Mandy Baggot - Taking Charge

Title: Taking Charge

Release date: May 3, 2012

Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing

Genre: Contemporary Romance

 Is going back Robyn’s only way forward?

American-born Robyn Matthers is going home. With her dad in hospital, his roadhouse in ruins and the ice hockey team slipping down the league, she needs to take charge. But does she have the strength to do it? 

Cole Ryan is a hockey player on a personal mission. He’s tall, dark, hot and Robyn’s noticed! But can she trust her feelings - or his? And what will Cole do when he finds out the truth about her?

Robyn returns to Michigan and things aren’t quite the same. Her best friend has grown up and is thinking about marriage and babies, the ice hockey team is no longer the life blood of the community and her father is engaged!

When Robyn’s twin cousins drag up past events that hold painful memories for her, she and Cole are forced together. But are either of them ready to start something new?

With an ill father, a trailer trash almost step-mom and ex-boyfriend Brad desperate for another chance, does Robyn have time to contemplate a relationship? Does she really want one? And is it physically possible for two people to fall in love in just three days?

Taking Charge by Mandy Baggot is a great contemporary romance novel. I was given the opportunity to read and review this book as part of a blog tour and I’m glad I was part of it, because I enjoyed reading it.

Robyn Matthers is flying back to the States after spending quite some year in Europe. Her father is ill and in the hospital and he needs to slow down in order to survive. Robyn knows she has to go back and take charge of her father’s roadhouse and manages his ice hockey team. She also hopes to restore the distance between them after the years of separation. But the most important issue she has to deal with is to see if she can be in her hometown again. Something happened in her teenage years and she has been dealing with that ever since.

Cole Ryan meets Robyn at the airport and there is an immediate attraction between them.  Cole has some issues to deal with too, because it appears his ex-girlfriend left him for his brother and they want him to accept it. He needs a new start and takes an offer to work at a medical research lab in the same town as Robyn. And it appears he isn’t a bad ice hockey player either.

I loved Robyn and Cole together, even though they only just met each other at the airport; they seemed to understand each other quite well. Both have some baggage from the past they need to close, but with the help of the other they are able to do just that.

Mandy Baggot has written a great novel with strong main characters, good secondary characters and a great storyline. I’m definitely going to check out some of her other books; because I know I’ll have a good time reading them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising

Excerpt:

He’d given her the best room. She had a panoramic view of West Lake and all its natural Michigan beauty. When she’d woken up the next morning and drawn back the curtains, the scenery had stunned her. The sun was already up and the lake was still and calm. Like a mirror, it reflected every tree standing along the banks. The sky was a cornflower blue and there wasn’t a cloud in sight.

She was still suffering from the time difference, but this morning, opening her eyes to the fantastic garden, the boats moored around the edge of the water and the lake itself, everything seemed a little bit better. Today was a good weather day. The sun was shining and there was little wind, and in Portage, that meant getting intimate with the barbecue.

She was already outside on the deck, a pair of tongs in her hand, and the lid of the grill open, when Cole appeared.

“Morning! Bratwurst?” she greeted, waving a sausage in the air.

Cole opened the door and Robyn pushed him inside. She grabbed hold of his hands and put them on her hips. She kissed him, pushing him down onto the floor of the hallway. She wanted to get as close to him as she could. She pulled his t-shirt over his head and looked appreciatively at the firm, muscular chest underneath. She ran her fingers down, across his sternum to the waistband of his jeans.

Cole stopped her, taking hold of her hand and squeezing it in his.

She looked into his eyes, those deep, dark eyes. She kissed his lips again, closing her eyes and savoring every second of how it felt to lose herself in someone, without any questions or recriminations. Without anyone having to get up and go home.

Cole brought her fingers to his mouth and softly kissed each knuckle in turn. His gentleness was too much to bear, and she drew herself away, let him go and got to her feet, sweeping her hair back out of her face.

            The pink neon sign of Taboo throbbed in front of them. Mickey and the rest of the team had been at another bar before arriving at the club, and they were already well lubricated.

“Now, listen up. Bob has the kitty—strictly beer, no ridiculously, expensive, potent cocktails, no shots, and absolutely no tequila. I want you all to enjoy yourselves, but we do have an important game tomorrow, so let’s remember that,” Robyn said.

Henrik repositioned a bright yellow cowboy hat on his head and loosely strung a red feather boa around Mickey’s neck. Robyn had no idea where he had got them from.

“What about the kitty for the girls? You get special treatment if you throw money at them,” Art piped up.

“If you want to throw money at them, Art, you knock yourself out, but you won’t be throwing my money at them,” Robyn informed him.

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Author Bio

Mandy Baggot is a self-confessed Twitter addict who likes to sing on You Tube. She regularly guests on book blogs and is a featured author on the innovative website loveahappyending.com. She is also a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.

Taking Charge is her fifth novel. Mandy lives near Salisbury, Wiltshire, UK with her husband and two daughters.

Connect with Mandy Baggot: Website / Facebook / Twitter: @mandybaggot / Publisher Author Page