Smooth Talking Stranger: A Novel

Written by Lisa Kleypas

Narrated by Brittany Pressley

A sexy novel, rich with love, laughter, and steamy passion that sizzles with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Kleypas’s hallmark sensuality and delicious tension 

Millionaire Texas playboy Jack Travis lives for pleasure. He has money, women, and no commitments, and that’s just the way he likes it. Then a gorgeous stranger with an infant appears on his doorstep, rocking his carefree world.

Columnist Ella Varner liked her independent life too, until her wild younger sister Tara, skipped town, leaving baby Luke in her responsible hands. Ella doesn’t know how to raise a child, and she’s not going to do it alone. The baby’s father—Jack—will have to help.

For the first time in his life, Jack can’t smooth talk his way out a jam. But the more he gets to know Ella and Luke, the more he discovers he doesn’t want to. Ella admits the charming Jack is sexy as hell. But if she lets her guard down will he break her heart?  

As sparks fly and heat rises drawing them irresistibly closer, Jack and Ella will have to decide if they’re playing house . . . or playing for keeps.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Mar 24, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062992376

Lisa Kleypas

New York Times Lisa Kleypas graduated from Wellesley College with a political science degree. Her historical romance and contemporary women’s fiction novels are published in forty different languages, and are bestsellers all over the world. Currently she lives in Southern California with her husband Gregory.

Reviews for Smooth Talking Stranger

[Yotaunda Sherriff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this book. Very well written and not rushed. The author allowed the romance to build and I was very invested in the characters.

The audio book narrator was excellent. She is female but her male characters were not distracting.

[reckshow · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Got this book at CVS while I was traveling because I wanted something light and easy. What a GREAT book! I kept turning the pages, and even stopped for lunch while I was driving home just so I could read some more. When I finished it, I went to the bookstore to get the other books in the series... can't wait to read about the other characters in the Travis sphere. :D

[lauren2013_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Smooth Talking Stranger
4.5 Stars

When Ella Varner's sister deserts her newborn, Ella is determined to find the baby's father and force him to take responsibility. She decides to confront the most likely candidate, Jack Travis, who is both surprised and nonplussed to realize that the quirky, no-nonsense Ella might just be the woman of his dreams.

This is definitely the best installment in the series so far. While Sugar Daddy was more a coming of age women's fiction type novel and Blue Eyed Devil focused on some dramatic and angsty issues, Smooth Talking Stranger is straight contemporary romance.

Jack is one seriously gorgeous and HOT alpha, so that fact that he just melts for Ella and baby Luke makes the romance all the sweeter. Ella is a lovely heroine with a great sense of humor. She doesn't just fall all over Jack, but makes him work hard to win her love. Their chemistry is off the charts and their banter is a highlight of the book.

My one small nitpick is that the audiobook narrator, Emily Durante, doesn't have the best Texas accent. Of course, Renee Raudman (the narrator of book #2) is a hard act to follow.

In sum, a delightful and sexy romance and I'm looking forward to listening to Joe's book soon.

[mom2lnb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Smooth Talking Stranger is the third book in Lisa Kleypas’s Travis series, a family saga that’s part romance, part women’s fiction. I’ve allowed a lot of time to pass in between reading the books of this series, but thankfully this one stands nicely on its own and I was able to remember the supporting characters well enough that I never felt lost. This volume is about middle brother, Jack, a consummate wealthy playboy who appears to have no interest in settling down anytime soon until Ella shows up on his doorstep with her infant nephew, Luke, in tow. Ella believes that Jack is the baby’s father and has no intention of leaving until he takes a DNA test to prove it. Even though he doesn’t turn out to be the baby daddy, he generously offers to help Ella when her own boyfriend refuses to have an infant in the house. This leads to all kinds of feelings building between the two, but Ella has always considered herself independent and has no real interest in marrying or having kids, nor does she intend to rely on Jack long-term. But when Luke and Jack both worm their way into her heart, Ella is going to have a hard time saying goodbye to either of them.Ella’s father abandoned his family when she and her sister, Tara, were quite young, leaving them with a narcissistic mother who thought the entire world revolved around her. With a near-constant stream of men coming and going from their lives, Ella and Tara experienced a very unstable upbringing that included one of the men abusing Tara. Ella was always the one protecting Tara and picking up the pieces when anything in their family fell apart, so as an adult, she distanced herself from both her mother and Tara for her own mental health. She’s now a successful advice columnist with ambitions of writing a book and has a live-in boyfriend who she thinks is all she wants in a man. Dane doesn’t desire marriage or a family any more than she does, and he respects her independence, so it seems like the perfect relationship. But her life is turned upside down when her mother calls, saying that Tara left a baby with her and that if Ella doesn’t come get him, she’ll call social services. Ella drops everything to make the long drive from Austin to Houston, and even though she has no real experience with babies, she becomes Luke’s sole caregiver. However, she’s determined to find the baby’s father, and she thinks that guy is Jack. When she discovers it’s not him, she intends to return to Austin until Dane absolutely refuses to help her in any way with the baby, including allowing her to bring him into their shared apartment. That’s when Jack steps in, offering her a place to stay in his building. Thinking that it’s only going to be temporary until Tara is released from the mental health facility where she’s staying, Ella reluctantly agrees. However, being in close proximity with Jack every day is a temptation she isn’t sure she wants to explore, but one that proves impossible to resist.Ella is the first-person narrator, so everything is colored by her POV. She’s a very liberated woman who rejects traditional norms. She thought she was happy in her childless relationship with Dane, but she really didn’t know what she was missing until motherhood was thrust upon her unexpectedly, closely followed by her meeting Jack. Although she’s rather resistant to both Luke and Jack at first, they both turn out to be revelations to her. Ella thinks she’s only going to be caring for little Luke until Tara comes home, but by the time that happens, she’s fallen madly in love with him, as well as with the idea of being a mom, and doesn’t want to let him go. Then there’s Jack, who she thinks is everything she doesn’t want in a man, but he turns out to have hidden depths. He gives her the support Dane refused to offer and she discovers an off-the-charts sexual chemistry with him she didn’t even think was possible. Even though Ella is quite a bit different from me personality-wise, I still felt like I generally understood her. Lisa Kleypas does an excellent job with the characterization of someone who had the type of upbringing Ella did, which made her relatable despite the differences in our temperaments.Jack is one of Houston’s most eligible bachelors who seemingly has a different woman on his arm every week. With his wealth, good looks, and the Travis name behind him, he has no shortage of ladies panting after him. But most of them are only in it for his money or the prestige of dating a Travis. None of them truly know the real Jack. When Ella barges into his office demanding a paternity test, he’s somewhat annoyed but also intrigued. Even though he knows he’s not the father, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to prove it to the stubborn lady, and when he finds out about Dane’s rejection, he doesn’t hesitate to step up to help in spite of having no obligation to do so. He keeps coming around and proves to be quite good with Luke as well, showing that he’s great father material. I particularly loved how supportive he is. Most of the time he’s an easy-going charmer and the “smooth-talker” of the title, but he does have an alpha possessive streak in him that skated a little close to pushing my buttons a couple of times. However, most of the time I really liked him. Despite only seeing him through Ella’s perspective, I got a pretty good sense of who he was, but occasionally I still found myself wishing I was able to see inside his head a little more.Overall, Smooth Talking Stranger was another great addition to the Travis series. I’m classifying it as women’s fiction as well as romance, because a large part of the story’s focus is on Ella and her problems, as well as her figuring out what she really wants out of life when faced with the possibility that it might not be what she always thought it was. She and Jack are a classic case of opposites attracting, but in spite of their differences they still fit together quite well. I loved Ella for stepping up to the plate to care for Luke, and I loved Jack for his patience and supportiveness. The secondary characters, including all the remaining members of the Travis family, rounded out the cast nicely. The story itself was well-written with my only two small complaints being that occasionally it was a little slow-paced and I did pick up on a lot of repetitious words that a more skillful edit should have caught. The book wasn’t 100% perfect, but it did come close and turned out to be a very pleasant and enjoyable read. I’m now looking forward to learning more about youngest brother, Joe, and seeing what kind of woman it takes to pin him down in the final book of the series, Brown-Eyed Girl.

[narshkite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book. This book was exactly what I needed it to be. Covid? What's Covid?

[addictedtomorphemes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent contemporary romance with really smart writing, humor, likeable characters, and a full and interesting story.Ella Varner learns about her sister’s pregnancy when she receives a call from their mother that Tara has left her week-old baby boy with her and taken off. Their mother is unwilling to admit to being a grandmother, let alone take care of the infant, so Ella is expected to drop everything in her own life (including her longtime boyfriend who has made it clear he never wants children) to pick up the pieces. Their family history is full of abandonment, negligence, narcissism, and abuse, and their relationship is a toxic one. Ella sums it up by saying,“I didn’t think I would have survived my childhood without my sister, or she without me. We were each other’s only link to the past…that was the strength of our bond, and also our weakness.”Ella makes it her mission to locate the baby’s father and ensure that he take on some of the responsibility for the future security of the baby and his mother. At the top of the list is Jack Travis, a successful businessman from a wealthy family who is known as an extreme playboy. He insists he could not be the father but agrees to take a paternity test, and proves to be a truly decent guy by stepping in to help make Ella’s transition to becoming Baby Luke’s guardian an easier one.This story was a real pleasure to read. The evolution of their relationship was a slow one, which made it believable. Jack recognized the roadblocks that Ella put up and hid behind to protect herself, and he was patient and determined to break them down after gaining her trust. Their banter was smart and funny, even when they were having an argument they could smile at each other. There were great moments thrown in that made me laugh.“You are so full of yourself…and you would not be good for me, with your steaks and power tools and your attention-deficit libido, and…I’ll bet you’re a card-carrying member of the NRA. Admit it, you are.”Lisa Kleypas is a master at writing her Regency-era novels, and I am so happy to see that she does the same when she switches to contemporary. This was a very well written and complete story.

[mrsdanaalbasha · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

[Tuesday, June 18, 2013] Oh, how I loved this book. Lisa Klepas knows how to write memorable love stories, filled with smearing passion, funny characters and families and beautiful love story and hot heroes! Her leading men are always my favorite! They are strong, possessive, great lovers, husbands and fathers, they appreciate a woman and know how to be men. Jack Travis is just so sexy and Ella was in a good need for a strong man and a family.

I can't wait for more books in the series, when will Lisa write Joe's story? I think Joe will have his romance with the redhead nurse.

[theyodamom · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jack playboy cowboy learns to ove someone. Finally ! I enjoyed this chapter in the Travis family saga. It is romantic and filled with heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. I did not connect to Ella as I have the other female characters in the previous books, she just didn't fit for me.
This was my least favorite out of the series. I hope there will be a Joe story soon.

[bette_hansen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite so far of the Travis stories. Jack was always the carefree playboy until Ella shows up claiming the baby she is holding is his that he had with her sister. This is a great story with interesting characters and a great story. Everyone should read it.

[dawn772 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found this to be a heart-warming story about heroine's journey to love in multiple forms. Ella cares for her sisters abandoned newborn and seeks help from millionaire playboy Jack Travis who is thought to be father. Good plot, action, relevant issues, and sex - this book had them all.

[judithdcollins · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

You've got to love Lisa! Billionaire playboy, and all-around ladies’ man, Jake Travis has a reputation as big as the state of Texas. He drives too fast, lives too hard, and loves too many women to count. In her advice column, and her love life, Ella Varner is always practical. So when she’s left holding her reckless sister’s baby, she decides to ask Jake Travis to take a paternity test. Ella is instantly struck by Jake’s bold good looks and easy charm—but she’s not falling for his sweet talk. This big sexy tomcat needs to take responsibility for his actions, and Ella’s making him stick to his word. Now if she can only ignore the unspoken attraction that smolders between them…

[jnut1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I LOVED the story line.

I did not even like all the detailed sex scenes.

I had just finished her Friday harbor series and was so excited that there were other books by Lisa, now I am afraid to try any of the others. I think there needs to be a sex rating on books now a days. There is a difference between what I deam ok and a fair amount and way too much.
It did not add to the story at all for me.

Ella comes to Houston to take care of her nephew who's mother has left him for a treatment facility. She takes it upon herself to try and figure out who's the baby's father is. She starts with Jack Travis and the relationship that develops is wonderful.

So much other things that I did not like about this book. Will not read any of the others in this series and now worry about her other ones.

not a fan!

[ktleyed · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this novel and it was my favorite in the Travis series. I didn't think I would, especially with a baby storyline, but it sucked me in all the way through to the end, bringing tears to my eyes with it's happily ever after ending. I loved Jack Travis! I had a harder time getting into Ella, but she won we over soon enough. Despite some minor flaws I found it an emotional, touching contemporary that plucked at my heart strings, not to mention the sizzling love scenes between Ella and Jack. A keeper!

[creativejunkie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars

Why in the hell didn't I start with this book and skip those other two?? For those wondering: Yes, you can (and should) absolutely read this book as a stand-alone. These are all companion books, and, to me, the information I received in the other two books actually hurt my impression of the additional characters.

Now where to start with this one?

From the beginning, I was a little nervous about what Kleypas was going to do because we start off with the heroine in a long-term relationship with another guy (she sure does like to write about attached women, doesn't she?). But, fortunately, that really wasn't a major conflict within the story. I think why I enjoyed this book so much was because 90% of the conflict came from outside Jack and Ella's relationship. I like to feel secure in my H/h's love for each other, and I definitely felt that with this book.

Of course, there were several characters that grated on my nerves. Kleypas does a fabulous job of giving us non-villains who we love to hate and Ella's mother falls smack dab in the middle of them. She was a piece of work. I wished several times that Ella had stood up to her more, but that was me coming out, not a character flaw. It was a little hard at the beginning, though, to see her suffer through the relationship with her mother and younger sister.

I'll admit that I didn't really get the relationship Ella had with Tara. Most of the time, as a reader, I found Tara to be cruel, selfish, immature, and inconsiderate of Ella's feelings/life/situation. However, when Ella spoke about Tara, it was always with a fondness and a sort of sacred bond. Though I guess that's sisters for you, huh?

So, from the beginning, Ella is stuck with her sister's kid and she goes off on a hunt to find the father. That whole thing was sort of a convoluted mess, and one that (much to my dismay) didn't really get resolved completely. It was one of only two main gripes about this book, but that storyline sort of fell flat for me.

Let me tell you what didn't fall flat: Jack. Holy God in heaven, that man was...perfection. I mean...perfection. (disclaimer: when I say he's perfection, I've rewritten him in my mind to be chest fur less. And, yes, it was described as a "furry chest" at one point. *shudder*) He is so swoony and so funny and so witty and so manly that I CANNOT, okay? Can we talk for a minute about what it did to my ovaries when Ella came out and found Jack and Luke on the couch, Luke curled on Jack's chest as they watched the news? *kersplosion* I mean, really, is there anything sexier than a man who is confident and sure and hands on with a baby? Bed time? He's got it. Feeding? Yep, that too. Diaper changes? GO TAKE A BATH, WOMAN, I GOT THIS. <----that seriously happened.

And Ella...since this was told in first person POV, maybe that's why I enjoyed this book so much better than the others? I enjoyed Ella. She was much more in line with my kind of heroine (strong, self reliant, resilient, head-strong, and driven). And sassy. God, she was sassy. And when her and Luke got together? It was perfection. UST, banter filled perfection.

Another thing I loved about this book was how much time we got with the relationship of Ella and Jack. I mean, like 70% was them being together, enjoying each other, and I loved that we had that much time together with them. And do you know what that means? Lots and lots of sex. *nods* Usually by the time a book ends, I'm so starved for time with the H/h that I need them to go on longer. Not so with this book (though I certainly wouldn't have complained if there was more).

The only other thing that kept me from rating this the full five stars was the ending with the Tara situation. While I loved what happened, I felt that everything was tied up too neatly. It was really the perfect outcome, and though it was what I'd wanted to happen, it just seemed to come a little too easy for the characters, if that makes sense.

So, to sum up: DO NOT READ THE OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES; JUST THIS ONE, Jack = kdsjafkjchjbnskjajcnjsb, Ella = superwoman, sex is plentiful and hot, and this is going on my favorites shelf and my re-read shelf.

Also, because I don't feel like I adequately explained how swoony Jack is, please read my status updates because jfklsabcjndksnackjsn.

[capnrandm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I realized one chapter in to tHis book that I had already read it before, however, that did not keep me from enjoying it through to the end a second time. Jack Travis is an evolutionary biology dream, the rich, loving, handsome man who helps the heroine achieve her emotional and sexual potential (and he's great with babies, too!). I'm glad I reread this book, intentionally or not, as it reminded me that I'd like to find other stories featuring the Travis family.

[kaetrin_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really liked it. I read Blue Eyed Devil first (won it from the Book Binge - thx ladies!) and then wanted more so I read Sugar Daddy (not as much of a success for me - too light on the romance too much on the women's fiction for my tastes) but I was back to a winner with Jack's story. Does anyone know if Ms. Kleypas will write one for Joe? I want.

[guiltypleasures_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don't like reading in 1st person but this book wouldn't let me put it down. I will be reading the 1st two books soon.

[damarisgcr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished this book last night wanting more. This was my first book ever by Lisa Kleypas and it won’t be my last. This book had a lot of real life issues and that is what I liked about it the most. So many things that Tara and Ella went through as a child you see happening today. From her mother’s numerous lovers/husbands, having a step father interested in you in more than one way, having your mother more worried about her looks, reputation and men over your health and safety to a baby being abandoned because the mother just can not handle it. That is what I liked the most. Ella's sister Tara decides that she is not fit to be a mother and abandoned her son with their mother, who was more worried about her young boyfriend finding out that she was a grandmother. Ella puts her life on hold to take care of this baby and help Tara out by finding the father and getting them on track. That is where she meets Jack Travis. The super hunk who owns his own business and did I mention hunk? Once Lisa Kleypas introduces Jack into the story you just want more and more of him. Ella reaches out to Jack because of her cousin Liza who said that Tara claimed he was the baby's father. I felt that the way the relationship between Jack and Ella developed was perfect. They became friends because of the baby, Jack took an interest in helping Ella with her situation, they were not afraid to say what was on their mind and nether one pretended to be something they were not. So from the very beginning they got to know each other for who they really were.Ella was the type where she did not care for marriage, kids, or traditional type relationships. One of her fears was to be like her mother or live the kind of life her mother did. She refused! Because of her childhood Ella never really cared to fall in love. She had a relationship, but it was more of a friendship than relationship. Jack was the type where he grew up rich with daddy expecting him to follow in his steps only Jack had other ideas and interest and refused to let anyone control his life and turn him into something he was not. He grew up with his brothers and sisters and they were really close with each other. Jack was once hurt by an ex-girlfriend and did not think love was coming his way, though he did want it. There were some parts of the book though (that didn’t include Jack of course) that I felt I could have lived without in the book. I was actually finding myself peeking ahead to see how many pages I had to go before Jack was back in the picture lol. It was not hard at all to fall in love with Jack. And thanks to baby Luke everyone's life changed. Luke slowly changed Ella's and Jack's life in ways they did not see coming. Let me not even start on the romance scenes in this book. My cheeks were bright red a couple of times. I am really happy I read this book and I am looking forward to other books by Lisa Kleypas. I definitely recommend this book.

[gogglemiss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book I have read, from Lisa Kleypas, and it, definitly, won't be the last. Intelligent characters good storylines and this is a romance with a capital R. Great read.

[itsdamaris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I finished this book last night wanting more. This was my first book ever by Lisa Kleypas and it won’t be my last.This book had a lot of real life issues and that is what I liked about it the most. So many things that Tara and Ella went through as a child you see happening today. From her mother’s numerous lovers/husbands, having a step father interested in you in more than one way, having your mother more worried about her looks, reputation and men over your health and safety to a baby being abandoned because the mother just can not handle it. That is what I liked the most.Ella's sister Tara decides that she is not fit to be a mother and abandoned her son with their mother, who was more worried about her young boyfriend finding out that she was a grandmother. Ella puts her life on hold to take care of this baby and help Tara out by finding the father and getting them on track. That is where she meets Jack Travis. The super hunk who owns his own business a...more I finished this book last night wanting more. This was my first book ever by Lisa Kleypas and it won’t be my last.This book had a lot of real life issues and that is what I liked about it the most. So many things that Tara and Ella went through as a child you see happening today. From her mother’s numerous lovers/husbands, having a step father interested in you in more than one way, having your mother more worried about her looks, reputation and men over your health and safety to a baby being abandoned because the mother just can not handle it. That is what I liked the most.Ella's sister Tara decides that she is not fit to be a mother and abandoned her son with their mother, who was more worried about her young boyfriend finding out that she was a grandmother. Ella puts her life on hold to take care of this baby and help Tara out by finding the father and getting them on track. That is where she meets Jack Travis. The super hunk who owns his own business and did I mention hunk?Once Lisa Kleypas introduces Jack into the story you just want more and more of him. Ella reaches out to Jack because of her cousin Liza who said that Tara claimed he was the baby's father. I felt that the way the relationship between Jack and Ella developed was perfect. They became friends because of the baby, Jack took an interest in helping Ella with her situation, they were not afraid to say what was on their mind and nether one pretended to be something they were not. So from the very beginning they got to know each other for who they really were.Ella was the type where she did not care for marriage, kids, or traditional type relationships. One of her fears was to be like her mother or live the kind of life her mother did. She refused! Because of her childhood Ella never really cared to fall in love. She had a relationship, but it was more of a friendship than relationship.Jack was the type where he grew up rich with daddy expecting him to follow in his steps only Jack had other ideas and interest and refused to let anyone control his life and turn him into something he was not. He grew up with his brothers and sisters and they were really close with each other. Jack was once hurt by an ex-girlfriend and did not think love was coming his way, though he did want it.There were some parts of the book though (that didn’t include Jack of course) that I felt I could have lived without in the book. I was actually finding myself peeking ahead to see how many pages I had to go before Jack was back in the picture lol. It was not hard at all to fall in love with Jack. And thanks to baby Luke everyone's life changed. Luke slowly changed Ella's and Jack's life in ways they did not see coming. Let me not even start on the romance scenes in this book. My cheeks were bright red a couple of times.I am really happy I read this book and I am looking forward to other books by Lisa Kleypas. I definitely recommend this book.

[risadabomb_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book. Ella is a really strong female character who is also compassionate. Jack is...delicious, he is a great romantic hero, sensitive and hot. Love the author's formula for romance, it is always a winning one.

[amf0001 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ella is a kind of Cinderella, but it's her own narcissistic mother who is the villain and her beautiful dependent sister who pulls her back into her difficult family dynamics. When her sister unexpectedly dumps her one week old on her mother, everyone knows that it is Ella who will sort it out. And Ella does. She puts her own life on hold for 3 months and takes baby Luke into her heart. But her acceptance of Luke highlights the weaknesses in her relationship with Dane (and that relationship is where the book loses a star, I didn't believe the conversation they had a month into her trip to Houston, it just didn't ring true for me.) So she is more open to Jack Travis, a smooth talking stranger who starts helping her out. I really enjoyed Ella and Jack's relationship, I liked their humor and their conversations. And it's hot. Very hot! I usually don't favor books told in the first person, but we had so much insight into Ella's thinking, and still managed to get a good perspective on Jack, that it worked for me. I like to fall in love with the romance in the books I read, and this is definitely one you can fall in love with. It’s a keeper!

[kayceel_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked Ella, the main character. Having been raised by a self-absorbed, selfish mother, Ella has long distanced herself from both her mother and her little sister, Tara, who, despite having been raised by Ella, seems to only be interested in money and men, just like their mother. When Tara abandons her newborn son with their mother, Ella sees no choice other than rescuing her nephew from her mother and takes on the task of finding the baby's father.Ella's sleuthing skills lead her to Jake, a millionaire playboy with a sexy voice and drop-dead looks. Though she tries to resist, Jake's charms are proving a bit more than Ella can handle, and she can't help but wish she could fall for him...This is very sexy and romantic, even though Jake is a bit of a "type" rather than a fully developed character. Ella is strong and complex, and I found myself rooting for her almost immediately. A nice, romantic read.

[lrobe190 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Ella and Tara Varner grew up without a father and with a mother who had no idea how to be a parent. Each sister dealt with it differently; Ella had lots of therapy, became a writer and is living with a man who is laid back, undemanding and understands her and the life she came from. Tara is as beautiful as her mother and has never really dealt with the realities of her childhood. Ella walked away from Tara and her mother, Candy, years ago in order to build a life that made some sense. Then, one day her mother calls and demands that Ella come to pick up the baby that Tara left on her doorstep. Tara has disappeared and left her fatherless child with Candy. Candy has no intention of taking care of the child or of even letting her current boyfriend know she is a grandmother. Once again, Ella is drawn into the drama of her family and, as usual, has to be the one to sort everything out. Now, she has to put her life on hold and try to find Tara and the father of Tara's child. Her boyfriend, Dane, wants nothing to do with a child, so Ella takes baby Luke to Houston to meet with daddy possibility number 1: Jack Travis...millionaire playboy...and...the most handsome man Ella has ever seen!This third novel in the Travis family series is one of Kleypas' contemporary romances. Th characters are strong, well-drawn and likable. The plot grabs the readers emotions immediately and doesn't let go. I read this almost in one sitting. It was romantic and sexy and played with my heart-strings. I think I like Klyepas' contemporary novels better than her historicals and, in my opinion, this is her best so far!!

[bookappeal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sometimes you just need a good, sexy romance. The story involves a woman with an unstable background who gets stuck taking care of her sister's newborn baby. In trying to find the baby's father, Ella meets hunky and wealthy Jack Travis. The plot is good enough and it's nice to see a struggling "mom" have a really hot romance. Happy ending of course.

[phyllisd_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Contemporary romances are new for Lisa Kleypas. This book is the third in a series about a powerful Houston family, the Travis's. Books are told completely from the view point of the woman. The tense is awkward at times and the male character does not seem to change from book to book. But it is an excellent plot and a very good read.