The Watson Brothers

Written by Lori Foster

Narrated by Jim Frangione

Tough, rugged cop Sam Watson has a reputation for being a hero on the job and delivering mind-blowing pleasure in the bedroom. But the only woman who drives him over the edge is the one who's completely wrong for him - the sweetly sexy and extremely determined Ariel. When Ariel's headstrong ways nearly wreck one of Sam's string operations - ruining her alluring dress in the process - Sam offers her a ride to his place to clean up. But once there, Ariel seems to have her own agenda, and Sam decides it's time to show the lady that if she wants to play games of seduction, he'll be calling the shots, turning her every fantasy into a night of unimagined bliss.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Apr 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781501924002

Lori Foster

Lori Foster is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author with books from a variety of publishers, including Berkley/Jove, Kensington, St. Martin's, Harlequin and Silhouette. Lori has been a recipient of the prestigious RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Fantasy, and for Contemporary Romance. For more about Lori, visit her Web site at www.lorifoster.com.

Reviews for The Watson Brothers

[mom2lnb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My House, My Rules - My House, My Rules is the first novella in Lori Foster’s series about the Watsons, three close-knit brothers from Indiana. This one tells the story of the oldest brother, Sam, an undercover cop who’s has it bad for a young woman twelve years his junior and whom he thinks is – or at least was – involved with his youngest brother. Between him being bothered by the age difference and not wanting to hurt his brother in case he still has feelings for her, Sam has been fighting his own attraction. Ariel is a woman who knows what she wants – and that’s Sam. She’s never been genuinely attracted to anyone else the way she is to him. Just to be sure, she went to a local bar to check out the guys, where unbeknownst to her, Sam happens to be working undercover. After nearly blowing his cover and getting bumped and bruised in the process, she gives him a ride home, where she basically propositions him.Ariel is a virgin who saved herself for Sam, hoping that one day he would eventually take notice of her as something more than his little brother’s annoying best friend, but she’s also an outgoing sex kitten, which is always somewhat dicey for me. I guess I was mostly OK with it here, even though I’m not sure if most virgins would be up for Sam’s sexy hijinks right out of the gate. I suppose she’d been waiting for him so long, she was willing to do anything to get him in hopes of keeping him. Sam is a pretty intense alpha male, a little too much so for me at times. I understood that he was more or less trying to scare Ariel off with his red-hot sex play, so at first, he’s very much being the dominant. I’m sure many romance readers will eat that up, but for me he initially came off as a little too harsh. Later, he softened up some, and it was in those moments that I began to like him.With the story being so short there isn’t much in the way of deep character or relationship development, but with Sam and Ariel already having known and been attracted to one another for a while, the connection was pretty good for a novella. The love scenes are scorching and borderline erotic with a little domination and light bondage. Add in a touch of suspense as Sam goes undercover a second time, a bit of family drama with Sam’s brothers, Gil (Bringing up Baby) and Pete (Good with His Hands), and a little humor, and voilà, you have this story. It might not have been absolutely perfect for me, but it was a pretty fun way to spend a couple hours of my reading time, and I look forward to seeing what’s in store for Gil and Pete as I continue with the series. My House, My Rules was originally published in the multi-author anthology, Bad Boys on Board, and was late reprinted in this single author anthology along with it’s two companion novellas. Star Rating: 4Bringing up Baby - Bringing up Baby is the second novella in Lori Foster’s series about the three Watson brothers. This one is middle brother Gil’s story. In the previous novella he’d just gotten the shock of his life when he found out that he was the father of a two-year-old little girl he hadn’t known existed. The girl’s mother, a woman with whom he’d shared a business relationship and one weekend of steamy passion, has passed away in a car accident. But as it turns out, she hadn’t been much of a mother anyway. It’s her roommate, Anabel, who has been raising Nicole and whom she calls mommy. Gil has known Anabel for three years, from the times he visited Nicole’s biological mother on business. Although Gil was sexually attracted to Anabel, he always thought of her as little more than a tattooed, pierced free-spirit and not really mother material. But when Anabel shows up on his doorstep with his toddler daughter in tow, proposing a marriage of convenience to prevent Nicole’s grandparents from taking her away, Gil is forced to take a closer look at her and figure out if they could be something more.Gil is a great guy. From the moment he finds out he has a child, he’s more than ready to take responsibility and become a father to her in every way. Even though he knows nothing about kids, he proves to be a natural and is wonderful with Nicole. I liked that he recognized Anabel’s place in Nicole’s life and that no matter what happened between the two of them, he couldn’t separate mom and daughter even though they aren’t biologically related. Also, once he realizes Anabel is the woman for him, he tries to prove it to her by taking care of her, too. The only thing about Gil that left me wanting is that it’s implied that he’s a wild lover with perhaps unusual tastes in the bedroom, but although the love scenes are hot, nothing particularly out of the ordinary occurs. If anything, I thought the first novella of the series was slightly spicier.Anabel is a real stand-up heroine to have raised her friend’s child as her own. I admired that she wanted to tell Gil from the start that he was Nicole’s father, but it was the child’s biological mother who kept her from doing so. It’s obvious that she loves the little girl very much and is a mother to her in every way that counts. She’s been attracted to Gil for a very long time and was more than ready to give him anything he wanted in the bedroom. I especially liked that she felt that she could trust him to do the right thing. She may not have stood out to me in quite the same way that other romance heroines have, but I liked Anabel and there was nothing she did that bothered me in any way.Because this is a short novella, there isn’t a lot of time to develop the romantic relationship. It helped some that both Gil and Anabel had known and been attracted to each other for a while, but it seemed that despite the attraction, they weren’t really what I would even call friends. If anything Gil had reservations about Anabel’s suitability as a mother. Granted he gets over it as he watches her with Nicole and realizes that he’s been unfair in his judgment, but because of his initial questioning of her, things seemed to move very quickly in the romance department. They hop into bed on night one for a “trial run,” and although the sex is great and I could feel a connection there, the leap to him being ready to marry was just a little too fast to suit me. Otherwise, though, I enjoyed Bringing up Baby and thought it was a cute story. Nicole is absolutely adorable and behaved exactly like a two-year-old should so that was a plus. I look forward to completing the series and seeing what’s in store for youngest brother, Pete. Bringing up Baby was originally published in the multi-author anthology, Bad Boys to Go, and was later reprinted in this single author anthology along with it’s two companion novellas. Star Rating: 4*Good with His Hands - Good with His Hands is the third and final novella in Lori Foster’s Watson Brothers series. In this one, we have youngest brother Pete paired with his good friend, co-worker, and next-door neighbor, Cassidy. Unbeknownst to one another, they’ve each been having lustful thoughts about the other for a while, but their mistaken impressions are getting in the way of them becoming more than friends. Pete is frustrated that Cassidy never gives him even a hint that she might be romantically interested in him and thinks that she only wants to be friends. Cassidy knows that Pete’s usual types are glamorous girls, while she’s anything but. Not to mention, she’s always thought she’d marry a guy in a suit who knows exactly where he’s going in life, while Pete plays things a little more loose and easy. Once they set their respective doubts aside, they discover a burning passion for one another no one else can satisfy.Good with His Hands is a super-cute friends to lovers story that I thoroughly enjoyed. Cassidy is a no-nonsense girl after my own heart. I love that she’s no-frills and doesn’t spend hours primping. Between her and her sister, everyone thinks she’s the sensible one, which I could relate to as well. Pete is a real charmer and a total hottie, who has grown up a lot from his role in each of his brothers’ novellas. He realizes pretty quickly that Cassidy is the woman for him even though she’s not his usual type. The story moves very quickly with them going from friends, to lovers, to engaged in the matter of one weekend, which usually doesn’t work well for me, but this time, I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. I think it was partly the fact that they’d had a very close, best friends type of relationship for quite a while before the story even begins, plus they work together every day and live in adjoining condos. This made the rapid progression more believable since they already know each other very well. Also, I could really feel an emotional and passionate connection between Pete and Cassidy. Lori Foster is masterful with writing hot, sensual love scenes, too, that helped to show just how compatible they are. This may have been a short novella, but for me, it packed a lot of feeling into a small package, making it my favorite of the series and ending it on a high note. Good with His Hands was originally published in the anthology, Bad Boys in Black Tie, and was later reprinted in this single author anthology along with it’s two companion novellas. Star Rating: *****

[scoutmomskf · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My House, My Rules (Book 1)Tough, rugged cop Sam Watson has a reputation for being a hero on the job and delivering mind-blowing pleasure in the bedroom. But the only woman who drives him over the edge is the one who's completely wrong for him--the sweetly sexy and extremely determined Ariel. When Ariel's headstrong ways nearly wreck one of Sam's sting operations--ruining her alluring dress in the process--Sam offers her a ride to his place to clean up. But once there, Ariel seems to have her own agenda, and Sam decides it's time to show the lady that if she wants to play games of seduction, he'll be calling the shots, turning her every fantasy into a night of unimagined bliss...Good story, hot scenes. Sam is an undercover cop and the oldest of the Watson brothers. He's working undercover one night when he sees Ariel come into the bar and get hit on by several men. He wants to do something about it, but can't because of his mission. Sam wants her, but considers her off limits for several reasons. First, she's dated his youngest brother, who he thinks is in love with her. Second, she's twelve years younger than he is. And third, she's far too sweet and innocent for someone like him.Ariel has been hot for Sam for months. She was at the bar trying to see if there is anyone else who could appeal to her and finding that the answer is no. When she spots Sam leaving the bar, apparently drunk, she follows him and witnesses him being attacked. Going on instinct, she leaps to his defense, getting hurt herself. Sam takes her to his place to help her clean up.I loved seeing Ariel try to put the moves on Sam. She's a total innocent, but she knows what she wants. Sam decides to go along, but push the envelope, trying to scare her away from getting involved with him. I loved seeing her go along with his "rules", knowing what he was trying to do and refusing to let him succeed. It was fun to see him lose control of his plan and realize just how much trouble he was in. His brothers' appearances the next morning were pretty funny. Pete is pulling the protective friend routine, trying to get a rise out of Sam, and Gil appears with news of his own. In the confusion, Sam manages to put his foot in his mouth about Ariel, and she walks out.I loved seeing Sam realize what he has lost, what he wants, and try to figure out how to get Ariel to talk to him. History repeats itself as Sam is working another sting and who should appear but Ariel? This one goes a bit differently, and Sam ends up injured. I loved the hospital scene with Sam's brothers, mother and Ariel all there, and Sam's desperate attempts to get Ariel alone. I loved his frustration at their interference, as it seemed only fair that he suffer a little too. Once he did get her to himself, it was pretty sweet to see them together.Bringing Up Baby (Book 2)Gil Watson has always been the responsible one, running the family business and keeping his brothers out of trouble. Of course there was that one wild night on a business trip two years ago...the one that resulted in a daughter he never knew he had. Now that the girl's mother is gone, Gil wants to do the right thing by his little girl, even if it means a marriage of convenience with the woman who's been raising her. Anabel Truman is sarcastic, free-spirited, and totally wrong for him. But the sensations she rouses in him feel totally right...stirrings that have nothing to do with being good and everything with being very, very naughty...and once Gil gets unbuttoned, there's no going back...I really liked this one. At the end of the last story, Gil had just found out that he was the father of a two year old little girl. The child's mother wasn't really involved and Nikki was being raised by her best friend Anabel. When she shows up at Gil's office one day, Nikki in hand, she offers herself as wife and more to stay in Nikki's life. But there's more to it than that.I loved Gil. He's stunned at being a father, but he steps right up to it. I loved watching him fall in love with Nikki and become a daddy, not just a father. He's a bit more ambivalent about Anabel. He's been attracted to her since he met her, but being Shelly's friend put her off limits. She is also far different than the type of woman he sees himself getting involved with. She's free-spirited, plain spoken, and very independent. He can't deny her appeal.Anabel was great. She's been mother to Nikki from the very beginning. I loved how she rearranged her life to do what was best for her. The love that she felt for Nikki just glowed, and she was willing to do whatever was needed to stay with her. She was also worried about Nikki's grandparents, who wanted to take Nikki away from her. It took a fair amount of courage to proposition Gil.I loved the relationship that developed between them. They meshed well as parents, making a great team. On top of that, the attraction that had simmered between them before has come to a full boil. Gil hasn't said anything more about Anabel's suggestion of marriage, but he is definitely enjoying the benefits. Though she's nothing like what he had seen as his future bride, Gil finds himself quite happy with the way things are working out. He does put his foot in his mouth at one point, when talking to his brothers, but he becomes intent on showing Anabel that he wants her for more than convenience.Anabel is being very careful not to rock the boat. She doesn't want to take a chance on Gil sending her away, so she tones down everything about her. She's loved Gil for a long time and would love to have that love returned, but she knows she's not his ideal. She's really enjoying what they have together, but she wants more.When Nikki's grandparents show up, Gil deals with them by himself. Cutting Anabel out feeds her fears that she'll lose both Gil and Nikki. I loved seeing Gil handle them. They were terrible people and I completely understood why Anabel was so determined to keep Nikki away from them. After that, I got a little frustrated with Gil's game playing as he tried to figure out if Anabel loved him without coming out and confessing himself. I loved seeing them finally confess all.There was also a really cute scene when Sam and Pete showed up at Gil's. Between them hassling Gil about Anabel and Nikki wrapping them around her fingers, I laughed through that whole part.Good With His Hands (Book 3)As next-door neighbors and best friends, Pete Watson and Cassidy McClannahan have a "no sex" relationship. "No sex" equals continuing friendship. "Ohmygodyes" sex equals big problems and probably some serious dish throwing. It may be a rigid rule, but it works. Until Pete decides he wants to push the line. If sensible Cassidy won't take his hints, he's ready to transform himself into the perfect "black tie" guy he thinks she wants. And once she's in his arms, he'll show her just what else that black tie can do...Good friends to lovers story. Pete is the youngest Watson brother, who has been the pain-in-the-butt little brother in the previous two stories. Now it is his turn to suffer through the pains of falling in love. He and Cassidy have known each other for awhile, and work at the same gym. They also live next door to each other in the same condo building. Because of their work relationship, they have stuck to being "just friends".Pete has been pretty much a ladies man, dating often but not getting serious about anyone. One day he suddenly realizes that his buddy Cassidy is actually a beautiful woman as well as his friend, and wonders what would happen if he pushed for more. He's always leaned toward the polished kind of woman, so his attraction to her comes as kind of a shock.Cassidy has been friends with Pete because that seems to be all he wants. She's always been the tomboy sort, not interested on clothes and makeup and that stuff, which makes her totally opposite what he goes for. But she has been seriously lusting after him for months. She has big plans for her future, but a little fun now would be a good thing. When Pete suddenly starts putting the moves on her she takes full advantage, even though he's nothing like the man she sees in her future. She's always seen herself with a man who wears a suit and has a regular job, not a fellow gym rat.I enjoyed the development of their relationship. Because they've been friends, they already know each other quite well. What is new to them is the intensity of feeling that develops along with their physical relationship. As they grow closer and want more from the relationship, each decides to try to become more what they think the other wants. It all comes to a head the night of a charity function. I loved how it was the big jock who showed them that it was more important to be yourself. That scene was really great, and showed how important it was not to judge by what's on the surface.I loved the part where Sam and Gil showed up at Cassidy's looking for Pete. It gave them the chance to give a little payback for the torture he inflicted on them.