2018-04-16
Romance blooms when a successful entrepreneur meets a landscape architect in this latest novel from Hagen (Your Endless Love, 2018, etc.).On the surface, Landon Connor appears to have it all. He's a dynamic tech entrepreneur in San Jose, California, and his company, DBC Payment Solutions, is a major player in the transaction-software industry. However, his single-minded focus on his company masks a deep heartbreak. His wife, Rachel, was the center of his world, and her death from brain cancer devastated him. After negotiating a partnership with another technology company, Landon decides to take a vacation to his hometown of Los Angeles to spend time with his five siblings and 6-year-old nephew. When he arrives at the home of his twin sister, Valentina, he meets her new landscape architect, Maddie Jennings. The mutual attraction between Landon and Maddie is immediate, but she's wary of romance due to a painful breakup eight months before. However, as work on the landscape project progresses, Maddie and Landon's playful flirtation quickly turns passionate. Landon extends his vacation to help his family out after Valentina is injured in a car accident, and, as a result, his relationship with Maddie deepens. When Landon's company faces a crisis, he's forced to reassess his priorities. This first installment in Hagen's Connor Family series is a sexy, charming romance with appealing characters and a lively, compulsively readable narrative. The fast-paced chapters alternate between Landon and Maddie's first-person perspectives; they're both driven and ambitious but cautious about falling in love again. Considering the circumstances, their initial attraction sparks with surprising swiftness, but their relationship is believable thanks to playful dialogue and scenes that crackle with erotic tension. One, in which the couple dances in a bar at closing time, is particularly effective at establishing their connection. The large cast of supporting characters centers primarily on Landon's siblings, including Will, a detective; and Lori, a single mother and event planner. Fans of the author's previous Bennett Family series may also recognize references to Landon's cousin Sebastian Bennett and his wife, Ava.A satisfying start to an entertaining new romance series.
