Series:
Westmoreland Legacy: The Outlaws (Book 5)
From friends to lovers to…
having a baby?
Maverick Outlaw is a man who knows his own mind—and he
knew from the beginning that a fling with longtime friend Sapphire Bordella
would be more than just sizzling, mind-blowing sex. That is, until Phire says
they should go back to being just friends—and then announces that she’s
pregnant with Maverick’s child and her father expects her to marry someone
else! Maverick may not be ready to give his heart, but nothing will stop him
from claiming what’s his…
Good friends with benefits story. Maverick and Phire met
when he was on a business trip to Paris. Their attraction was immediate and
intense, and they had a successful arrangement for two years. Neither one was
interested in anything serious. Maverick enjoys his freedom too much to settle
down, and Phire was burned by love and doesn't want to risk her heart again.
Then Phire told Maverick she wanted to end their
arrangement. She said she was ready to look for love and settle down. In truth,
she had fallen in love with Maverick and needed to get out while she still
could. I liked that Maverick respected her wishes but wanted to shake him for
not recognizing his feelings. Instead, he spent the following months missing
her.
When Maverick gets a call from Phire asking to meet with
him, he drops everything to do so. He's stunned to hear that her father has forced
her to return to Texas from Paris and is trying to force her to marry the man
of his choice. Simon uses a ruthless method of blackmail to ensure Phire's
cooperation. Phire informs Maverick that she will not be able to talk to him
any longer, but they indulge in one more passionate night together. They
believe that is the end until Phire ends up pregnant.
Once Maverick learns of Phire's pregnancy, he becomes
determined to claim Phire for himself. Phire resists because she loves him and
believes he does not return her love. Maverick frequently frustrated me with
his oblivious attitude and focus on the baby when he should have been concentrating
on Phire. I understood her resistance to his marriage demands - she wanted to
be desired for herself, not the baby she carried. I was happy when he finally
had that "aha" moment. Unfortunately, he and Phire make their problems
last longer by not talking about their feelings. The week they spent together
on his cousins' ranch was wonderful and heartbreaking because of it.
Phire's father, Simon, is a piece of work. Controlling
and abusive, he uses Phire's love for her aunt against her. I could feel
Phire's fear for her aunt's welfare every time Simon made one of his threats. His
choice of groom intrigued me as Jaxon appeared to be too nice a man to go along
with Simon's plans. As the book continued, Simon became more desperate to force
her hand. He finally went too far, and I loved seeing what happened to him. I
especially enjoyed the intricate plan hatched by Maverick and the others.
The question of Outlaw patriarch Bart's vehement
opposition to admitting their connection to the Westmorelands has run through
the series. None of the family could understand why he refused to acknowledge
something so obviously true. A stunning revelation from an unexpected source
puts an end to the mystery. I laughed out loud at the significant effect this had
on Maverick.
I loved the ending and seeing Maverick and Phire finally get
the future they wanted. The ending was terrific, with a couple of teasers for
future books. I can't wait to see what is in store for the Outlaw sister,
Charm.
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