Review--BLACK TIES AND LULLABIES

Review for:
Black Ties and Lullabies, by Jane Graves
ISBN: 9780446568470
Publisher: Grand Central (Hachette Book Group)

*NOTE: This book was supposed to be released in Feb 2011, but has been pushed back to June 2011. My cover also looks different.*

Jane Graves is the author of eighteen contemporary romance novels. She is a seven-time finalist for Romance Writers of America's Rita Award, the industry's highest honor, and is the recipient of two National Readers' Choice Awards, the Booksellers' Best Award, and the Golden Quill, among others. Jane’s books have been translated into more than a dozen languages, with three titles reaching the Top 100 on Amazon Germany. Her most recent release, Tall Tales and Wedding Veils, appeared on the Barnes & Noble Bestseller List. Other titles include: Hot Wheels and High Heels, Heartstrings and Diamond Rings, Wild at Heart, Flirting with Disaster, and Light My Fire. Jane resides in the Dallas area with her husband.

A good girl can be bad for one night, but can a bad boy be good for a lifetime? Bernadette "Bernie" Hogan has spent the past two years as a bodyguard to Texas' most eligible--if not infuriating-- bachelor. She never makes mistakes, not when caring for her mother with Alzheimer's, and certainly not on the job. But one night, self-made millionaire Jeremy Bridges pushes her too far, and a passionate fling with her boss leaves Bernie confused, embarrassed, and pregnant. Can Jeremy convince Bernie that he's ready to change from the partying playboy to a dependable dad?

If I'm being honest, this book fell a little flat for me about half-way through. And without issuing a spoiler alert, the ending was too overly sentimental for my tastes. I understand what the author was trying to do in showing growth for both the hero and heroine-- her with the hormones of pregnancy and him growing up-- but Jeremy lost his humor, and Bernie lost her edge, which is what made these two so captivating from the first page. I'm not a big fan of the "pregnancy plots" as they have to be done just right, but I will credit the book for not taking the "rushing into marriage" scenario most do, or for the "hiding the pregnancy" as typically shown.

In saying that, Jane has an innate way of illustrating her surroundings and her secondary characters extremely well. It's why I've loved her books for some time, and why this won't deter me from future reads. Most memorable in this story for me was Bernie's mother, Eleanor's, struggle with the early stages of Alzheimer's and it's progression. It's a horrible disease, and it was not made light of nor portrayed improperly for creative content. 3.5 stars overall.

Kelly Moran
Author and Reviewer
Bookpleasures