DEAL ME IN

Author: Cynthia Thomason ISBN: 9780373714643 1/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: HARLEQUIN

When Brady Carrick bets he can turn Molly Davis into a cardsharp, the former football star has no idea the widowed mother has a grudge against him. That accepting Brady's challenge is a way for Molly to start a new life—and get revenge against Brady for destroying her old one.… All she has to do is keep her real identity from Brady until she earns a seat at the big poker tournament. That, and steel her heart against him. Because the closer they get, the harder it is to believe that this serious, protective cowboy is the man who killed her husband.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

I'm a big fan of Cynthia Thomason. I've had the pleasure of reading not only her contemporaries, but also a really wonderful historical romance. Her new release is part of the Texas Hold'em Series by Harlequin Super Romance. Cynthia's contribution, DEAL ME IN, is book four in this series with the other three books released toward the last quarter of 2007.

If you have been following the Texas Hold'em series, then you'll know that ex-Cowboy player and poker player extraordinaire, Brady Carrick, needs to find a woman of his own. After a life-changing event in Vegas while playing a round of poker, he decides to come home to his family ranch in Texas. While there, he sees a beautiful horse that he wants to take care of and train. His father, on the other hand, thinks that Brady needs a bit more experience in responsibility. His father bets Brady that if he can teach any average person to play and be in a popular poker tournament, then he will be able to train and take care of this horse himself. Brady doesn't expect to have to be teaching a very sexy and smart single mother the rules of poker.

Molly Davis plans on accepting this incredible bet made between the older and younger Carrick men. She has her sights set on Brady, but it's not because she's interested in him. He's the reason why her life is the way that it is today, and if she can win this poker tournament then she can get back at Brady and turn her life around for the better.

Molly and Brady end up being really great partners and she has a knack for the game. Brady can't help but start to fall for her, even though she just wants a strictly personal relationship. However, as they begin to spend more and more time together, Molly has a sneaking suspicion that Brady may have already moved into her heart, but there's still one big secret she hasn't told him yet that could change everything.

DEAL ME IN is a great contemporary written by a hugely talented author. Cynthia Thomason can not only write a sweet romance, but incorporate that with a story and a plot that is also interesting and sometimes very emotional. She has a talent for dialogue and there is some really great dialogue in between the pages of this book! All in all, I really enjoyed Cynthia Thomason's latest release. If you haven't read the other three books in the series, that's okay because this book stands alone. So, what are you waiting for—get your copy of DEAL ME IN today!

Julie Kornhausl