James What readers are saying about Reluctant Guardian ~ I was pleasantly surprised to find that the characters captivated me from the start. The story is entertaining and suspenseful. ~ ~ Just finished reading this book I enjoyed it very much. I loved the compassion that the author made sure the reader grasped and also the length that when you truly love anyone you will go to. ~ ~ I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Its premise is fresh and well thought out. The characters are likeable and believable. ~ She's lost almost everyone and everything she cared about... After a heartbreaking tragedy leaves Devon O'Leary and her brother alone in the world, news of an unexpected inheritance offers hope for a new beginning. But when they arrive in Charleston, they discover a vengeful grandfather has set the stage so that no matter which course they choose, they cannot win. To make matters worse, their dashingly handsome guardian - a rake in sheep's clothing – seems bent on ensuring their financial ruin. Devon's brother is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep their home, and she vows to do everything in her power to help. The question is, will it be enough? The one thing he's ever wanted is finally within his reach... Though Tristan Montgomery hated Lucas O'Leary for years, he always coveted the land adjoining his. Now, if he can bring himself to agree to the terms of a cruel will, in two years’ time, it will be his. But in order to gain the prize, he must to agree to take responsibility for the grandchildren he's prepared to hate on sight. To his dismay, however, he finds he actually likes his new charges. And while the thought of throwing them out of their family home fills him with guilt, giving up his dream is not an option.

    ANNA -- In love with a woman he had only seen once and could not find, the Highlander, Kevin MacGreagor was growing older and needed a wife to give him sons. No other woman pleased him, not even the daughters of other lairds, so he finally settled for Anna sight unseen. But when his men went to meet her guard, she was all alone and badly beaten. Who could have done such a thing and why? RACHEL -- had a dark secret and even she didn't know what it was. She was seventeen, determined to become as good a warrior as any Highlander, and was firmly against taking a husband. Connor had other ideas. He loved Rachel and when a rival clan took her, he thought he would lose his mind. How would he ever get her back and if he did, would her dark secret separate them forever?CHARLET -- The King of England asked the Highlander, Kevin MacGreagor, to hide a baby girl and save her life. But sixteen years later, someone discovered where she was. To Blair Cameron fell the duty of hiding and protecting Charlet. It was not an easy task. She was furious, head-strong and determined to run from him. Could Blair keep her alive? And if he did, could he keep himself from falling in love with her?

    The only place she could think of to get that kind of money was a riverboat poker tournament. Problem was, she didn't know a thing about playing cards. Dyer Straights may have been the best cardsharp in New Orleans, but the true goal of this hardened gunslinger was vengeance, not profit. He didn't have time for a beautiful belle who wouldn't take no for an answer. So to scare her off, he upped the ante with a proposition: He'd give her the lessons she was so desperate for. And if she won the jackpot, she'd owe him one naked night in his bed. He didn't realize she couldn't afford to refuse. As the cards are dealt and the seduction deepens, the two find they're taking a gamble on a lot more than a good hand and a one-night stand --- they're betting on a lifetime of love.

    He's been too busy helping to provide for his family. Now that he's heading west, Dex is hoping to start a family of his own. However, his attempt to acquire a mail-order bride fails miserably when the lady writes back ridiculing his terrible spelling. Rachel Oliver may be the last person he wants to know what a dunce he is, but she's also the smartest woman in town--and it's clear he needs her help.Rachel Oliver has lingered in town for three years secretly mooning over Dex Stanton, but now she's done. If the fool wants to write to a mail-order bride company, so be it. Once she begins giving Dex lessons, however, Rachel realizes she may not be prepared to give up just yet.As their time together runs short, can two of the most stubborn people in town set aside their pride long enough to find love?Love by the Letter is a companion novella to A Bride for Keeps, Melissa Jagears's full-length debut novel available fall 2013. Includes an extended sneak peek at A Bride for Keeps.