Blown Away by Muriel Jensen, Harlequin, Code Red, December 2004

Blown Away is the 9^th installment in the Code Red series. This book focuses on teacher and part-time hang gliding instructor, school music teacher and single mom, Kara Abbott, and K-9 cop, Cole Winslow. (Cole is the brother to the hero in the first in the series, Brad Winslow.) The two meet when Cole, his friend and his K-9 partner are sent to rescue a hang glider stranded on a bluff.

Kara Abbott is a single mother to 8-year-old son who believes his father left them to join the military overseas. They've moved to Courage Bay to get away from their past because, in truth, the father is in jail. Throughout the book, Kara struggles with whether to tell her son the truth and in the meantime fends off the school principal's attentions. She knows that what she wants from Cole is more than he can give. She is a likeable heroine. The lie to her son she believes is for his own good.

Cole Winslow is hesitant to get involved in another relationship. His first marriage ended in separation and then his wife dying. He enjoys spending time with Kara and her son, identifies with the boy and finds himself getting drawn deeper and closer into their lives. Cole is a good hero, likeable and vulnerable. It's clear he wants the closeness of family but he's scared of getting too close again. The reactions from his friends and family members to his having a Christmas tree (thanks to Kara) is quite humorous because it tells us just how isolated he's kept himself over the years.

Blown Away is an enjoyable read. I wanted to know what happened to this couple, and Kara's son. I know Muriel Jensen seems to specialize in the family type romance and she did a good job with this one, too. It was nice to see the hero and heroine from Father By Choice again as well. That's one thing I'm enjoying about this series, the cohesiveness yet each story is different and doesn't focus on the same type of crisis.

©Susan Falk and phantomroses.com