What happens in Napa Valley stays in Napa Valley…
Right?
For Alaskan senator Jessup Outlaw, a Napa Valley vacation
starts out as innocent R and R—until he meets Paige Novak. Their chemistry is
explosive! And the temptation to have the Hollywood star for himself proves
irresistible… but the spotlight’s trained on her every move. Is the timing
finally right for Jess’s personal desires to come ahead of his career? Or will
their vacation romance crash into reality with the return of a familiar face
from Paige’s past?
Another Westmoreland/Outlaw bites the dust though he
doesn't fight it. Senator Jess Outlaw is ready for a break from his Senate duties,
so he heads to California to stay at his cousin's winery. There he reconnects
with Paige Novak, another cousin's sister-in-law. Paige, a Hollywood actress, is
between films and also avoiding the fallout from her breakup with a fellow
actor.
Paige and Jess have known each other for six years. When
they met, Paige developed quite a crush on Jess and hoped to draw his
attention. Jess was equally interested in Paige but was deep in his campaign
for senator. He decided to bury his feelings and concentrate on his career
plans. He soon regretted his decision. Whenever they met after that, one or the
other was tied up in a project, or most recently, Paige was in a relationship.
When Jess finds out she's free; he figures it's finally his time.
Paige is more than a little frustrated. She broke things
off with her boyfriend, Kemp, when she found out he was sleeping with another
actress. Kemp acts like this is just a blip in their relationship, and they'll
be back together shortly. Besides the utter disrespect he'd shown her, she had
already planned to end things with him. His actions had simply sped up the
process. Paige plans to ignore the fuss for as long as possible, but then her
sister brings up her place as a role model.
When Jess and Paige meet again, the sparks are undeniable.
Jess wants nothing more than to make his move on Paige but believes her to be
hurting from her breakup. Meanwhile, Paige remembers Jess's apparent
disinterest at previous meetings and thinks she is alone in her attraction.
When Jess learns of her predicament, he offers himself as proof she's moved on.
Though a little wary, Paige can't deny herself a chance to spend time with Jess.
I loved watching the development of their relationship. Foremost
is Jess's desire to show Paige how he feels. I loved the protectiveness that
led him to make the offer in the first place. He makes his opinion of Kemp
quite clear, and his respect and admiration for Paige are evident. Jess's
statement to the reporters is nothing but the truth though Paige doesn't
realize it and thinks he's playing a part. I enjoyed Jess's plans for their
time together - have fun, experience new things, and be together. It doesn't
take long for the sparks between them to burst into flame. The chemistry
between them is explosive, and they enjoy every minute.
I loved seeing them get to know each other, sharing
conversations about things large and small. I especially liked seeing them talk
about the things most important to them. I liked the fun they had together,
from hot-air ballooning to bike riding. It was easy to see their feelings for
each other grow deeper though neither took that first step to express them. Then
trouble arrived in the form of Paige's ex. I wanted to shake Jess for being an
idiot and allowing his past to influence what he should have known. Thank
goodness for younger brothers who keep their wits about them. Meanwhile, Paige
sets Kemp straight in a scene that had me laughing out loud as I read it. Jess
had his work cut out for him to make things right with Paige, but he succeeded
beautifully in an emotional scene.
The epilogue was well done, addressing questions about what
comes next for Jess and Paige. I also enjoyed seeing a few other family members
and catching up on their lives. Seeing the children of the older members grown-up
gives me hope for Westmorelands: The Next Generation.
Right?
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