This Time for Keeps

by Jenna Mills

A great husband and kids…that's how Meg Montgomery has always seen her future. Her present…well, it looks a little different. Then suddenly she's guardian to her baby niece. And while the circumstances aren't ideal, Meg's determined to give Charlotte the home she deserves. That may be hard to achieve when Charlotte's uncle Russell comes back to town. Because Russell is also Meg's almost ex-husband. The distance between them has done nothing to diminish their powerful attraction. If anything, seeing him with Charlotte makes Meg realize what a great father he could be. And being together this way makes those dreams of her future almost a reality.

Genres: Harlequin, Romance, Contemporary Romance

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Best-selling author Jenna Mills grew up surrounded by the evocative plantation ruins, haunting swamps, and timeless legends of south Louisiana. She penned her first official work of fiction at the ripe old age of six, turning to suspense three years later with JACQUIE AND THE SWAMP. Since then her stories have grown in complexity, but her love for adventurous women and dangerous men has remained constant.

Jenna is a member of Romance Writers of America, Dallas Area Romance Authors, and North Louisiana Storytellers. Prior to selling her first novel, she won numerous regional and national writing contests, one of which brought her in contact with the editor who purchased her work.

When not writing stories brimming with deep emotion, steamy romance and page-turning suspense, Jenna enjoys spending time with her young daughter and her husband, as well as a house full of cats, dogs, and plants.

Jenna credits her grandparents, Mr. & Mrs. Cloyd Allison and Mr. & Mrs. Milton Aucoin, for teaching her everything she knows about dreams that come true and love that lasts a lifetime.

Reviews

[Jacqueline J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't like this one at all. Would never have picked it up and read it except that I got it from Tell Harlequin to read and review. I've said before that I don't like 2nd chance at love stories. This one illustrates most of the things I dislike about them. They can be okay if there isn't too much bitterness and anger over the break up. In this one the couple has given up on marriage. That sort I totally and intensly dispise. I read romances for fun. It isn't fun to read about the death of a baby and the breakdown and bitterness of a marriage and a couple giving up instead of trying harder. I know it happens in real life but I don't have to read about it. There was nothing happy in this book at all. The ending wasn't even very happy. After their baby died, she closed herself off and quit their marriage and he didn't stick it out and gave up trying to get through to her. They both are totally into moving on with their lives that the marriage wasn't worth revisiting. He only came back to take his sister's kid from her. He made a few half hearted efforts which she couldn't believe in because he had walked out on her two years before. I didn't see a whole lot of growing etc., on either part. It was just a miserable depressing read. But hey, maybe you like that kind of thing.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think this was one of the better romances I've read lately. In fact, I just didn't enjoy it at all despite the main character being Scottish. Which is usually a plus in romance novels for me. But not this one, this one held no charm at all.

After the breakup of their marriage two years before, things have changed in both Meg and Russell's life. They were recovering from tragedy, and grew apart, and then when Russell left, everything was turned upside down in Meg's life. But she had to pull herself out of the gloom when his sister had a baby. And then when his sister died, it was just Meg and the baby, who she loves immensely. But with Russell back in town, the divorce papers still not signed, and the affairs to be set in order, Meg is deeply afraid that she will lose the child and be alone again. And she never did get over Russell, so just his presence is enough to throw her whole world for a loop.

Meg was a bit strange. She had a lot of emotional baggage, which is understandable, but she took it to extremes at times. I also thought that the way the author treated alcoholism was completely insulting. It made it seem an easy thing to get over and its not. Russell was a jerk in my opinion. He was so wrapped up in his own needs that he thought he was write about everything. And he doesn't really come around ever, he still pushes everything back on Meg. Honestly I'm not quite sure what Meg even fell in love with him. He was just completely unlikable. And like most romance novels, the child was no more than a mere prop in the book.

I didn't really care for the plot either. The whole concept of them still being married two years later and brought together by a child just seemed very contrived. They didn't seem to even really care for each other beyond sexual attraction, and even that wasn't very exciting. And the whole town acting the way they did, that was a bit unrealistic as well. The romance part of this romance was pretty tame. It was more a book about them whining about their problems and then deciding maybe a little romance thrown in was ok. Nothing really tied together too well.

I wouldn't read it again or recommend it. I'm not even sure I'd be on the lookout for anything else from this author.

This Time For Keeps
Copyright 2010
314 pages

Review by M. Reynard 2012

More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com

[Fedora · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not care for the heroine, which made the book harder to get through (read this for TellHarlequin). The hero was appealing, but the heroine had a multitude of issues which made the story a bit depressing for me.

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

This was such a good book. It was so emotional and beautiful. This is an older book but it doesn’t seem dated. This will be a re-read for me.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was sent to me by Harlequin as part of their surveys. Not a book I would have chosen myself but then maybe I will actually enjoy it.

If I had not received this book as part of a survey I probably would have set it aside after just a few chapters. It was all too predictable and I did not really care about the characters.

I forgot to mention that there was a small bit of objectionable language in the book as well, not a word I have ever seen in a Harlequin book and hope not to see again.

[Josie]

I was expecting a fun, unexpected baby story but this was heavy on the angst and drama. I found the writing to be a but superfluous and the frequent flashbacks slowed the pacing even further. I skimmed ahead, and I wasn't a fan of the black moment. I think readers looking for an emotional drama will like this.

[Cecelia]

A wonderful, heart wrenching book. The charachters are real and believable and the emotions are finely palpable. The tides of feeling that was over the reader while reading propell the story onward and kept me personally reading the book late into the night.

[Tia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this a while back and didn't completely dislike it but almost. I couldn't get over the fact what an ass the hero was. I wanted to punch him. Then the ending wasn't much of an ending at all. I felt totally frustrated.

[Yona Racheva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sad from begging to end. There wasn't even one time when I wanted to smile and not cry. There was so much pain. Some will tell the end was happy but for me after all the hurt I just can't see it as one.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Suddenly a Parent

[SheLove2Read]

Got this as a freebie from Tell Harlequin. Not my thing. I'm not big into books with kids.

[Penney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, the story was great and sad at time,the characters were amasing, a truly wonderful read! I couldn't put it down. I highly recommend reading it.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual type of story. But it was well written and very well set up and done. Turned out to be a very emotional book as well.

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Suddenly a Parent