Good book. As the man behind the products that the family business sells, Farrell believes that someone is stealing his designs and producing cheap imitations. To protect his work, he packs up his lab and moves it to his isolated Maine home. Once there, he needs a live-in housekeeper to keep him from forgetting to eat while working and act as the occasional hostess. His assistant and new sister-in-law, Katie (After Hours Seduction), recommends Ivy, a single mother in need of a job.

Ivy is a recent widow with an infant daughter. She desperately needs a job where she can keep Dolly with her and get back on her feet. She remembers Farrell from elementary school and hopes the connection will help secure the job.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship between Ivy and Farrell develop. Though there are sparks between them from the beginning, both of them try to ignore them. Farrell lost his beloved wife seven years earlier and refused to consider risking his heart again. Ivy's marriage wasn't a happy one and had devastating consequences after her husband's death. She has no desire to trust another man with her heart or her child. I liked seeing the two of them interact. Farrell finds himself drawn to Ivy and Dolly, stirring up emotions he thought he'd buried with his wife. Ivy feels protective toward Farrell, thankful for the job, and wanting to do the best she can for him. There were some great scenes involving Farrell and Ivy, along with Dolly, which showed he was already a goner, even though he wouldn't admit it.

Neither Ivy nor Farrell counts on the chemistry that burns hotter the more time they spend together. They decide that they can give in to the attraction without involving their emotions (ha!). The depth of the connection between them scared the hell out of Farrell, and he behaved like a boneheaded jerk. I ached for Ivy as she took Dolly and her heartbreak and fled. I thought Farrell deserved every minute of the misery he felt. I loved seeing him confess his idiocy to his family and ask for their help. I especially liked that it was Katie, as another woman, who had the best insight to help Farrell. I thought he did an outstanding job of groveling when he finally caught up with Ivy and loved the ending.

Now I can't wait to read Zachary's story. ( )

Men of Stone River Trilogy Book 2: Another great Harlequin by Janice Maynard. This is the story of widower, Farrell Stone who is the creative brother of Stone River Outdoor Company. He needs to move his research and development to his remote home in Maine because it seems that some of his designs are getting into the hands of the competitors. While his focus is on his inventions, he needs someone to cook and clean so he hires Ivy Danby. Ivy is a widow herself with a daughter and needs a job. The two know each other from high school and have chemistry from the start. Farrell is getting over having loved and lost and opening up his heart again. Ivy is getting over her own difficult past. The characters are very likable and the story is sweet. A great afternoon read on a nice summer day. You will enjoy catching up with the other two Stone brothers and anticipate book 3 in July which is Zachary's story. ( )