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Callister #2
The Love of a Stranger
Now she returns to the dusty town of Callister, Idaho, where a peaceful exterior hides the wildest passions....
A belligerent blonde swinging a tire iron is the last thing Doug Hawkins expects during a romantic rendezvous with another woman. Deep down, Doug is glad his ill-advised dalliance is over before it started. And he is so intrigued by hot-blooded Alex McGregor, he begins a one-sided flirtation with a single goal in mind: to get under her skin.
Alex doesn't take kindly to strangers, especially those who trespass on her property. Brokenhearted by the loss of her family, she wants to be left alone in her beloved cabin on Wolf Mountain. But when Doug proves to be her only ally in a fight with a local logger, Alex doesn't know what she fears more--the loss of her land or the loss of her heart.
A belligerent blonde swinging a tire iron is the last thing Doug Hawkins expects during a romantic rendezvous with another woman. Deep down, Doug is glad his ill-advised dalliance is over before it started. And he is so intrigued by hot-blooded Alex McGregor, he begins a one-sided flirtation with a single goal in mind: to get under her skin.
Alex doesn't take kindly to strangers, especially those who trespass on her property. Brokenhearted by the loss of her family, she wants to be left alone in her beloved cabin on Wolf Mountain. But when Doug proves to be her only ally in a fight with a local logger, Alex doesn't know what she fears more--the loss of her land or the loss of her heart.
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
18 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Anna Jeffrey
24 books160 followersAnna Jeffrey is an award-winning author of romance novels as well as romantic comedy/mystery. She has written 11 romance novels and co-authored 8 as USA Today Bestselling author, Dixie Cash. Her most recent book is "The Cattleman."
Her Anna Jeffrey books have won the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold, and the More Than Magic awards. Her books have been finalists in the Colorado Romance Writers award, the Golden Quill and Southern Magic as well as the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold and the More than Magic awards. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and NINC.
Anna is a fifth generation Texan. She was born and grew up in West Texas, where most of her family members were farmers and ranchers or worked in the oil fields. She left Texas for many years and lived in four of the western states, a rich experience she'll never forget.
She loves most things western, from the customs and culture to the philosophy of life. She enjoys many hobbies, i.e., reading, painting and drawing, crafting, needlework and beading.
These days, she's back home in Texas. She and her husband currently live in Granbury, Texas, a small town not far from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
Her Anna Jeffrey books have won the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold, and the More Than Magic awards. Her books have been finalists in the Colorado Romance Writers award, the Golden Quill and Southern Magic as well as the Write Touch Readers' Award, the Aspen Gold and the More than Magic awards. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and NINC.
Anna is a fifth generation Texan. She was born and grew up in West Texas, where most of her family members were farmers and ranchers or worked in the oil fields. She left Texas for many years and lived in four of the western states, a rich experience she'll never forget.
She loves most things western, from the customs and culture to the philosophy of life. She enjoys many hobbies, i.e., reading, painting and drawing, crafting, needlework and beading.
These days, she's back home in Texas. She and her husband currently live in Granbury, Texas, a small town not far from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 14, 2016
First time I have read a book by this author, Anna Jeffrey. There was sure a lot of activity and events going on in this storyline and kept my mind hopping and along with my heart. Alex MacGregor was sure a puzzle.... and seems Doug Hawkins didn't mind taking the time to put together.... but kept me guessing would he find the right pieces.
What a great small town of Callister, Idaho. Seemed like two lives Alex was trying to survive in.
Kenny the logger was a jerk, and greedy in mind and had me on edge since meeting him.
Recommend this book... normally I don't read books with this much suspense. .. for me had me putting it down a couple of times... sitting on the edge of my chair....
& it was romantic challenge for Alex, Doug.... and their friend Ted , Doug's old childhood friend.
What a great small town of Callister, Idaho. Seemed like two lives Alex was trying to survive in.
Kenny the logger was a jerk, and greedy in mind and had me on edge since meeting him.
Recommend this book... normally I don't read books with this much suspense. .. for me had me putting it down a couple of times... sitting on the edge of my chair....
& it was romantic challenge for Alex, Doug.... and their friend Ted , Doug's old childhood friend.
April 4, 2012
Didn't know this was the second in a series, but it does well as a stand alone.
Alex is the ice queen, hiding her hurt behind some formidable walls. She never lets anyone close, and demands perfection from herself and her relentless pursuit of business deals. She spends her summers in small town Idaho, but is often in Los Angeles. Doug is most recently from LA, where a rather high-profile implosion has cost him his career as a policeman. He's starting over, also in Callister. When the two meet, the fireworks are just beginning. Even with all the arguing, will they be able to move past their pasts? Will shady land developers and a suspicious death end things before they begin?
Both Alex and Doug were interesting characters, damaged in ways that are not uncommon. They are haunted by a past of poverty, neglect, accidents, and regrets. Their choices shaped them, for better or for ill. In that respect, they were well developed, interesting characters.
The story itself was multi-faceted, with many different stories pulling together into a whole. But it lost something in the repetitive length. I was about ready to throw it across the room, because most of the time seemed to be spent driving up and down Alex's driveway, and there really isn't that much to get excited about.
The ending took forever to get to, and then was rushed. Everything was tied up neatly in a few short paragraphs. I should have skipped the middle half of the book, and just read the ending. It would have saved me time and frustration.
Alex is the ice queen, hiding her hurt behind some formidable walls. She never lets anyone close, and demands perfection from herself and her relentless pursuit of business deals. She spends her summers in small town Idaho, but is often in Los Angeles. Doug is most recently from LA, where a rather high-profile implosion has cost him his career as a policeman. He's starting over, also in Callister. When the two meet, the fireworks are just beginning. Even with all the arguing, will they be able to move past their pasts? Will shady land developers and a suspicious death end things before they begin?
Both Alex and Doug were interesting characters, damaged in ways that are not uncommon. They are haunted by a past of poverty, neglect, accidents, and regrets. Their choices shaped them, for better or for ill. In that respect, they were well developed, interesting characters.
The story itself was multi-faceted, with many different stories pulling together into a whole. But it lost something in the repetitive length. I was about ready to throw it across the room, because most of the time seemed to be spent driving up and down Alex's driveway, and there really isn't that much to get excited about.
The ending took forever to get to, and then was rushed. Everything was tied up neatly in a few short paragraphs. I should have skipped the middle half of the book, and just read the ending. It would have saved me time and frustration.
October 29, 2012
Wasn't this book supposed to be a contemporary romance? Their first kiss only happens at page 200 and something, and they don't even have sex until the last 50 or so pages. Anyway, I liked the hero a lot, but ayayay... the heroine was a pill hard to swallow. I am rating this book 3 stars because I really like the author's writing style, and I've been enjoying her other books a lot, but sadly, Alex's overly eccentric, secretive, bitchy, cold attitude towards everyone, including the hero, simply ruined this book for me.
November 10, 2015
Loved by a stranger.
This was an excellent story and full of good people but the f word was greatly over used and spoiled it for me. Sorry , I just don't think it's necessary to talk that way. I know dozens and dozens of people who never use it and don't need to.
This was an excellent story and full of good people but the f word was greatly over used and spoiled it for me. Sorry , I just don't think it's necessary to talk that way. I know dozens and dozens of people who never use it and don't need to.
July 3, 2018
Not my usual genre but every now and then one needs to get out of their box. I'm sure there was a plot beyond the characters trying to bed each other......wasn't there?
September 16, 2015
I'm tempted to rate this lower but since I finished it I won't.
I really didn't like Alex. I know bad sh!t happened to her but that's no excuse for being such a b!tch. If she wasn't being rude or nasty she was wallowing. Gah! She got on my nerves SO much.
And Doug. Sigh. While I kinda liked him I found his character a bit unbelievable at times. Considering how terribly Alex treated him he was either a glutton for punishment or a stalker. Seriously. I know some people use aggressively rude behavior to push others away in order to protect their emotional well-being, and the *idea* of breaking through someone's defenses and reaching the soft, gooey center can seem romantic, but ignoring MULTIPLE instances of being told to "go away" or "leave me alone" can easily cross into criminal territory. I kept shaking my head thinking, "dude, she's not worth it - stop trying". But I guess that's supposed to be the romantic part... he wouldn't take no for an answer.
I know we're supposed to feel sorry for Alex, perhaps see her as a tragic romantic figure or a scarred-by-life b!tch with a heart of gold, but it just didn't work for me. Bad sh!t happens. Even to good people. Maybe even especially to good people. Your hardships, troubles and tragedies don't give you license to treat others badly.
Oh. And they didn't even so much as kiss until the very middle of the story. If I had been rooting for them as a couple (or even liked Alex) perhaps I wouldn't have minded. But I wasn't and I didn't.
I really didn't like Alex. I know bad sh!t happened to her but that's no excuse for being such a b!tch. If she wasn't being rude or nasty she was wallowing. Gah! She got on my nerves SO much.
And Doug. Sigh. While I kinda liked him I found his character a bit unbelievable at times. Considering how terribly Alex treated him he was either a glutton for punishment or a stalker. Seriously. I know some people use aggressively rude behavior to push others away in order to protect their emotional well-being, and the *idea* of breaking through someone's defenses and reaching the soft, gooey center can seem romantic, but ignoring MULTIPLE instances of being told to "go away" or "leave me alone" can easily cross into criminal territory. I kept shaking my head thinking, "dude, she's not worth it - stop trying". But I guess that's supposed to be the romantic part... he wouldn't take no for an answer.
I know we're supposed to feel sorry for Alex, perhaps see her as a tragic romantic figure or a scarred-by-life b!tch with a heart of gold, but it just didn't work for me. Bad sh!t happens. Even to good people. Maybe even especially to good people. Your hardships, troubles and tragedies don't give you license to treat others badly.
Oh. And they didn't even so much as kiss until the very middle of the story. If I had been rooting for them as a couple (or even liked Alex) perhaps I wouldn't have minded. But I wasn't and I didn't.
August 3, 2012
Overall, this was an okay read. The first book in this series is my favorite. This book doesn't seem to be connected to the first at all except by the town, there were no returning characters from The Love of a Cowboy.
Alex is one tough cookie and she was pretty hard to like. She didn't start opening up to Doug until 3/4 of they way through the book. Alex has had it tough, she came from nothing and has been dealing with drama from her ex Charlie for years.
I liked Doug, he is a good man not afraid to stand up for the smaller person. Doug moved to Callister after leaving Los Angeles hoping to settle down in the quiet town. He meets Alex right off the bat and is immediately attracted, but she does not make it easy on him.
Alex is one tough cookie and she was pretty hard to like. She didn't start opening up to Doug until 3/4 of they way through the book. Alex has had it tough, she came from nothing and has been dealing with drama from her ex Charlie for years.
I liked Doug, he is a good man not afraid to stand up for the smaller person. Doug moved to Callister after leaving Los Angeles hoping to settle down in the quiet town. He meets Alex right off the bat and is immediately attracted, but she does not make it easy on him.
July 28, 2015
Boring. I gave it two stars because she is a great writer. As great a writer she is, this story was boring. Not to mention it had nothing to do with the first book except it's the same town. They didn't even know each other.
August 19, 2009
A humorous and good story.
June 7, 2011
Good, but not as good as the first in the series
September 12, 2012
Good story. Mild suspense, ok romance but caracters were missing some depth. I hate reading books with editing errors.
April 7, 2012
Omigosh! I'm exhausted from the sparring...but in a good way! Loved the characters Alex and Doug!
March 29, 2013
I liked the first book a lot. This one was a huge letdown.
July 3, 2012
Very good read. Plot and character development were great.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews