interview…but also because Gabe makes her heart go pitter-pat.

After a day on the water and several kisses, they part ways. The next day Gabe is cutting the grass on his family’s property when he sees Elizabeth going into his house. He’s panicked that she’s going to interview his family, which would answer all her questions and then he wouldn’t have a way to extort kisses out of her. He’s even pissed because, hey, they had a deal!! Only when he races inside he finds that fair-skinned Elizabeth is sunburned from head to toe, thanks to their day at the lake. Something that Sawyer blames on Gabe because he should have known better. You know, because college-educated adult Elizabeth, who has lived in her skin her whole life, couldn’t possibly have taken responsibility for her own protection. Nope, it’s all Gabe’s fault.

Gabe goes way over the top in fussing over Elizabeth in this scene, which clues his family in to the fact that he’s into her. She also discusses her thesis a bit and how she’s studying to be a psychiatrist so that she can try to help people who froze in the face of danger. That her thesis theory is that heroic people have something fundamentally, quantifiably different about them. And thus regular people shouldn’t feel bad when they fail to act heroically in a crisis. That they shouldn’t let it make them feel like a failure, because that’s very damaging to their self-esteem. No one seems to find this to be any kind of red flag.

Sawyer gives her some aloe for her sunburn and tells her to go home and get naked because clothes will only irritate her skin further. Gabe is highly turned on by the thought, so later that night he goes to check on her. Elizabeth answers the door naked but for a sheet. She’d just been about to apply more cream and then go to bed. Naturally Gabe offers to help her with this task and is forced to wrestle with his own unruly body when he gets so wildly turned on during the ministrations. He manages to hold himself back though. She’s made it clear that she’s a virgin, so Gabe wants her first time to be perfect.

She goes into the other room for a minute and Gabe uses the opportunity to snoop. He sees a photo album and opens it. He finds page after page of newspaper clippings about Elizabeth’s mother’s death in a car accident. When Elizabeth was 12, their car was forced off the road by a semi. Her mother had been injured and pinned in the car, but Elizabeth had been able to get free. But instead of running for help or trying to flag down a passing car, she’d just stood there, frozen and unable to react. Her mother had bled to death, and the papers all said that she could have been saved if only Elizabeth had done something.

Of course this is the reason Elizabeth is so keen on writing her thesis. Trying to prove that she couldn’t have acted when she was 12 because she didn’t possess that indefinable quality of heroism. Again, this thesis business just seemed really flimsy. I mean, it doesn’t sound like Elizabeth ever got any therapy for this hugely traumatic and life-altering event in her young life. And I found it very hard to believe that someone who was studying to be a psychiatrist wouldn’t recognize in herself the symptoms of survivor’s guilt. You’d expect her to have realized through her studies that she’d just been a child and it wasn’t her fault. But no, we’re expected to believe that she didn’t realize this. Not until Gabe and his magical penis came on the scene to tell her about it. Sigh.

Next day Elizabeth has lunch with Honey and Misty from the previous books. They do this at the local diner, which is owned by Celia. Honey and Misty talk about how much the brothers care about the beautiful Celia and how she’s like a sister to them. Celia mutters “I don’t know about that…” under her breath. Next scene Gabe corners her in the back room, puts his arm around her and kisses her on the neck?! You know, like friends do…said no one EVER. And here we learn that Gabe had banged Celia way back in high school. Don’t worry, though, they’re just friends now and she’s not carrying a torch for him or anything. This scene didn’t add ANYTHING to the story so I don’t know why LF included it, but what it did for me was highlight what it would be like for Elizabeth to live in this town, knowing that practically every woman she saw had slept with her husband at some point. For someone with such low self-esteem and who is prone to internalizing feelings of inadequacy, I just don’t see this working out for poor Lizzy in the long-term. How many gorgeous, confident, sexually-forward women boldly hitting on Gabe and giving him the old “remember that time in the hot tub…” will it take to completely erode Elizabeth’s confidence in herself and her marriage? But, I guess we’re not supposed to think about that.

Then Elizabeth goes to see Gabe’s brother, Jordan, for some reason that’s never explained. Gabe is immediately jealous of this, since Jordan is the only other unmarried brother. He rushes over to Jordan’s vet clinic and when he gets there he finds Jordan and Elizabeth shoulder to shoulder and he’s got his arm around her. It’s all innocent, though, they’re just helping a cat give birth. Jordan tells Gabe that Elizabeth has “the touch” with animals. Gabe hustles Elizabeth back to her place and they finally have sex. Afterward she opens up about her mom’s accident and Gabe tries to convince her that it wasn’t her fault.

Then we fast forward through three weeks. Elizabeth was only supposed to be in town for a month and that time is just about up. She’s maintained throughout that she’s only viewing her time with Gabe as a summer fling. She has no illusions about being anything more than a notch in his bedpost, given his history, and she’s okay with that. She wanted to experience everything their relationship had to offer, in the bedroom and out, and learn not to be so uptight. Then she’d leave and continue pursuing her dreams. Gabe is not happy about this. He’s decided that he loves Elizabeth and he doesn’t want her to go back to school. He actually says that he doesn’t want her to be around all those college guys, now that she’s gained a bunch of confidence and learned how to dress for her stunning figure instead of wearing burlap sacks. That now he’s sure the other males will notice her, and she’ll be tempted to find someone better than him. Someone who is intellectually her equal, and who has some actual plans for his life, unlike Gabe.

Now that he’s decided he wants forever with Elizabeth, he’s kind of ashamed of the life he’s led up to this point. No steady job. No education. No plans for what to be when he “grows up.” Just a very long and sordid trail of nameless, faceless women in his wake. This is the aforementioned part where Sawyer gives Gabe the pep talk about how he’s got tons of money, and seriously, he’s a great guy. Just ask anyone! Then Sawyer mentions that Elizabeth was going to visit Jordan, but Jordan just got called away. Gabe volunteers to go to the clinic to let Elizabeth know.

When Gabe arrives, he finds Elizabeth pacing anxiously. She says that something’s wrong inside. The animals are making too much noise. They soon realize that the clinic is on fire. Elizabeth and Gabe race to get all the animals out. Gabe manages to hit his head and Elizabeth helps him get outside before going back in to rescue the last animals. Afterward, Jordan runs up and kisses her on the mouth as a “thank you” which is complete BS. Real people don’t behave this way LF! And Elizabeth suddenly realizes that she’s become a “hero” too. That this time, when she wasn’t a terrified and traumatized twelve-year-old, she did react when the situation called for it. So now she’s magically cured of her lifelong guilt.

The epilogue picks up at her and Gabe’s wedding and Gabe is accusing Jordan of “stealing” Elizabeth away from him. Apparently Elizabeth has accepted a job working as Jordan’s assistant at the vet clinic. Because she’s got “the touch.” Gabe has finally decided to do something with his life and has opened a business of his own and wanted her to be his secretary instead. And I was just left completely baffled and disgruntled that this intelligent woman who dreamed of becoming a psychiatrist had just abandoned that ambition to accept a position working for her new in-laws as an assistant. What the heck, Elizabeth?? What the heck Lori Foster! Why does the HEA have to consist of the heroine giving up her dream and becoming subservient to one of the men? You could have easily had her keep going with her career. Surely people in Buckthorn need therapy too, just like everywhere else in the world. Or Elizabeth could have changed her mind and become a vet, since so much was made of her special powers with animals. Then she could have been Jordan’s partner in the business instead of just his assistant. But no, just like how Misty has to be Morgan’s secretary at the sheriff’s office, Elizabeth needs a subordinate role because only the men can be boss in these books.



And that’s the end. There was quite a lot that I disliked about this book. Gabe’s sordid history. The misogynistic ending where the heroine gave up her dreams. The lack of true plot. Just not a fun read for me.

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Been on my reading shelf for 2 months. Still can't find the urge to finish it.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: family home on large acreage, lake on one side, lots of nature, near small town of Buckhorn, Kentucky with about 700 residents, large summer tourist traffic. 4 adult brothers (with 3 fathers, and 1 tremendous mother) plus 16 year old son of one, living together – and perfect specimens of manhood – in looks, in generosity, in consideration, in fun, in support, in values
Theme: love, innocence, self image, growing up

Characters:
Gabe Kasper – the least ‘focused’ of the brothers. The baby – his father had an uphill battle getting mom to accept his courtship, and he shamelessly used the other 3 brothers to get on her good side – they’ve been married 24 years, and retired to Florida. The women love him, he loves all women – young and old… He loves the water… Story begins with him lounging on a dock over the lake, while 3 women giggle and swoon over him…. : ) He’s handy – and helps out wherever needed, but in a relaxed, unstructured way… He helped Morgan build his house, he mows lawns, he fixes the restaurant’s plumbing, he can tune up boats and cars.. etc. His income is close to his doctor brother’s.

Elizabeth ‘Lizzy’ Parks- at 12, she and her mother were run off the road by a truck, her mother trapped in the car while Lizzy thrown free… and she sat by the road side, not knowing what to do… and the news and the doctors made it out that the traumatized little girl let her mother die by doing nothing. Her father, though missed his wife, did his best by his daughter, but she never quite fit in with the others. She is red haired, freckled body… and thinks she’s ugly, and dresses in shapeless, formal clothing. For her master’s thesis she is studying what makes a hero… and comes across a news piece of Gabe, and how he rescued a mother and 2 children in the lake, with a boat without driver ‘circling’ them (boat’s driver drunk, and fell overboard)… She wants to figure out what makes some a hero and not others, and to help the nonheros.

Summary:
Gabe doesn’t understand Lizzy… but she is persistent. He refuses to let her interview him, but when she starts talking to everyone else, he makes a deal with her… he thinks she needs to loosen up, so if she goes swimming in the lake with him, he’ll answer one question…

And her shyness, her lack of confidence, her innocence her gorgeous body in a swim suit, her turning him down but then bit by bit enjoying his touch, and he becomes overwhelmed with desire for her… He agrees to answer a question for a kiss… he takes her to a drive-in movie and teaches her about sexual 1st, 2nd, and 3rd base… and for the month she’s on vacation and finishing her thesis, they are together – she becomes embroiled in his family and in his life. She finds a sense of confidence… Gabe helps her to forgive her 12 year old self… She tells him he loves her, but he doesn’t answer it back… and she accepts with the intention of enjoying their time … but as her time to leave comes near, Gabe realizes he wants her… and Morgan and Sawyer encourage him to tell her how he completely feels… and to formalize his business… and he tells her he loves her, and wants her to come back to him… ahhhh just the words she wanted to hear…

[Candace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabe is just such a loveable character and by the time book 3 rolls around it's time for him to fall in love instead of just chasing women. Elizabeth is a great character in that she's totally different from every other woman he's ever been interested in and it really bothers him that she's not interested in him. That's definitely a new thing for him!

Again, I loved how we get enough of Sawyer, Honey, Casey, Morgan, Misty and Jordan to keep up on what's going on so we still felt like we were connected to the whole family, not just the one brother headlining the book.

[Nicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabe and Lizzy were so sweet. I liked this one a little more than Sawyer's story but not quite as much as Morgan's. I love these brothers. This story seemed a bit too easy,,cheesy, and unrealistic, but I really enjoyed watching these two fall in love. Can't wait for Jordan's tale!

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh, my least favorite so far. I expected more for gabe,

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

He's a chick magnet
She's innocent, hides body
Can they ever mesh?

Character study
Heroism, self-image
Interesting thoughts

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book as always Lori foster hit it out of the park these two were made for each other can't wait to read more of her books

[Inge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gabe is definitely the biggest lothario of the group, and I enjoyed seeing him off kilter. Fun read.

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

Gabe Kasper is the youngest of four brothers and the most laid back as well. All the women in Buckhorn over 18 and under 100 all sigh when faced with his handsomeness. On a lazy day at the lake, Gabe's enjoying his quiet time when a lady wants to interview him for being a hero. What? So he jumped in a boat and saved a family, that doesn't make him a hero in his book. He was just doing what anyone else would, right?

Elizabeth Parks is interviewing people who are heroes for her thesis. Gabe's the first one to refuse, but she isn't willing to give up on him yet. Hounding him at every turn, he starts to have an effect on her.  An accident in her past won't let her give up on finding what makes a hero a hero, even if she has to change the manner of her dress and give up a few kisses.

While Gabe may seem to not work, he is kind of the jack of all trades in town doing repairs and general handy man work. As the kisses get stronger and the ladies of the family pull Elizabeth in, he can no longer deny that his heart has been stolen.

The story is filled with what I love about this family: Family. From the doctor to the sheriff to the vet, they all stick by each other and put them in love's way. Through it all, it shows that the men of this family find the one and don't let go. With a past that haunts her, Elizabeth has to decided if Gabe is worth putting it completely in the past. It's a fun, sexy story that make me want to move to Buckhorn



Jordan Sommerville has a way with animals. As the local vet, he sees a lot of them. But he is also the son of an alcoholic, so he never touches the stuff, going as far to help make his county a dry county. So when a bar opens up across the border, a group of older men and Jordan head on over there to try to talk some sense into the owner. The talk doesn't really happen as planned and they all end up getting arrested, but not before Jordan sees the woman who entertains the bar with her pole dancing.

Georgia Barnes is trying to make it day to day as she raises her two children and elderly mother. Pole dancing isn't her dream, but its good tips and a way to fix up the house they have bought in Buckhorn country. A place for her kids to play, a sense of accomplishment on fixing up a house and learning to settle down after her ex has left her. She never dreamed a man with stunning eyes would watch her and then try to fight for her honor.

So they call in Buckhorn's Sheriff, Jordan's brother Morgan to take care of them. Driving them home, they come across an emergency at the house and so begins where Jordan decides Georgia is the woman for him and he's not letting go of this family he has always wanted. So when Georgia is overwhelmed with everything, Jordan takes over in a very alpha with a big family manner tearing down all of Georgia's walls.

While Jordan doesn't approve of Georgia's job, he does approve of her. So when push comes to shove, he has to express to Georgia his fears of who he could become if he ever gets off the straight path like his father did. Both of them come from some pasts they created problems on their own or pasts where they were an active participant. Each has their own fears.

I love this series of hot alpha men who find the right woman for them in a back woods town in Kentucky called Buckhorn. Jordan is the last of the brothers to fall and when this family falls they fall hard. Sweetly endearing with a side of sexy and a family who sticks by you through thick and then.

This review was originally posted on Delighted Reader

[JadeShea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabe begins when Elizabeth Parks wants to do an interview on Gabe for her "hero" thesis she's doing for school. All she needs to do is ask hims a few questions about the time he saved a woman and her two children when her husband fell over board on a boat because he was drunk. Elizabeth doesn't get the same reaction from Gabe that she expected. Most of her other "hero's" were okay with talking about it, but Gabe just sort of shrugs it off. And Gabe is so used to women throwing themselves at him that he never expected for Elizabeth Parks to just ignore his charms. These two start to build a relationship and soon Gabe realizes he's head over heels for Lizzy, but he has to figure out a way to make her stay with him and not run off again.

This book was a lot of fun to read. I really enjoyed Gabe and Lizzy together especially at the end. But I did hate how Gabe treated her in the beginning I thought he was kind of a shallow jerk, but he seriously made up for it. And Lizzy was a sweet woman, with a lot of spirit in her. Over all the book was good, and I really enjoyed it! I look forward to more in this series as well.

[Sabrina (Soter) Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Questa ultima storia è più particolare, perché contrappone l'allegro dongiovanni Gabe con la pudica studentessa Lizzie! Lei lo avvicina per ottenere un'intervista indispensabile per la sua tesi, lui non ne vuole sapere e crede sarà facile liquidare quella ragazza vestita come una suora...ma l'apparenza inganna e l'innocua ragazza si dimostra tenace come un mastino XD Lizzie è una ragazza che ha sofferto e si è rinchiusa in sé stessa, crede di essere una delle tante per Gabe ma lui, abituato a flirt e corteggiamenti senza importanza, rimane pian piano conquistato dalla bellezza che scopre pian piano in lei e quello che era iniziato come un gioco "educativo" si trasforma ben presto in qualcosa di molto più importante, fino ad arrivare al primo sincero "Ti amo" che il nostro libertino abbia mai pronunciato! ;D

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting worse. The brothers are definitely losing their appeal. Gabe is the pretty boy brother. An uptight undergrad, Elizabeth, tries to interview Gabe for her thesis. She is completely revolted by Gabe’s man whoreness. (It’s a word. Look it up.) Of course, since Gabe is used to women throwing themselves at him, he views Elizabeth’s repulsion as a challenge. This is why he pursues her. He strikes a deal where he will answer one question for each instance that Elizabeth steps out of her comfort zone. Here, Foster fails in writing the attraction between the two leads. There basically is none. Foster sets up an opposites attract situation, but the characters never really find a common ground in which to bond. This makes the entire story fall painfully flat.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what I expected. The playboy got the virgin. Gabe is the hardcore playboy who attracts women like a light attracts moths. And he got Elizabeth, the shy, red-headed virgin who doesn't notice her own attraction.

I didn't like this book as much as the other two. Maybe because it was so centered on Gabe seducing Elizabeth. But I still liked it. I have to say, Elizabeth is very pushy in her interviews. But she has a good reason.

I thought the epilogue was adorable. Jordan is next! Yay! I also liked that the series didn't go in order of the brothers. I expected Jordan to be next, considering he is the 3rd oldest, but nope. Gabe was next. Kind of mixed it up a little bit.

So yeah. Good book. I still love the brothers.

[Ning · Rating 4 out of 5]

มีความรู้สึกเหมือนโดนหลอก

ไม่ใช่ว่าไม่สนุกนะ .. เล่มนี้
พล็อต+การดำเนินเรื่องทำได้ดีเลยทีเดียว
ช่วงดราม่านี่มีน้ำตาคลอ ๆ บ้าง

แต่ขัดใจที่หนุ่ม ๆ หายไป
ไอ้ที่แต่งไปแล้ว 2 นี่เข้าใจ ..
ว่าคงไม่มาถอดเสื้อให้ชมแล้ว

แต่ไอ้ที่ยังไม่แต่งนี่หายไปไหน????
เล่มนี้โฟกัสที่ Gabe คนเดียวเลย
ไม่ค่อยมีใครมาแย่งซีน
ขัดใจมากมาย .. ทำไมคนแต่งทำกันได้ลงคอ ชิ

[Vikki ~ *squee* lite ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite brother so far.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

this one was not very good. it felt forced and ridiculous to me. I did not like Lizzy at all! oh, well, moving on to Jordan's book.

[Morgan le Frey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this was my favorite so far! They're kind of silly, like they say they love each other and then they get married all in the space of a month. But it's still sweet and entertaining .

[Jamoz23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the box set FOREVER BUCKHORN through my library for some fun old-fashioned reading.
The biggest manwhore of the brothers gets his HEA.
Enjoyable but I wasn’t impressed with Gabe’s womanising. The first two brothers were the same but it wasn’t as in your face as this one.
Gabe just comes across as sleazy at times, not irresistible.
His brothers giving him grief was good though.
Elizabeth goes from a totally buttoned up spinster type who seems immune to Gabe’s hot sexiness and come-ons to married to Gabe.
Lacking depth for me on a few fronts but I totally enjoyed the ending with the fire and the fact it gave Elizabeth a reality situation.
I will say I loved reading how Gabe’s future plays out in Casey’s story. Fate has given him a beautiful payback.

Reread this authors Winston Brothers and Visitation series. Grabbed these through my library for some light reading.
Quite entertaining to read books this old and the sexually biased slant to them.
How stories have changed in 20 years. I quite like the old-fashioned manners of the men but they are a bit dominating and overbearing, in a nice way.

I find it interesting that these men are all women magnets, basically big players but no other women show up or make a fuss.
Found it interesting that none of these brothers have ever gotten a woman pregnant by accident either but poor Misty book 2 and Georgia book 3, had both been pregnant due to broken condoms.
Seems these men are super lucky.

I have read the first seven books in one hit so will not be reading the others for a while as they seem similarly themed.

[Jamoz23 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in the box set FOREVER BUCKHORN through my library for some fun old-fashioned reading.
The biggest manwhore of the brothers gets his HEA.
Enjoyable but I wasn’t impressed with Gabe’s womanising. The first two brothers were the same but it wasn’t as in your face as this one.
Gabe just comes across as sleazy at times, not irresistible.
His brothers giving him grief was good though.
Elizabeth goes from a totally buttoned up spinster type who seems immune to Gabe’s hot sexiness and come-ons to married to Gabe.
Lacking depth for me on a few fronts but I totally enjoyed the ending with the fire and the fact it gave Elizabeth a reality situation.
I will say I loved reading how Gabe’s future plays out in Casey’s story. Fate has given him a beautiful payback.
Reread this authors Winston Brothers and Visitation series. Grabbed these through my library for some light reading.
Quite entertaining to read books this old and the sexually biased slant to them.
How stories have changed in 20 years. I quite like the old-fashioned manners of the men but they are a bit dominating and overbearing, in a nice way.
I find it interesting that these men are all women magnets, basically big players but no other women show up or make a fuss.
Found it interesting that none of these brothers have ever gotten a woman pregnant by accident either but poor Misty book 2 and Georgia book 3, had both been pregnant due to broken condoms.
Seems these men are super lucky.
I have read the first seven books in one hit so will not be reading the others for a while as they seem similarly themed.

[Veronica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nel terzo libro della serie conosciamo il fratello più giovane, Gabriel, e Elizabeth, un'aspirante psicologa.
Gabe ha sempre avuto un sacco di ragazze intorno e fin dalla più tenera età non ne ha mai disdegnato la compagnia. Elizabeth è giunta in città per passare l'estate prima dell'ultimo semestre di studi. Sta lavorando alla sua tesi e intervistando persone che si sono comportate da eroi nella vita. Scorpe che Gabe aveva salvato una donna e due bambini in un incidente sul lago e quindi decide di intervistarlo. Solo che Gabe è molto reticente. E molto ammaliato da questa ragazza che non cade ai suoi piedi. E' molto bella, ma molto timida e inesperta, così lontana dalle solite ragazze che frequenta.
Inizia una sfida tra i due a colpi di baci in cambio di risposte. Solo che il gioco si trasforma ben presto in qualcosa di più profondo.

Senza infamia e senza lode. Capisco che sono libri che hanno più di 20 anni e quindi le ragazze inesperte, chissà come mai, si vestivano come delle sciattone. Qui abbiamo la solita bellissima che non sa di esserlo perchè tutti si sono fermati ai suoi vestiti orrendi. Serviva il latin lover per scoprirlo. E naturalmente lui ora vede solo lei.
Letto e già dimenticato.

[Tonya Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gabe Kasper never met a woman that didn't thrill him. He enjoyed having a good time, and had spent all his entire life just enjoying being pursued by women. Happy and carefree, he might appear to be just a happy-go-lucky kind of man, but the Elizabeth Parker comes in to his life. Things are never going to be the same.

Elizabeth has spent a long time trying to put aside the guilt of her past. Having her thesis focusing on heroes, she hopes to further help others. Always on the outside looking in, growing up a gangly redhead that was more bookworm than sexpot, she does not know what to make of Gabriel Kasper, the local hero than seems to be so much more than just a hero.

Wonderful story. Watching Elizabeth come out of her shell, while Gabe fights for the life and woman he deserves is great. Seeing the youngest of the brothers meet his true match is great.

[Belinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything by Lori Foster. I am going back and reading her older books as I find them. This time it was Gabe. One of the Buckhorn Brothers. I loved the setting of the lake as I could picture any of the lakes I have around me in Kentucky where this was set. Gabe is a fun loving easy going guy! All the girls lust after him. When a shy red head seeks him out to interview him he is put off at first. Elizabeth is doing a thesis paper on hero's. She has heard of Gabe doing a heroic act and she comes to interview him. I think he fell hard when he first saw her. He is not into as he doesn't feel like a hero but he starts trading kisses for questions. But as he falls she clams up more. Gabe finds out what has happened to make her that way and when she finally opens up to him all should be okay! Can they work things out to be together? A sweet, fast read!

[Stephanie Bolen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an alright book. Even in rural Kentucky I'm pretty sure most folks have to earn their daily bread some kind of way. Unless someone is fabulously wealthy the whole doctor, sheriff, handy man and vet not caring about dough is a fantasy. Don't get me started on paying student loans for a master's in psychology only to end up a receptionist malarkey. But my biggest issue isn't the book. It's the cover, who thought that was a good idea. I think Jason Stackhouse from True Blood rather than the redhead on the cover when I read Gabe's description. Are we just not caring he's a tanned blonde? Standards, people. Don't make me put on my book thumper cap and hit you with the book, all the while screaming, "That's not what was written."

[Veronica Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the 3rd book in the series. I loved it, Gabe Kasper is a total bad boy and knows it. Elizabeth Parks is so straight laced that it hurts. How these two met, fell in love, and ultimately marry each other was a pleasure to read about. Lori Foster took a chance in writing about this group of men, and it paid off.